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Fokker D.VII#Variants

{{Short description|1918 fighter aircraft model by Fokker}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}

{{Infobox aircraft

| name = Fokker D.VII

| image = File:Fokker D. VII USAF.jpg

| image_caption = Fokker D.VII reproduction at the NMUSAF. The aircraft is painted in the colors of Leutnant Rudolf Stark of Jasta 35b

| aircraft_type = Fighter

| manufacturer = Fokker-Flugzeugwerke

| designer = Reinhold Platz

| first_flight = January 1918

| introduction =

| retired =

| status =

| primary_user = Luftstreitkräfte

| more_users =

| produced =

| number_built = Approximately 3,300

| unit cost =

| variants =

}}

The Fokker D.VII is a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the Luftstreitkräfte, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft. The Armistice ending the war specifically required, as the fourth clause of the "Clauses Relating to the Western Front", that Germany was required to surrender all D.VIIs to the Allies.{{cite web |title=First World War |url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/firstworldwar/transcripts/aftermath/armistice_terms.htm |website=www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |access-date=5 November 2018|quote="A. - CLAUSES RELATING TO THE WESTERN FRONT. - IV. - Surrender in good condition by the German Armies of the following equipment:-5,000 guns (2,500 heavy, 2,500 field)...25,000 machine guns...3,000 trench mortars...1,700 aeroplanes (fighters, bombers - firstly all D.7's and night-bombing machines).}} Surviving aircraft saw much service with many countries in the years after World War I.

Development and production

File:Fokker D VII 2.jpg

Fokker's chief designer, Reinhold Platz, had been working on a series of experimental V-series aircraft, starting in 1916. The aircraft were notable for the use of cantilever wings. Hugo Junkers and his aviation firm had originated the idea in 1915 with the first practical all-metal aircraft, the Junkers J 1 monoplane, nicknamed Blechesel (Sheet Metal Donkey or Tin Donkey). The wings were thick, with a rounded leading edge. The shape of the wings' airfoil gave greater lift, with its relatively "blunt" leading edge (as seen in cross-section) giving it more docile stalling behavior than the thin wings commonly in use.

File:Fokker V.11, voorloper van de Fokker D.VII (2161 026109).jpg

Late in 1917, Fokker built the experimental V 11 biplane, fitted with the standard Mercedes D.IIIa engine. In January 1918, Idflieg held a fighter competition at Adlershof. For the first time, front line pilots participated in the evaluation and selection of new fighters. Fokker submitted the V 11 along with several other prototypes. Manfred von Richthofen flew the V 11 and found it tricky, unpleasant and directionally unstable in a dive. Platz lengthened the rear fuselage by one structural bay and added a triangular fin in front of the rudder. Richthofen tested the modified V 11 and praised it as the best aircraft of the competition. It offered excellent performance from the outdated Mercedes engine, yet was safe and easy to fly. Richthofen's recommendation virtually decided the competition, but he was not alone in recommending it. Fokker immediately received a provisional order for 400 production aircraft, which were named D.VII by Idflieg.

File:D7f.jpg

File:A Fokker looping LCCN2014711445.tif

Fokker's factory was not up to the task of meeting all D.VII production orders and Idflieg directed Albatros and AEG to build the D.VII under license, though AEG did not ultimately produce any aircraft. Because the Fokker factory did not use detailed plans as part of its production process, Fokker simply sent a D.VII airframe for Albatros to copy. Albatros paid Fokker a five percent royalty for every D.VII it built under license. Albatros Flugzeugwerke and its subsidiary, Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke (OAW), built the D.VII at factories in Johannisthal [Fokker D.VII (Alb)] and Schneidemühl [Fokker D.VII (OAW)] respectively. Aircraft markings included the type designation and factory suffix, immediately before the individual serial number.

