|
 |
| Fokker
D.VII |
 |
Wusthoff was captured
in the a/c plane on 17 June 1918
Ltn. George
von Hantelmann
Jasta 15
June 1918
Source: OTF: 9/3
Image: © R. N. Pearson |
|
|
|
|
|
| The Fokker D.VII is widely regarded
as the best German aircraft of the
war. Its development was championed
by Manfred von Richthofen. In January
1918, Richthofen tested the D.VII in
the trials at Adlershof but never had
an opportunity to fly it in combat.
He was killed just days before it entered
service. When introduced, the D.VII
was not without problems. On occasion
its wing ribs would fracture in a dive
and high temperatures sometimes ignited
planes armed with phosphorus ammunition
or caused their gas tanks to explode.
Even so, the D.VII proved to be durable
and easy to fly. As noted by one authority,
it had "an apparant ability to
to make a good pilot out of mediocre
material." When equipped with
the BMW engine, the D.VII could outclimb
any Allied opponent it encountered
in combat. Highly maneuverable at all
speeds and altitudes, it proved to
be more than a match for any of the
British or French fighter planes of
1918. Hermann Göring was one of
the first pilots to fly the D.VII in
combat. |
|
|
| SPECIFICATIONS |
| Country: |
Germany |
| Manufacturer: |
Fokker Flugzeug-Werke GmbH
Albatros-Werke Johannisthal
Ostdeutsche Albatros-Werke Schneidemuhl (OAW) |
| Type: |
Fighter |
| First
Service: |
Late March or early April
1918 |
| Number
Built: |
About 2,694 |
| Engine(s): |
Mercedes D-III 6 cylinder
liquid cooled inline, 160 hp
BMW IIIa inline, 185 hp |
| Wing Span: |
29 ft 3.5 in |
| Length: |
22 ft 11.5 in |
| Height: |
9 ft 2.5 in |
| Empty
Weight: |
1,540 lb |
| Gross
Weight: |
1,939 lb |
| Max Speed: |
118 mph (Mercedes)
124 mph (BMW) |
| Ceiling: |
18,000 ft (Mercedes)
21,000 ft (BMW) |
| Endurance: |
1.5 hours |
| Crew: |
1 |
| Armament: |
2 Spandau 7.92 mm machine
guns |
|
|
|
|
|
