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Albatros D.III - Johannisthal, OAW, and Oeffag Variants

By: Osprey

Type: Softcover

Product Line: Air Vanguard - Assorted

Last Stocked on 5/13/2020

Product Info

Title
Albatros D.III - Johannisthal, OAW, and Oeffag Variants
Publisher
Category
Author
James Miller
Publish Year
2014
Pages
64
Dimensions
7.5x10x.3"
NKG Part #
2147541696
MFG. Part #
OSPAVG013
Type
Softcover
Series
AVG13

Description

In 1916 German aerial domination, once held sway by rotary-engine Fokker and Pfalz E-type wing-warping monoplanes, had been lost to the more nimble French Nieuports and British DH 2s which not only out-flew the German fighters but were present in greater numbers. Born-from-experience calls from German fighter pilots requested that, rather than compete with the maneuverability of these adversaries, new single-engine machines should be equipped with higher horsepower engines and armed with two rather than the then-standard single machine gun. The Robert Thelen-led Albatros design bureau set to work on what became the Albatros D.I and D.II and by April 1916, they had developed a sleek yet rugged machine that featured the usual Albatros semi-monocoque wooden construction and employed a 160hp Mercedes D.III engine with power enough to equip the airplane with two forward-firing machine guns. In all, 500 D.IIIs and 840 D.III(OAW)s were produced and saw heavy service throughout 1917.

Contents:

  • Introduction
  • Design and Development
  • Technical Specifications and Variants
  • Operational History
  • Conclusion
  • Bibliography and Further Reading