Some parts were not interchangeable between aircraft produced at different factories, even between Albatros and OAW.{{cite book |last1=Gray |first1=Peter |title=German Aircraft of the First World War |url=https://archive.org/details/germanaircraftfi00thet |url-access=limited |year=1970 |publisher=Putnam |location=London |isbn=978-0-370-00103-6 |edition=2nd |last2=Thetford |first2=Owen |pages=[https://archive.org/details/germanaircraftfi00thet/page/n71 105]–108}} Each manufacturer tended to differ in both nose paint styles and the patterning and layout of their engine compartment cooling louvers on the sides of the nose.{{cite web |url=http://www.aerofile.info/wordpress/?page_id=94 |title=The Aerofile - The Fokker D.VII File - Production differences |author= |date=2019 |website=aerofile.info |access-date=June 12, 2019 |quote=Basically, there are four different cowling layouts of D.VII’s. First, there’s the original V.11 and early Fokker built production aircraft, with the twin exhaust pipes on the right side of the 160 hp Mercedes engine. This type of cowling can also be seen on D.VII(Alb.) 527/18, the first Albatros production aircraft. Later Fokker D.VII(F) aircraft had a different exhaust pipe for the 175 hp Mercedes or 185 hp BMW engine, and the cowling had more cooling louvres...D.VII’s built by Albatros had also more cooling louvres, in a different layout...The O.A.W. built D.VII’s can be easily identified, since they have cowlings with 20 round shaped cooling openings on both sides. Some sources state that only O.A.W. painted the cowlings in a lozenge camouflage pattern.}} OAW produced examples were delivered with distinctive mauve and green splotches on the cowling. All D.VIIs were produced with either the five-color Fünffarbiger or less often, the four-color Vierfarbiger lozenge camouflage covering, except for early Fokker-produced D.VIIs, which had a streaked green fuselage. Factory camouflage finishes were often overpainted with colorful paint schemes or insignia for the Jasta or for a pilot.

In September 1918, eight D.VIIs were delivered to Bulgaria. Late in 1918, the Austro-Hungarian company Magyar Általános Gépgyár (MÁG, Hungarian General Machine Company) commenced licensed production of the D.VII with Austro-Daimler engines. Production continued after the end of the war, with as many as 50 aircraft completed.{{harvnb|Owers|1995|pp=67–66}}

=Powerplants=

The earliest production D.VIIs were equipped with 170–180 hp Mercedes D.IIIa.Some sources erroneously state that the D.VII was equipped with the 120 kW (160 hp) Mercedes D.III engine. The Germans used D.III as a generic term to describe later versions of that engine. Production quickly switched to the intended standard engine, the higher-compression 134 kW (180–200 hp) Mercedes D.IIIaü. Some early production D.VIIs delivered with the Mercedes D.IIIa were later re-engined with the D.IIIaü.

By mid-1918, some D.VIIs received the "overcompressed" 138 kW (185 hp) BMW IIIa, the first product of the BMW firm. The BMW IIIa followed the SOHC, straight-six configuration of the Mercedes D.III but incorporated several improvements. Increased displacement, higher compression and an altitude-adjusting carburettor produced a marked increase in speed and climb rate at high altitude. Because the BMW IIIa was overcompressed, using full throttle at altitudes below {{convert|2000|m|ft|abbr=on}} risked premature detonation in the cylinders and damage to the engine. At low altitudes, full throttle could produce up to 179 kW (240 hp) for a short time. Fokker-built aircraft with the new BMW engine were called D.VII(F), the suffix "F" standing for Max Friz, the engine designer.

BMW-engined aircraft entered service with Jasta 11 in late June 1918. Pilots clamored for the D.VII(F), of which about 750 were built. Production of the BMW IIIa was limited and the D.VII continued to be produced with the 134 kW (180 hp) Mercedes D.IIIaü until the end of the war.

D.VIIs flew with different propeller designs from different manufacturers. Despite the variations there is no indication these propellers gave disparate performance. Axial, Wolff, Wotan, and Heine propellers have been noted.

