 |
| Albatros D.II | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Albatros Flugzeugwerke |
| Designer | Robert Thelen |
| Primary users | Luftstreitkräfte |
| Number built | 291 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1916 |
| Developed from | Albatros D.I |
| Developed into | Albatros D.III |
The Albatros D.II was a German fighter aircraft used during World War I. After a successful combat career in the early Jagdstaffeln , it was gradually superseded by the Albatros D.III.
Albatros designers Robert Thelen, Schubert and Gnädig produced the D.II in response to pilot complaints about poor upward vision in the Albatros D.I. The solution was to reposition the upper wing 36 cm (14 in) closer to the fuselage and stagger it forward slightly. Rearrangement of the cabane struts also improved forward view. The D.II otherwise retained the same fuselage, engine installation and armament as the D.I. [1] Basic performance was unchanged. The Idflieg (Inspektion der Fliegertruppen - Inspectorate of Flying Troops), ordered an initial batch of 100 D.II aircraft in August 1916.
In November 1916, Idflieg banned Windhoff "ear" radiators in operational aircraft because they were at a lower level than the crankcase of the engine they were cooling, and a shot into either radiator was likely to drain the cooling system. Late production D.IIs switched to using a Teves und Braun "airfoil shape" radiator in the centre section of the upper wing. This also proved to be problematic as a leaking or battle damaged radiator could scald the pilot's face. On later Albatros fighters (late models of the D.III, and the D.V) the radiator was moved to the right of the centre section to alleviate this problem.
Oeffag (Oesterreichische Flugzeugfabrik AG) also built the D.II under license, as the Albatros D.II (Oef) / Oeffag Va.53 / Oeffag series 53, for the Luftfahrtruppen. The 16 Austro-Hungarian machines used a 138 kW (185 hp) Austro-Daimler engine, and were fitted with a Teves und Braun-style wing mounted radiator.
D.IIs formed part of the early equipment of Jagdstaffel (Jasta) 2 , the first specialized fighter squadron in the German air service. Famous pilots included Hauptmann Oswald Boelcke (Jasta 2's first commander) and Manfred von Richthofen. With its high speed and heavy armament, the D.II won back air superiority from Allied fighter types such as the Airco DH.2 and Nieuport 17.
Albatros built 200 D.II aircraft. LVG (Luft-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft) produced another 75 under license. Service numbers peaked in January 1917, when 214 machines were in service. The D.II operated well into 1917. As late as 30 June 1917, 72 aircraft were in the frontline inventory, and even in November 11 D.IIs and 9 D.Is were still in service, alongside the by now far more numerous D.IIIs and D.Vs. [2]
Manfred von Richthofen was flying an Albatros D.II on 23 November 1916 when he was engaged in a prolonged dogfight with the RFC's Lanoe Hawker, VC. Hawker's DH.2 pusher engined fighter had a better turning circle but the Albatros D.II had twin guns, was faster, and could maintain height in a turn better. After firing some 900 rounds von Richthofen shot Hawker in the head and killed him for his 11th victory. [3] Hawker's machine crashed and von Richthofen claimed Hawker's Lewis gun for his growing collection of trophies.
Austria-Hungary 
German Empire 
Poland 
Turkey Data from Austro-Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War One [4]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
The Fokker Dr.I, often known simply as the Fokker Triplane, was a World War I fighter aircraft built by Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. The Dr.I saw widespread service in the spring of 1918. It became famous as the aircraft in which Manfred von Richthofen gained his last 17 victories, and in which he was killed on 21 April 1918.
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. Surviving aircraft saw much service with many countries in the years after World War I.
The Fokker E.V was a German parasol-monoplane fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz and built by Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. The E.V was the last Fokker design to become operational with the Luftstreitkräfte, entering service in the last months of World War I. After several fatal accidents due to wing failures, the aircraft was modified and redesignated Fokker D.VIII. Dubbed the Flying Razor by post-war pulp-fiction writers, the D.VIII had the distinction of scoring the last aerial victory of the war.
