The SSW D.III was designed as a fast-climbing
interceptor and was to make use of
the new 11 cylinder Siemens-Halske
160hp counter-rotary engine. This engine
featured a propeller and cylinders
that rotated opposite to the crankcase,
allowing a slower propeller speed for
the same power and the elimination
of torque among other things. Initial
tests of the Sh.III engine in the SSW
D.IIb saw the remarkable (for the time)
climb of 7000m in 35 minutes, and the
decision was made to design a new interceptor
around it.
Tests with the prototype
D.III fitted with a two-bladed
propeller and long
undercarriage that typified the
first incarnation of the type. showed
that
ground handling left a lot to
be desired, therefore a new four-blade
propeller and shorter u/c were
soon
to be standardised on the production
D.III. In tests against the Fokker
D.VII and Albatros D.V, the SSW
D.III was the faster of the three.
The first
pre-production batch was ordered
on 26 December 1917 and were
numbered D.8340/17 -D.8359/17,
the one shown below being the second
pre-production aircraft. Note the
full cowl and original rudder shape. |
