AlbatrosD3

Albatros D-III

The Albatros D-III was an attempt to provide more speed with a redesigned wing, as well as better visibility, over the D-II series.

The Albatros D-III:

Historical Notes:

The Albatros D.III was already on the design board when the first D.Is and IIs were deploying in the field. Ironically, it demonstrated the time-honored principle that when one copies another's idea, they inherit both the good.... and the bad. Robert Thelen wanted to incorporate some of the ideas of the French Nieuport 11 and 17 design, especially in the area of pilot visibility. Thus, the sesquiplane layout was adopted. The chord of the lower wing was shortened, and the struts came down from the upper wing to a single main spar in the lower, forming a pronounced "V." Once they encountered it in combat, it only took a few weeks for the British pilots to dub this machine as the "Vee-Strutter." But in copying the Nieuport design, the Albatros firm repeated the Nieuport error: the single spar in the lower wing was too far back, and tended to twist and crack under stress. This led to wing failure in some when their pilots attempted power dives. Manfred von Richthofen himself had such a crack occur in his D.III, and for close to two months went to flying a Halberstadt D.II.

Construction of the D.III followed the older D.II in the fuselage design, but otherwise departed from it. As mentioned before, the lower wing's chord was shortened, while the upper wing was lengthened laterally, and a pronounced forward curve was added to the tip. Actual construction was itself similar to the D.II, with the upper wing composed of two spars set forward, and a wire edging on the trailing edge which produced the "scalloped" effect. The fuselage itself was much like the D.II in construction and shape, the main difference being the attachment points for the struts. By increasing the compression ratio, the designers were able to slightly increase the power, but the net benefit was only marginal. Later, some D.IIIs were fitted with the rudder of the D.V, causing some confusion in identification.

The Albatros D.III was able to dominate the skies over France for several months, due mostly to its rugged design and twin guns. At this time, many Allied planes were still armed with a single gun, such as the Sopwith Pup and Spad VII. Though the later could often out fly the Albatros, they could not out gun it. When the British launched their Arras Offensive in April of 1917, their airmen were given orders to fly aggressively into German territory. Although they gained air supremacy, the Albatros D.IIs and D.IIIs took a heavy toll of British reconnaissance planes, especially the poorly armed BE2cs. The slaughter that followed made aces of many a German pilot. British crew losses in April were as high as 40%, while new pilots were sent into combat with minimal training, thus making them "easy meat" for the more experienced German crews.

Yet, by the summer of 1917 the supremacy of the Albatros D.III was coming to an end. Initiated by the introduction of the Sopwith Triplane, the fielding of the Se-5a and Spad 13, not to mention the Sopwith Camel, sounded the death knell of the Albatros machine. Attempts were made to improve its performance, and the slightly more powerful D.V model was the Albatros company's answer. However, the D.V never had the capabilities necessary to hold up to the late-war Allied scouts. The D.IIIs continued service until near the end of 1917, and were largely phased out by early 1918.

The Albatros D.III was an easy plane to fly, having a good role rate and sufficient speed for its time. The rate of climb was good, and it had the advantage of twin machineguns. However, it was far too stable to make an excellent fighter, and even the Albatros D.V was incapable of regaining air dominance for Germany.

Basic performance statistics: Albatros D.III

Engine: 160hp Mercedes DIIIa 6 cylinder in-line water cooled (upgraded to 170hp by increased compression ratio)

Weight: empty 1,454 lbs; loaded 1,949 lbs

Maximum speed: 108 mph

Climb rate: to 3,280 feet.... 4 min

Service ceiling: 18,000 feet

Flight endurance: 2 hours

Basic Specifications (vary widely from model to model):

Manufacturer: Albatros Flugzug Werke

Dimensions: Span 29 ft, 8 in; Length 24 ft, 0.5 in; Height: 9 ft, 9.25 in

Areas: Wings 221 sq ft

Fuel: 22-24 gallons (depending on the production model)

Armament: twin Maxim machineguns synchronized to fire through the airscrew.

