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Pfalz D.VII

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
D.VII
Role Single seat fighter aircraft
National origin Germany
Manufacturer Pfalz Flugzeugwerke
First flight Late 1917

The Pfalz D.VII was a German biplane fighter aircraft from World War I. It was not put into production.

Design and development

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The D.VII was a single-bay biplane with staggered, parallel-chord wings. It had simple parallel interplane struts; the upper centre section was supported on each side by a three-sided rectangular frame, open at the bottom where it was mounted on the upper fuselage. There were externally connected ailerons on both upper and lower planes.[1]

Behind the D.VII's rotary engine its fuselage was of rounded cross-section, with the single-seat, open cockpit just below the upper wing's trailing edge, where there was a small cut-out for better upward vision. The horizontal tail was mounted at mid-fuselage; the fin was straight-edged and carried a full, rounded and horn balanced rudder. The D.VII had a simple fixed conventional undercarriage, with mainwheels on a single axle supported at each end by a thin V-form pair of struts. There was a generous tailskid. The D.VII had a pair of fixed LMG 08/15 machine guns, the standard German single-seat fighter armament of the time.[1]

Beginning its flying programme near the end of 1917, the Pfalz was fitted with three types of rotary engines in testing: the 108 kW (145 hp) Oberursel U.III, the Goebel Goe.III and the Siemens-Halske Sh.III, the last two both producing 119 kW (160 hp). These drove both two and four blade propellers. Both balanced and unbalanced ailerons were tried.[1]

The D.VII was one of three Pfalz aircraft which competed at the first D-Type contest held at Adlershof in January and February 1918, the others being the D.VI and the D.VIII. It gained its Type Certificate in February 1918 but did not receive a production order.[1]

Specifications

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Data from Green & Swanborough[1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: One
  • Length: 5.65 m (18 ft 6 in)
  • Wingspan: 7.52 m (24 ft 8 in)
  • Height: 2.85 m (9 ft 4 in)
  • Wing area: 17.20 m2 (185.1 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 520 kg (1,146 lb)
  • Gross weight: 715 kg (1,576 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Siemens-Halske Sh.III 11-cylinder rotary engine, 120 kW (160 hp)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 190 km/h (120 mph, 100 kn) at 4,000 m (13,215 ft)
  • Endurance: 1.5 hr
  • Time to altitude: 25.25 min to 6,000 m (18,290 ft)

Armament

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Green, William; Swanborough, Gordon (1994). The Complete Book of Fighters. Godalming, UK: Salamander Books. p. 467. ISBN 1-85833-777-1.

Further reading

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  • Herris, Jack (2012). Pfalz Aircraft of WWI: A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes. Great War Aviation Centennial Series. Vol. 5. Charleston, SC: Aeronaut Books. ISBN 978-1-935881-12-4.