Operational history

=World War I=

File:Herman Goering 1918 Jasta 11.jpg, beside his Fokker D.VII 5125/18. He holds a walking stick previously owned by Manfred von Richthofen]]

File:Photograph Q63153.jpg

File:Fd72.jpg

When the Fokker D.VII entered squadron service with Jasta 10 in early May 1918, Allied pilots at first underestimated the new fighter because of its squarish, ungainly appearance. However, their experiences in combat quickly forced them to revise their view. The type quickly proved to have many important advantages over the Albatros and Pfalz scouts. Unlike the Albatros scouts, the D.VII could dive without any fear of structural failure. The D.VII was also noted for its high manoeuvrability and ability to climb, its remarkably docile stall and reluctance to spin. It could "hang on its prop" without stalling for brief periods of time, spraying enemy aircraft from below with machine gun fire. These handling characteristics contrasted with contemporary scouts such as the Camel and SPAD, which stalled sharply and spun vigorously.

Several aircraft suffered rib failures and fabric shedding on the upper wing. Heat from the engine sometimes ignited phosphorus ammunition until additional cooling louvers were installed on the metal sides of the engine cowling panels and fuel tanks sometimes broke at the seams. Aircraft built by the Fokker factory at Schwerin were noted for their lower standard of workmanship and materials. Despite faults, the D.VII proved to be a remarkably successful design, leading to the familiar aphorism that it could turn a mediocre pilot into a good one and a good pilot into an ace.

Richthofen died days before the D.VII began to reach the Jagdstaffeln and never flew it in combat. Other pilots, including Erich Löwenhardt and Hermann Göring, quickly racked up victories and generally lauded the design. Aircraft availability was limited at first, but by July there were 407 in service. Larger numbers became available by August, by which point D.VIIs had achieved 565 victories. The D.VII eventually equipped 46 Jagdstaffeln. When the war ended in November, 775 D.VII aircraft were in service.

=Post-war service=

File:LIberty L-6 engine installed in captured Fokker D.VII.jpg engine installed for testing]]

The Allies confiscated large numbers of D.VII aircraft after the Armistice. The United States Army and Navy evaluated 142 captured examples.{{cite book |last1=Swanborough |first1=Gordon |last2=Bowers |first2=Peter M. |title=United States military aircraft since 1908 |date=1971 |publisher=Putnam |isbn=0370000943 |page=610 |edition=Rev.}} Several of these aircraft were re-engined with American-built Liberty L-6 motors, very similar in appearance to the D.VII's original German power plants. France, Great Britain and Canada also received numbers of war prizes.

Other countries used the D.VII operationally. The Polish deployed approximately 50 aircraft during the Polish-Soviet War, using them mainly for ground attack missions.{{harvnb|Owers|1995|pp=69–70}}. The Hungarian Soviet Republic used a number of D.VIIs, both built by MAG and ex-German aircraft in the Hungarian–Romanian War of 1919.{{harvnb|Owers|1995|p=68}}

The Dutch, Swiss, and Belgian air forces also operated the D.VII. The aircraft proved so popular that Anthony Fokker completed and sold a large number of D.VII airframes that he had smuggled into the Netherlands by rail after the Armistice. As late as 1929, the Alfred Comte company manufactured eight new D.VII airframes under license for the Swiss Fliegertruppe.

Variants

File:Fokker V.22 testvliegtuig voor Oostenrijk, ontwikkeld uit de D.VII 2161 026230.jpg

;Fokker V 11 : Prototype

;Fokker V 21: Prototype with tapered wings

;Fokker V 22: Prototype with four-bladed propeller

;Fokker V 24: Prototype with {{cvt|240|hp}} Benz Bz.IVü engine

;Fokker V 31 : One D.VII aircraft fitted with a hook to tow the Fokker V 30 glider

;Fokker V 34 : D.VII development with {{cvt|185|hp}} BMW IIIa engine

File:Zijaanzicht van de Fokker V.34, een verdere ontwikkeling van de D.VII 2161 026244.jpg

File:Fokker V.36, ontwikkeld uit de D.VII 2161 026247.jpg

;Fokker V 35 : Two-seat development with {{cvt|185|hp}} BMW IIIa engine and undercarriage fuel tank

;Fokker V 36 : D.VII development with {{cvt|185|hp}} BMW IIIa engine and undercarriage fuel tank

;Fokker V 38 : Prototype Fokker C.I

;D.VII: Production aircraft from Fokker; either from their wartime Schwerin/Görries headquarters, or post-Armistice, in the Netherlands.

