Albatros D.IV

The Albatros D.IV was an experimental German fighter aircraft built and tested during World War I.

Albatros D.IV
Role Fighter
Manufacturer Albatros Flugzeugwerke
Primary user Luftstreitkräfte
Number built 3[1]

Design and development

The D.IV was designed to test a geared version of the 120 kW (160 hp) Mercedes D.III engine. Unlike the ungeared version, the geared engine was completely enclosed within the fuselage. The airframe basically combined the D.II wing cellule with the D.Va fuselage along with minor alterations to the rudder balance and the horizontal stabilizer.[1]

Three examples were ordered in November 1916, but only one was flown, which was tested with several types of propeller, but excessive vibration problems and limited performance increase precluded further development.[1][2]

Specifications

Data from German Aircraft of the First World War and The Complete Book of Fighters.[1][2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 7.33 m (24 ft 1 in)
  • Wingspan: 9.05 m (29 ft 8 in)
  • Height: 2.59 m (8 ft 6 in)
  • Wing area: 20.50 m2 (220.7 sq ft)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Mercedes D.III geared water-cooled in-line piston engine, 120 kW (160 hp)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed wooden propeller

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 165 km/h (103 mph, 89 kn)
  • Range: 350 km (220 mi, 190 nmi)
  • Endurance: 2 hours 12 minutes
  • Rate of climb: 2.6 m/s (510 ft/min)
  • Time to altitude: 5,000 m (16,404 ft) in 32 minutes

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

Notes
  1. Gray, Peter; Owen Thetford (1970). German Aircraft of the First World War (2nd ed.). London: Putnam & Company Ltd. ISBN 0-370-00103-6.
  2. Green, William; Gordon Swanborough (September 1995). The Complete Book of Fighters (1st ed.). Smithmark. ISBN 978-0-8317-3939-3.

References
  • Gray, Peter; Owen Thetford (1970). German Aircraft of the First World War (2nd ed.). London: Putnam & Company Ltd. ISBN 0-370-00103-6.
  • Green, William; Gordon Swanborough (September 1995). The Complete Book of Fighters (1st ed.). Smithmark. ISBN 978-0-8317-3939-3.
  • "Albatros H.1 at Crakow". Retrieved 2 August 2013.
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