The Gotha G.I was a bomber aircraft used by the Luftstreitkräfte during the First World War.
The Albatros C.I,, was a twin-seat general-purpose biplanes designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Albatros Flugzeugwerke. It was the first of the successful C-series aircraft operated by the Luftstreitkräfte.
The Albatros B.II, was an unarmed two-seat reconnaissance biplane designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Albatros Flugzeugwerke. It was the aircraft that brought Albatros Flugzeugwerke to the world's attention.
The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service during World War I. A modified licensed version was built by Oeffag for the Austro-Hungarian Air Service (Luftfahrtruppen). The D.III was flown by many top German aces, including Wilhelm Frankl, Erich Löwenhardt, Manfred von Richthofen, Karl Emil Schäfer, Ernst Udet, and Kurt Wolff, and Austro-Hungarians like Godwin von Brumowski. It was the preeminent fighter during the period of German aerial dominance known as "Bloody April" 1917.
The Albatros D.I was an early fighter aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Albatros Flugzeugwerke. It was the first of the Albatros D types which equipped the majority of the German and Austrian fighter squadrons (Jagdstaffeln) for the last two years of the First World War. Despite this, the D.I had a relatively brief operational career, having been rapidly eclipsed by rapid advances in fighter aircraft.
The Albatros D.IV was an experimental German fighter aircraft built and tested during World War I.
The Albatros D.V is a fighter aircraft of the German aircraft manufacturer Albatros Flugzeugwerke. It was the final development of the Albatros D.I family and the last Albatros fighter to see operational service with the Luftstreitkräfte during the First World War.
The Fokker D.I 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.
The Pfalz D.III was a fighter aircraft used by the Luftstreitkräfte during the First World War. The D.III was the first major original design from Pfalz Flugzeugwerke. Though generally considered inferior to contemporary Albatros and Fokker fighters, the D.III was widely used by the Jagdstaffeln from late 1917 to mid-1918. It continued to serve as a training aircraft until the end of the war.
The Aviatik (Berg) D.I, was a single-engine, single-seater biplane fighter that was developed and manufactured by the Austro-Hungarian branch of German aircraft company Aviatik. It was also known as Berg D.I or the Berg Fighter, because it was designed by Dipl. Ing. Julius von Berg, and to distinguish it from the D.I fighter built by the parent Aviatik firm in Germany.
The Pfalz D.XII is a German fighter aircraft built by Pfalz Flugzeugwerke. Designed by Rudolph Gehringer as a successor to the Pfalz D.III, the D.XII entered service in significant numbers near the end of the First World War. It was the last Pfalz aircraft to see widespread service. Though the D.XII was an effective fighter aircraft, it was overshadowed by the highly successful Fokker D.VII.
The Halberstadt D.II was a biplane fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by German aircraft company Halberstädter Flugzeugwerke.
The Gotha G.II series was a heavy bomber used by the Luftstreitkräfte during World War I.
The Fokker D.VI was a German fighter aircraft built in limited numbers at the end of World War I. The D.VI served in the German and Austro-Hungarian air services.
The Halberstadt D.I was a prototype fighter aircraft built in Germany in 1916 as a scaled down version of the firm's earlier B.II two seater. It was a conventional, two-bay biplane with staggered wings of nearly equal span and fixed, tailskid undercarriage. The engine was the same Mercedes D.I that was fitted to the B.II, and a single machine gun was fitted. Two prototypes were evaluated by the Idflieg, their performance being found inadequate. The modifications required to bring the aircraft up to an acceptable standard would result in the Halberstadt D.II later the same year.
The LFG Roland D.II was a German single-seat fighter of World War I. The type was manufactured by Luftfahrzeug Gesellschaft, and also by Pfalz Flugzeugwerke under license.
The LFG Roland D.XV was a World War I German single-seat fighter aircraft ordered as a test bed for engine comparisons. It was distinguished from earlier Roland biplane designs by the elimination of flying wires. Two later aircraft, also called LFG Roland D.XV, were completely different designs with slab-sided fuselages.
| Authority control databases: National |
|---|