;D.VII(Alb): Production aircraft from Albatros Flugzeugwerke in Johannisthal, Berlin

;D.VII(MAG): Production by Magyar Altalános Gepgyár RT - (MAG) at Mátyásföld, near Budapest{{cite book|last1=Grosz |first1=Peter M. |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 |first2=George| last2= Haddow |first3=Peter |last3=Scheiner |pages=351–353}}

;D.VII(OAW): Production aircraft from Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke in Schneidemühl.

;MAG-Fokker 90.05: The Fokker V 22 powered by a {{cvt|200|hp}} Austro-Daimler 200hp 6-cyl.{{cite book|last1=Grosz |first1=Peter M. |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 |first2=George| last2= Haddow |first3=Peter |last3=Scheiner |pages=343–345}}

;Fokker D.VII Lithuanian versions:1 D.VII powered by Siddeley Puma, produced in 1928; 2 D.VII, powered by Mercedes D.III, produced in 1930. Both types featured larger engine cowling and radiator under the nose.[http://www.plienosparnai.lt/page.php?238]

Operators

{{unreferenced section|date=April 2020}}

File:swissfokker.png

File:Fokker D.VII at NASM.png on display at the National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C.]]

Survivors

{{main|List of surviving Fokker D.VIIs}}

File:Fokker D VII.jpg

File:Fokker DVII.jpg

Reproductions

File:Fokker D VII SE-XVO OTT 2013 04.jpg

File:Fokker D-7 (7393243768).jpg, Netherlands]]

Many modern D.VII reproductions have been built. Most flyable examples are powered by 7.2 litre (440 cu. in.) American Ranger, or 9.2 litre (560 cu. in.) displacement British Gipsy Queen inverted-six cylinder inline engines, both of which are substantially smaller in displacement than either the Mercedes or BMW engines that powered wartime D.VIIs. A few flying reproductions, such as the one at New York State's Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, are equipped with original Mercedes D.IIIa engines.{{cite web |title=World War I (1914-1918) « Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome |url=https://oldrhinebeck.org/world-war-i/ |website=oldrhinebeck.org |access-date=5 November 2018}}

Specifications (D.VII with Mercedes D.III engine)

{{Aircraft specs

|ref={{cite book |title=The Fokker D.VII|publisher=Profile Publications |location=Leatherhead, UK |series=Aircraft Profiles |volume=25}}

|prime units?=met

|genhide=

|crew=1

|length m=6.954

|span m=8.9

|height m=2.75

|wing area sqm=20.5

|aspect ratio=

|airfoil=

|empty weight kg=670

|gross weight kg=906

|max takeoff weight kg=

|max takeoff weight lb=

|max takeoff weight note=

|fuel capacity=

|more general=

|eng1 number=1

|eng1 name=Mercedes D.III

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

|eng1 hp=160

|eng1 note=

::::or 1 × {{convert|130|kW|hp|abbr=on}} Mercedes D.IIIa 6-cyl. water-cooled in-line piston engine

::::or 1 × {{convert|138|kW|hp|abbr=on}} BMW IIIa 6-cyl. water-cooled in-line piston engine, {{cvt|235|hp|order=flip}} (85 octane fuel, rating at low level, emergency only, risk of engine damage.)

