Kondor D 2

D 2
Role	Fighter aircraft
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	Kondor Flugzeugwerke, Essen
Designer	Walter Rethel
First flight	May 1918
Status	prototype only
Number built	2
Developed from	Kondor D 1

The Kondor D 2 was a German single seat, biplane fighter aircraft designed and built close to the end of World War I.

Design and development

The Kondor D 2 was a basically a redesign of the D 1, which had proven underpowered in flight tests. Like the D 1, the D 2 was a single-seat biplane of wooden construction, powered by an 110 hp (82 kW) Oberursel Ur.II rotary engine and armed with two 7.92 mm (0.312 in) LMG 08/15 Spandau machine guns. However, the D 2 differed from its predecessor in having equal span wings with a two-spar lower wing with parallel inter-plane struts. The first flight of the Kondor D 2 took place in May 1918, in time for the second D-type competition at Aldershof in June 1918. Oberleutnant Hermann Göring praised the aircraft's flying qualities, but criticised the poor performance, consequently the D 2 was not ordered into production.[1]

Confusion reigned after the competition, up to the present day, because the Idflieg referred to the two D 2 prototypes as the D.I and D.II during the competition, which were actually fictitious designations.[1]

The first D 2 prototype had ailerons on the upper wings, while the second D 2 prototype had ailerons on both upper and lower wings.[2]

Specifications (D 2)

Data from The Complete Book of Fighters[1]

General characteristics

Crew: One
Length: 4.87 m (16 ft 0 in)
Wingspan: 7.59 m (24 ft 11 in)
Height: 2.41 m (7 ft 11 in)
Wing area: 13.34 m² (143.6 sq ft)
Empty weight: 380 kg (838 lb)
Gross weight: 560 kg (1,235 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Oberursel Ur.II 9-cylinder, air-cooled rotary engine, 82 kW (110 hp)
Propellers: 2-bladed wooden fixed-pitch propeller

Performance

Maximum speed: 175 km/h (109 mph, 94 kn)
Cruise speed: 150 km/h (93 mph, 81 kn)
Endurance: 1.5 hours
Time to altitude: 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in 10 minutes 24 seconds

Armament

Guns: 2 x fixed forward firing synchronised 7.92 mm (0.312 in) LMG 08/15 Spandau machine guns

References

Green, William; Swanborough, Gordon (1994). The Complete Book of Fighters. London: Salamander. p. 322. ISBN 1-85833-777-1.
Stemp, P. D. Kites, birds & stuff - aircraft of germany - i tom. Lulu Com. p. 808. ISBN 978-1291292695.

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[kondord2-1] Green, William; Swanborough, Gordon (1994). The Complete Book of Fighters. London: Salamander. p. 322. ISBN 1-85833-777-1.

[Stemp-2] Stemp, P. D. Kites, birds & stuff - aircraft of germany - i tom. Lulu Com. p. 808. ISBN 978-1291292695.

World War I aircraft of the Central Powers
Fighters	AEG D.I AEG Dr.I Albatros D.I Albatros D.II Albatros D.III Albatros D.V Aviatik D.I Aviatik C.VI Daimler L.6 Euler D.I Euler D.II Fokker D.I Fokker D.II Fokker D.III Fokker D.IV Fokker D.V Fokker D.VI Fokker D.VII Fokker D.VIII Fokker Dr.I Fokker E.I Fokker E.II Fokker E.III Fokker E.IV Fokker E.V Halberstadt D.II Hannover CL.II Hannover CL.III Hannover CL.IV Hannover CL.V Hansa-Brandenburg W.12 Hansa-Brandenburg W.29 Junkers D.I Kondor D.6 Kondor E.III Naglo D.II Pfalz D.III Pfalz D.XII Pfalz Dr.I Pfalz E.I Pfalz E.II Phönix D.I LFG Roland D.II LFG Roland D.VI Siemens-Schuckert D.I Siemens-Schuckert D.II Siemens-Schuckert D.III Siemens-Schuckert D.IV Siemens-Schuckert L.I Zeppelin-Lindau D.I
Bombers and ground attack	AEG DJ.I AEG G.I AEG G.II AEG G.III AEG G.IV AEG G.V AEG J.I AEG J.II AEG R.I Friedrichshafen G.II Friedrichshafen G.III Gotha G.I Gotha G.II Gotha G.III Gotha G.IV Gotha G.V Gotha GL.VII Gotha G.IX Hannover CL.II Junkers CL.I Junkers J.I Rumpler G.I Rumpler G.II Rumpler G.III Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.II Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.III Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.IV Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI
Reconnaissance	AEG B.I AEG B.II AEG B.III AEG C.I AEG C.II AEG C.III AEG C.IV AEG C.V AEG C.VI AEG C.VII AEG C.VIII AGO C.I AGO C.II AGO C.III AGO C.IV AGO C.VII AGO C.VIII Albatros B.I Albatros B.II Albatros C.I Albatros C.III Albatros C.V Albatros C.VII Albatros C.IX Albatros C.X Albatros C.XII Aviatik B.I Aviatik B.II Aviatik C.I Aviatik C.VI DFW C.V LFG Roland C.II LVG B.I LVG C.II Rumpler C.I Rumpler C.IV Rumpler Taube
Trainers	Euler D.I
Prototypes	Albatros C.II Fokker V.1 Fokker V.2 Junkers J 1 Junkers J 2 Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.I