Typical ammo load: 1000 rounds; provisions to carry several bombs

Primary sources: "Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War I, 1919 (1990 reprint); "British Aeroplanes, 1914-1918," J.M. Bruce; "German Aircraft of the First World War," Gray and Thetford; "Fighter Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War" Lamberton et al; "Aircraft Camouflage and Markings 1907-1954," Robertson et al; "Military Small Arms of the 20th Century," Hogg and Weeks.

Fighting and winning in the Abatros D.III:

The Albatros D.III handles well. It's just not a great dogfighter. For the time its speed is good, but it will have trouble with the Se-5s, Spad 13s, and Sopwith Triplanes and Camels. It is hard to spin, and has a better roll rate than its distant cousin, the Pfalz D.III. One of it's main weaknesses was in the lower wing. The single spar arrangement is inherently weak, and this is reflected in the damage profile. A heavy number of hits in the wings could send you down fast.

As to maneuverability, forget about the twisting, turning fight with Camels and Triplanes. In this arena, the D.III will lose. However, the D.III can hold it's own against the likes of the Spad 7 and even the Se-5 and Spad 13.... at least when it comes to turning and fighting. When it comes to power, all of these machines outclass the D.III. They can dive and zoom with impunity. So, what do you do? It comes down to simple teamwork. Excellent teamwork will compensate for the deficiencies of the aircraft. The Albatros D.III is not a very good "lone wolf" machine, and you will find it difficult to fly in such circumstances. But in team games, it can give a good account of itself, and practical experience has borne this out, with Albatroses able to come out on top even against the nimble Sopwith Pup. Its fuselage is fairly rugged (though, watch out for those wings!), and can take a fair amount of punishment. Many aircraft of its era still had single guns, so the twin gun arrangement is a significant edge. Also, because the CFS system does not take into account damage inflicted during power dives, the Albatros D.III can be driven into such a dive, attack a distracted enemy, then zoom away.

The Albatros D.III was a good machine for its time, but like many other creations during WW I, it was quickly outclassed by the competition. The fact that the Albatros company had special relations with the Imperial government which gave it an edge when competing for contracts only worsened the situation. By the end of 1917, it was clear that the Albatros scouts were outclassed, and only the pressure of losing the war finally opened the door for such competitive aircraft as the Fokker D.VII.



