LFG Roland D.II

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Roland D.II
Am Flugplatze (BildID 15531513).jpg
RoleFighter
Manufacturer Luft-Fahrzeug-Gesellschaft, Pfalz
First flightOctober 1916
IntroductionEarly 1917
Number built300
Developed from Roland D.I

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.

Contents

Design and development

The D.II used a plywood monocoque fuselage. Two layers of plywood strips were spirally wrapped in opposing directions over a mold to form one half of a fuselage shell. The fuselage halves were then glued together, covered with a layer of fabric, and doped. This design, which was known as the Wickelrumpf, allowed the creation of a smooth, strong and light structure. [1] The upper wing was attached to the fuselage by means of a large central pylon, greatly impairing the pilot's forward vision. Armament consisted of twin "Spandau" LMG 08/15 machine guns buried in the fuselage decking.

The D.II was initially powered by a 160 hp Mercedes D.III engine, giving a top speed of 105 mph at sea level. Later aircraft, designated D.IIa, were powered by a 180 hp Argus As.III. The As.III offered poor performance above 3,000 m and the D.IIa was mostly relegated to operations on the Eastern Front.

Nicknamed Haifisch (shark) for its sleek appearance, the D.II and D.IIa proved generally unpopular in service due to poor fields of view and heavy controls. It was quite fast and strong, but had mediocre manoeuvrability and handling. [1] However, it is also reported that the aircraft had particularly sensitive controls, particularly in the yawing plane. [2] The type is known to have been used by Jasta 25 at their Canatlarzi base in Macedonia in 1917.

Variants

LFG Roland C.V LFG Roland C.V.jpg
LFG Roland C.V

Operators

Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria
Flag of the German Empire.svg  German Empire

Specifications (D.II)

Data fromGerman Aircraft of the First World War [3]

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

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References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Herris, Jack. Pfalz Aircraft of World War I. Great War Aircraft in Profile, Volume 4. 2001. ISBN   1891268155. P.27
  2. Cowin 2000, p. 49
  3. Gray and Thetford 1962, pp. 164-165.
  4. Donald 1994, p. 554.
  5. Angelucci 1981, p. 50.

Bibliography