|prop blade number=2

|prop name=fixed-pitch propeller

|prop dia m=

|prop dia ft=

|prop dia in=

|prop dia note=

|max speed kmh=189

|max speed note=

::::with BMW IIIa engine - {{convert|200|km/h|mph kn|abbr=on}}

|stall speed kmh=

|stall speed mph=

|stall speed kts=

|stall speed note=

|never exceed speed kmh=

|never exceed speed mph=

|never exceed speed kts=

|never exceed speed note=

|range km=266

|combat range km=

|combat range miles=

|combat range nmi=

|combat range note=

|ferry range km=

|ferry range miles=

|ferry range nmi=

|ferry range note=

|endurance=

|ceiling m=6000

|ceiling note={{cite book |title=The Rand McNally encyclopedia of military aircraft, 1914-1980 |year=1983 |publisher=Military Press |isbn=0-517-41021-4 |page=47}}

|g limits=

|roll rate=

|glide ratio=

|climb rate ms=3.92

|climb rate note=

::::with BMW IIIa engine – {{convert|9.52|m/s|ft/min}}

|time to altitude={{cite journal |title=BMW DVII factory figures |journal=Flugsport |date=1919}}

::{{convert|1000|m|ft|abbr=on}} in 4 minutes 15 seconds (1 minutes 40 seconds w/ BMW IIIa)

::{{convert|2000|m|ft|abbr=on}} in 8 minutes 18 seconds (4 minutes 5 seconds w/ BMW IIIa)

::{{convert|3000|m|ft|abbr=on}} in 13 minutes 49 seconds (7 minutes 0 seconds w/ BMW IIIa)

::{{convert|4000|m|ft|abbr=on}} in 22 minutes 48 seconds (10 minutes 15 seconds w/ BMW IIIa)

::{{convert|5000|m|ft|abbr=on}} in 38 minutes 5 seconds (14 minutes 0 seconds w/ BMW IIIa)

::{{convert|6000|m|ft|abbr=on}} (18 minutes 45 seconds w/ BMW IIIa)

