Albatros D.II

Albatros D.II
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Type	Fighter
Manufacturer	Albatros Flugzeugwerke
Introduced	1916
Primary users	Luftstreitkräfte Luftfahrtruppen

The Albatros D.II was a German fighter aircraft used during World War I. After a successful combat career, it was succeeded by the Albatros D.III.

Design and development

Albatros designers Thelen, Schubert, and Gnädig produced the D.II in response to pilot complaints about poor upward vision in the Albatros D.I. The solution was to reposition the upper wing fourteen inches (36 cm) closer to the fuselage and stagger it forward slightly. Rearrangement of the cabane struts also improved forward view. The D.II otherwise retained the same fuselage, engine installation, and armament as the D.I. Basic performance was unchanged, and Idflieg (Inspektion der Fliegertruppen, Inspector of Flying Troops) ordered an initial batch of 100 D.IIs in August 1916.

In November 1916, Idflieg banned Windhoff "ear" radiators in operational aircraft. Late production D.IIs therefore used a Teeves and Braun radiator in the center section of the upper wing.

Operational history

File:Albatross D-II.jpg

Captured Albatros D.II

D.IIs formed part of the initial equipment of Jagdstaffel 2 (Jasta 2), the first specialized fighter squadron in the German air service. Famous pilots included Oswald Boelcke and Manfred von Richthofen. With its high speed and heavy armament, the D.II won back air superiority from Allied fighter types such as the Airco DH.2 and Nieuport 11.

Albatros built 200 D.II aircraft. LVG (Luft-Verkehrs-Geselleschaft) produced another 75 under license. Service numbers peaked in January 1917, when 214 machines were in service. The D.II operated well into 1917. As of 30 June 1917, 72 aircraft were in the frontline inventory.

Oeffag (Oesterreichische Flugzeugfabrik AG) also built the D.II under license for the Luftfahrtruppen. The Austrian machines used a 185 hp Austro-Daimler engine. Oeffag produced only 16 examples before production shifted to the Albatros D.III.

Operators

Template:Country data Austria-Hungary

• Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops

Template:Country data German Empire

• Luftstreitkräfte

Template:POL

• Polish Air Force operated this type postwar.

Specifications (D.II)

General characteristics

• Crew: one (pilot)
• Length: 7.40 m (23 ft 3.5 in)
• Wingspan: 8.50 m (27 ft 11 in)
• Height: 2.59 m (8 ft 6 in)
• Wing area: 24.5 m² (264 ft²)
• Empty weight: 637 kg (1,404 lb)
• Loaded weight: 888 kg (1,958 lb)
• Powerplant: 1× Mercedes D.III 6-cylinder inline engine, 120 kW (160 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 175 km/h (95 knots, 110 mph)
• Service ceiling: 5,180 m (16,990 ft)
• Rate of climb: 3 m/s (596 ft/min)
• Endurance: 1.5 hours

Armament

2 × forward-firing 7.92 mm LMG 08/15 machineguns

See also

Related development
Albatros D.I Comparable aircraft
Nieuport 11 Designation sequence
D.I - D.II - D.III - D.IV - D.V - D.VI - D.VII - Dr.I - D.VIII - D.IX - D.X - Dr.II - D.XI - D.XII Related lists

• List of military aircraft of Germany
• List of fighter aircraft

Aviation in World War I

Aces · Aircraft of the Entente Powers · Aircraft of the Central Powers · Zeppelins · Category: World War I Aircraft

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Albatros D.II".