Fokker D.I

infobox Aircraft
name =Fokker D.I and B.III
type =Fighter aircraft
manufacturer =Fokker-Flugzeugwerke

---

caption =
designer =Martin Kreutzer
first flight =
introduced =1916
produced =July 1916
retired =
status =
primary user =
more users =
number built =144
unit cost =
developed from = Fokker D.II
variants with their own articles =D.III and D.IV.

The Fokker D.I (company model M18) was a development of the D.II fighter. It was also flown in Austro-Hungarian service as a reconnaissance aircraft under the designation B.III. Confusing the matter further, both the D.II and D.I arrived at the Front in German service at similar times, in July-August 1916. The main designer was Martin Kreutzer.

Design and development

Similar to the D.II, the D.I was an unstaggered single-bay equal-span biplane. The upper fuselage was parallel with the upper wing. Unlike the D.II, the D.I was fitted with the 100 hp Mercedes D.I six cylinder watercooled engine. Control was achieved using wing-warping. The wings were also tested in twin bay form. To improve visibility, the center section was cut into and the wings were slightly staggered.

These improvements were retained, and the airplane was ordered into production with a 120 hp Mercedes D.II inline engine and a single synchronized LMG 08/15 machine gun. The Austro-Hungarian B.IIIs retained the D.I engine, and were armed with a Schwarzlose machine gun.

Operational history

Deliveries began in July 1916. 90 were delivered to the German "Fliegertruppen", and 16 to the Austro-Hungarian "Luftfahrttruppen" (as the B III). Eight were license produced by the Magyar Általános Gépgyár in Hungary.

One Austro-Hungarian B III was experimentally fitted with a 160 hp Mercedes D.III engine. Another had ailerons instead of wing warping, and still another had long span, swept back wings.

Compared with aircraft in service at that time, such as the Albatros D.II and the Nieuport 11, this Fokker's design and performance were decidedly unimpressive, and further production did not take place.

The D.I was the basis for the D.III and D.IV.

Operators

;flag|Austria-Hungary: Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops;flag|German Empire: "Luftstreitkräfte"

pecifications (D.I)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?= plane
jet or prop?= prop
ref= The Complete Book of Fighters Gray and Thetford 1962, p.90]
crew=One, pilot
capacity=
length main= 6.30 m
length alt= 20 ft 8 in
span main= 9.05 m
span alt= 29 ft 8 in
height main= 2.55 m
height alt= 8 ft 4 in
area main= 20.00 m²
area alt= 215.3 ft²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 463 kg
empty weight alt= 1,020 lb
loaded weight main= 670 kg
loaded weight alt= 1,477 lb
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)=Mercedes D.II
type of prop= 6-cylinder water-cooled inline engine
number of props=1
power main= 90 kW
power alt= 120 hp
power original=
max speed main= 150 km/h
max speed alt= 81 knots, 93 mph
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main= 3.33 m/s
climb rate alt= 656 ft/min
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
* Endurance: 1.5 hours
armament=
* 1 × forward-firing 7.92 mm LMG 08/15 machine gun
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=*Fokker D.II
*Fokker D.IV

similar aircraft=
*Albatros D.I
*Halberstadt D.II
*Nieuport 11

lists=
* List of military aircraft of Germany
* List of fighter aircraft
see also=

References

Notes

Bibliography

*Gray, Peter and Thetford, Owen. "German Aircraft since the First World War". London:Putnam, 1962.
*Green William and Swanborough, Gordon. "The Complete Book of Fighters". New York: Smithmark, 1994. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.

External links