|wing loading kg/m2=43.0

|wing loading lb/sqft=

|wing loading note=

|fuel consumption kg/km=

|fuel consumption lb/mi=

|power/mass=

|more performance=

|guns= 2 × {{cvt|7.92|mm|3}} LMG 08/15 "Spandau" machine guns

}}

See also

{{aircontent

|related=

|similar aircraft=

|see also=

|lists=

}}

References

{{Reflist}}

Bibliography

  • {{cite journal |last1=Anderson|first1=Lennart|title=La renaissance de l'aviation militair bulgare dans les années vingt|journal=Avions |date=November–December 2019 |issue=232|pages=52–66 |trans-title=The Rebirth of Bulgarian Military Aviation in the Twenties|language=French |issn=1243-8650}}
  • {{cite book|author1-last=Gray|author1-first=Peter|title=German Aircraft of the First World War|orig-year=1970|year=1987 |publisher=Putnam |location=London|isbn=0-85177-809-7|edition=2nd|author2-first=Owen|author2-last=Thetford|name-list-style=amp}}
  • {{cite book |last1=Herris |first1=Jack |last2=Leckscheid |first2=Jörn |title=Fokker Aircraft of WWI: Volume 5: 1918 Designs, Part 1 - Prototypes & D.VI: A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes |date=2023 |isbn=978-1-953201-09-6 |publisher=Aeronaut Books |location=n.p. |series=Great War Aviation Centennial Series|volume=55A|name-list-style=amp}}
  • {{cite book |last1=Herris |first1=Jack |last2=Leckscheid |first2=Jörn |title=Fokker Aircraft of WWI: Volume 5: 1918 Designs, Part 2 - D.VII & D.VIII: A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes |date=2023 |isbn=978-1-953201-61-4 |publisher=Aeronaut Books |location=n.p. |series=Great War Aviation Centennial Series|volume=55B|name-list-style=amp}}
  • {{cite book |last1=Imrie |first1=Alex |title=Pictorial History Of The German Army Air Service 1914 - 1918. |date=1971 |publisher=Ian Allan Limited |location=Shepperton, Surrey}}
  • {{cite book |last1=Imrie |first1=Alex |title=German Fighter Units June 1917 - 1918. |date=1978 |publisher=Osprey Publishing Limited |location=London |isbn=0-85045-289-9}}
  • {{cite book |last1=Imrie |first1=Alex |title=Fokker Fighters Of World War One. |date=1986 |publisher=Arms and Armour Press |location=London |isbn=0-85368-782-X}}
  • {{cite book |last1=Imrie |first1=Alex |title=German Air Aces Of World War One. |date=1987 |publisher=Arms and Armour Press |location=London |isbn=0-85368-792-7}}
  • {{cite journal |last1=Klaauw|first1=Bart van der|title=Unexpected Windfalls: Accidentally or Deliberately, More than 100 Aircraft 'arrived' in Dutch Territory During the Great War |journal=Air Enthusiast |date=March–April 1999 |issue=80 |pages=54–59 |issn=0143-5450}}
  • {{cite book |last1=Nelcarz|first1=Bartolomiej|last2=Peczkowski|first2=Robert|name-list-style=amp |title=White Eagles: The Aircraft, Men and Operations of the Polish Air Force 1918–1939|location=Ottringham, UK |publisher=Hikoki Publications |year=2001|isbn=1-902109-73-2}}
  • {{cite magazine |last1=Owers |first1=Colin |title="Especially... The D.VII...": The post-1918 career of the Fokker D.VII: Part One |magazine=Air Enthusiast |date=November–December 1995 |issue=60 |pages=63–70 |issn=0143-5450}}
  • {{cite magazine |last1=Owers |first1=Colin |title="Especially... The D.VII...": The post-1918 career of the Fokker D.VII: Part Two |magazine=Air Enthusiast |date=January–February 1996 |issue=61 |pages=52–63 |issn=0143-5450}}
  • {{cite journal|title=Round-Out|journal=Air Enthusiast |date=September–October 1999|issue=65|pages=77–78 |issn=0143-5450}}
  • {{cite book |last1=Swanborough |first1=Gordon |last2=Bowers |first2=Peter M. |title=United States military aircraft since 1908 |date=1971 |publisher=Putnam |isbn=0370000943 }}
  • {{cite book |last1=Weyl |first1=A.R. |title=Fokker : the Creative Years |date=1988 |publisher=Putnam |location=London |isbn=0-85177-817-8}}

Further reading

  • {{cite magazine|last1=Nicolle |first1=David |title=Young Turks: Ottoman Turkish Fighters 1915–1918 |journal=Air Enthusiast |date=March–April 1999 |issue=74 |issn=0143-5450 |pages=40–45}}

External links

{{commons category|Fokker D.VII}}

  • [https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/198094/fokker-d-vii/ Fokker D. VII] – National Museum of the United States Air Force
  • [http://www.aerofile.info/fokkerd7/d7html/index.html The Fokker D VII File website]
  • [http://www.williammaloney.com/Aviation/BromeCountyMuseum/index.htm Original Fokker D VII, photos of the unrestored Fokker D VII at the Lac-Brome Museum in Knowlton/Lac-Brome, Quebec]
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20120301065438/http://www.usaww1.com/Fokker_DVII.php4 Fokker D.VII, Halberstadt CL.IV and Junkers D.I]
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20140202094537/http://oldrhinebeck.org/ORA/fokker-d-vii/ Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome's Fokker D.VII page (archived version from June 2014)]
  • [http://www.all-aero.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3835:fokker-dvii&catid=45 www.all-aero.com Fokker D.VII]
  • [http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/38/Those-Canadian-Fokkers--War-Trophies-and-the-Nascent-Canadian-Air-force.aspx Vintage News Those Canadian Fokkers war Trophies] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150510073253/http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/38/Those-Canadian-Fokkers--War-Trophies-and-the-Nascent-Canadian-Air-force.aspx |date=10 May 2015 }}

{{Fokker aircraft}}

{{Idflieg fighter designations}}

{{World War I Aircraft of the Central Powers}}

{{Authority control}}

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