Fokker D.I

{{Infobox aircraft

|name =Fokker D.I and B.III

|image =Fokker D.I 216-16.jpg

|caption =

|type =Fighter aircraft

|manufacturer =Fokker-Flugzeugwerke

|designer =Martin Kreutzer

|first_flight =

|introduction =1916

|produced =July 1916

|retired =

|status =

|primary_user =

|more_users =

|number_built =144

|unit cost =

|developed_from =

|variants =Fokker D.II, D.III and D.IV.

}}

The Fokker D.I (company designation M.18) was a development of the D.II fighter. The D.I was also flown in Austro-Hungarian service as a fighter trainer 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

File:Fokker D.I 151.16.jpg

Similar to the D.II, the D.I was an unstaggered single-bay, or Einstielig equal-span biplane. The upper fuselage was initially parallel with the upper wing and was fitted with the {{cvt|75|kW|0}} Mercedes D.I six-cylinder water-cooled engine.

Control was achieved using wing-warping. The wings were also tested in twin-bay (Zweistielig) form. To improve visibility, the center section was cut back and the wings were slightly staggered and the top wing raised slightly.

These improvements were retained, and the airplane was ordered into production with an {{cvt|89|kW|0}} Mercedes D.II inline engine and a single synchronized 7.92 mm (.312 in) lMG 08 machine gun. The Austro-Hungarian B.IIIs, serialled 04.11 to 04.27, retained the Mercedes D.I engine, and some were armed with a free-firing Schwarzlose MG M.07/12 machine gun mounted above the centre-section.{{cite book |last1=Grosz |first1=Peter M. |last2=Haddow |first2=George |last3=Scheiner |first3=Peter |title=Austro-Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War One |orig-year=1993 |year=2002 |publisher=Flying Machine Press |location=Boulder |isbn=1-891268-05-8 |page=406}}

Operational history

Deliveries began in July 1916 and 90 D.I fighters were delivered to the German Fliegertruppen and 17 B.III fighter trainers to the Austro-Hungarian Luftfahrttruppen, eight of which were license-built by the Magyar Általános Gépgyár (MAG) in Hungary.

One Austro-Hungarian B III was experimentally fitted with a {{cvt|119|kW|0}} 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 Fokker D.IV.

Operators

;{{flag|Austria-Hungary}}: Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops

;{{flag|German Empire}}: Luftstreitkräfte

;{{TUR}}

Ottoman Air Force

Specifications (D.I)

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=German Aircraft of the First World War{{cite book |last1=Gray |first1=Peter |last2=Thetford |first2=Owen |title=German Aircraft of the First World War |year=1970 |publisher=Putnam |location=London |isbn=0-370-00103-6 |edition=2nd |pages=87–90}}

|prime units?=met

|crew=1

|length m=6.3

|length note=

|span m=9.05

|span note=

|height m=2.55

|height note=

|wing area sqm=20

|wing area note=

|aspect ratio=

|airfoil=

|empty weight kg=463

|empty weight note=

|gross weight kg=670

|gross weight note=

|max takeoff weight kg=

|max takeoff weight note=

|fuel capacity=

|more general=

|eng1 number=1

|eng1 name=Mercedes D.II

|eng1 type=6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine

|eng1 kw=89

|eng1 note=

|prop blade number=2

|prop name=fixed-pitch propeller

|prop dia m=

|prop dia note=

|max speed kmh=150

|max speed note=

|cruise speed kmh=

|cruise speed note=

|stall speed kmh=

|stall speed note=

|never exceed speed kmh=

|never exceed speed note=

|range km=

|range note=

|combat range km=

|combat range note=

|ferry range km=

|ferry range note=

|endurance=1 hour 30 minutes

|ceiling m=

|ceiling note=

|g limits=

|roll rate=

|climb rate ms=3.33

|climb rate note=

|time to altitude=

|wing loading kg/m2=33.5

|wing loading note=

|fuel consumption kg/km=

|power/mass =0.17 kg/hp

|more performance=

|guns=

D.I 1 × synchronised forward-firing {{cvt|7.92|mm|3}} LMG 08/15 machine gun
B.III optional forward-firing {{cvt|8|mm|3}} Schwarzlose MG M.07/12 machine gun mounted above the centre-section

}}

Fokker D.I

Design and development

Operational history

Operators

Specifications (D.I)

See also

References

Further reading