	Albatros D-III


		The Albatros D-III was an attempt to provide more speed with a redesigned wing, as well as better visibility, over the D-II series.
The Albatros D-III: Historical Notes: The Albatros D.III was already on the design board when the first D.Is and IIs were deploying in the field. Ironically, it demonstrated the time-honored principle that when one copies another's idea, they inherit both the good.... and the bad. Robert Thelen wanted to incorporate some of the ideas of the French Nieuport 11 and 17 design, especially in the area of pilot visibility. Thus, the sesquiplane layout was adopted. The chord of the lower wing was shortened, and the struts came down from the upper wing to a single main spar in the lower, forming a pronounced "V." Once they encountered it in combat, it only took a few weeks for the British pilots to dub this machine as the "Vee-Strutter." But in copying the Nieuport design, the Albatros firm repeated the Nieuport error: the single spar in the lower wing was too far back, and tended to twist and crack under stress. This led to wing failure in some when their pilots attempted power dives. Manfred von Richthofen himself had such a crack occur in his D.III, and for close to two months went to flying a Halberstadt D.II. Construction of the D.III followed the older D.II in the fuselage design, but otherwise departed from it. As mentioned before, the lower wing's chord was shortened, while the upper wing was lengthened laterally, and a pronounced forward curve was added to the tip. Actual construction was itself similar to the D.II, with the upper wing composed of two spars set forward, and a wire edging on the trailing edge which produced the "scalloped" effect. The fuselage itself was much like the D.II in construction and shape, the main difference being the attachment points for the struts. By increasing the compression ratio, the designers were able to slightly increase the power, but the net benefit was only marginal. Later, some D.IIIs were fitted with the rudder of the D.V, causing some confusion in identification. The Albatros D.III was able to dominate the skies over France for several months, due mostly to its rugged design and twin guns. At this time, many Allied planes were still armed with a single gun, such as the Sopwith Pup and Spad VII. Though the later could often out fly the Albatros, they could not out gun it. When the British launched their Arras Offensive in April of 1917, their airmen were given orders to fly aggressively into German territory. Although they gained air supremacy, the Albatros D.IIs and D.IIIs took a heavy toll of British reconnaissance planes, especially the poorly armed BE2cs. The slaughter that followed made aces of many a German pilot. British crew losses in April were as high as 40%, while new pilots were sent into combat with minimal training, thus making them "easy meat" for the more experienced German crews. Yet, by the summer of 1917 the supremacy of the Albatros D.III was coming to an end. Initiated by the introduction of the Sopwith Triplane, the fielding of the Se-5a and Spad 13, not to mention the Sopwith Camel, sounded the death knell of the Albatros machine. Attempts were made to improve its performance, and the slightly more powerful D.V model was the Albatros company's answer. However, the D.V never had the capabilities necessary to hold up to the late-war Allied scouts. The D.IIIs continued service until near the end of 1917, and were largely phased out by early 1918. The Albatros D.III was an easy plane to fly, having a good role rate and sufficient speed for its time. The rate of climb was good, and it had the advantage of twin machineguns. However, it was far too stable to make an excellent fighter, and even the Albatros D.V was incapable of regaining air dominance for Germany. Basic performance statistics: Albatros D.III Engine: 160hp Mercedes DIIIa 6 cylinder in-line water cooled (upgraded to 170hp by increased compression ratio) Weight: empty 1,454 lbs; loaded 1,949 lbs Maximum speed: 108 mph Climb rate: to 3,280 feet.... 4 min Service ceiling: 18,000 feet Flight endurance: 2 hours Basic Specifications (vary widely from model to model): Manufacturer: Albatros Flugzug Werke Dimensions: Span 29 ft, 8 in; Length 24 ft, 0.5 in; Height: 9 ft, 9.25 in Areas: Wings 221 sq ft Fuel: 22-24 gallons (depending on the production model) Armament: twin Maxim machineguns synchronized to fire through the airscrew. Typical ammo load: 1000 rounds; provisions to carry several bombs Primary sources: "Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War I, 1919 (1990 reprint); "British Aeroplanes, 1914-1918," J.M. Bruce; "German Aircraft of the First World War," Gray and Thetford; "Fighter Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War" Lamberton et al; "Aircraft Camouflage and Markings 1907-1954," Robertson et al; "Military Small Arms of the 20th Century," Hogg and Weeks. Fighting and winning in the Abatros D.III: The Albatros D.III handles well. It's just not a great dogfighter. For the time its speed is good, but it will have trouble with the Se-5s, Spad 13s, and Sopwith Triplanes and Camels. It is hard to spin, and has a better roll rate than its distant cousin, the Pfalz D.III. One of it's main weaknesses was in the lower wing. The single spar arrangement is inherently weak, and this is reflected in the damage profile. A heavy number of hits in the wings could send you down fast. As to maneuverability, forget about the twisting, turning fight with Camels and Triplanes. In this arena, the D.III will lose. However, the D.III can hold it's own against the likes of the Spad 7 and even the Se-5 and Spad 13.... at least when it comes to turning and fighting. When it comes to power, all of these machines outclass the D.III. They can dive and zoom with impunity. So, what do you do? It comes down to simple teamwork. Excellent teamwork will compensate for the deficiencies of the aircraft. The Albatros D.III is not a very good "lone wolf" machine, and you will find it difficult to fly in such circumstances. But in team games, it can give a good account of itself, and practical experience has borne this out, with Albatroses able to come out on top even against the nimble Sopwith Pup. Its fuselage is fairly rugged (though, watch out for those wings!), and can take a fair amount of punishment. Many aircraft of its era still had single guns, so the twin gun arrangement is a significant edge. Also, because the CFS system does not take into account damage inflicted during power dives, the Albatros D.III can be driven into such a dive, attack a distracted enemy, then zoom away. The Albatros D.III was a good machine for its time, but like many other creations during WW I, it was quickly outclassed by the competition. The fact that the Albatros company had special relations with the Imperial government which gave it an edge when competing for contracts only worsened the situation. By the end of 1917, it was clear that the Albatros scouts were outclassed, and only the pressure of losing the war finally opened the door for such competitive aircraft as the Fokker D.VII.