Albatros D.III

The Albatros D.III was a German fighter used during World War I. Performing its maiden flight in August 1916, it was first encountered by Allied pilots in early 1917. It would be produced in large numbers, with more than 1,800 aircraft being built. It was in service both with the Imperial German Army Air Service and the Austro-Hungarian forces.

The Albatros D.III was developed from the D.I and D.II airplanes. Thus it would adopt the sesquiplane layout, which had been favored by Nieuport earlier in the war. 'Sesquiplane' literally means '1 1/2 wing'. It entered service in late December 1916, but it saw combat action in January 1917. In the Summer of 1917, it would officially and slowly be superseded by the D.V.

The Albatros D.III was liked and acclaimed by the German pilots as it was a very maneuverable aircraft, with an excellent rate of climb. During the month of April, 1917, the British Army suffered severe losses as 151 English biplanes were shot down by this German fighter in dog-fights on the Western Front.

Technical Characteristics

The Albatros D.III was a single-seat, single-engine biplane. The wing structure was the typical all-wood Albatros type formula, with twin box spars located well forward. The front spar was connected to the leading edge with a plywood capping strip. The steel-tube-framed ailerons were unbalanced, with an inverse taper. Both wing decks were joined together with "V"-shaped struts.

Although it was a very maneuverable biplane, it had one drawback. Since it had adopted the French Nieuport wing plan, the Albatros inherited the French fighter's main weakness; the single-spar lower wing had a tendency to collapse under the stress of a prolonged dive or excessive maneuvers, making it to overturn during landing. However, at any rate, the D.III was still far superior to any Allied fighter of the time.

Specifications

Type: single-seat biplane fighter

Wingspan. Upper deck: 9 m (29 ft, 6 in); lower deck: 8.73 m (28 ft, 8 in)

Wing Area: 20.56 square meters (221.3 sq. ft.)

Length: 7.35 m (24 ft, 1 in)

Height: 2.8 m (9 ft, 2 in)

Power Plant: one 200-HP, Austro-Daimler, 6-cylinder, water-cooled, in-line piston engine.

Maximum Speed: 188 km/h (117 mph)

Armament: two 8mm machine guns.

The D.III doing an overhead pass in May 1917.

Below, the Albatros D.III on a German landing strip near the Western Front in the Summer of 1917.

 

The Albatros waiting to take off for another combat mission, with skull and cross bones painted on fuselage.

 

Two D.IIIs on an airbase near Cambrai, northeastern France.