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Fokker D.VII

January 01, 1970

The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the Luftstreitkräfte, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft. The Armistice ending the war specifically required, as the fourth clause of the "Clauses Relating to the Western Front", that Germany was required to surrender all D.VIIs to the Allies.[1] Surviving aircraft saw much service with many countries in the years after World War I.

Fokker D.VII
Fokker D.VII reproduction at the NMUSAF. The aircraft is painted in the colors of Leutnant Rudolf Stark of Jasta 35b
Role Fighter
Manufacturer Fokker-Flugzeugwerke
Designer Reinhold Platz
First flight January 1918
Primary user Luftstreitkräfte
Number built approximately 3,300

Development and production edit

 
Fokker D.VII (OAW) 8909/18

Fokker's chief designer, Reinhold Platz, had been working on a series of experimental V-series aircraft, starting in 1916. The aircraft were notable for the use of cantilever wings. Hugo Junkers and his aviation firm had originated the idea in 1915 with the first practical all-metal aircraft, the Junkers J 1 monoplane, nicknamed Blechesel (Sheet Metal Donkey or Tin Donkey). The wings were thick, with a rounded leading edge. The shape of the wings' airfoil gave greater lift, with its relatively "blunt" leading edge (as seen in cross-section) giving it more docile stalling behavior than the thin wings commonly in use.

 
Fokker's V.11 prototype, direct precursor to the production D.VII.

Late in 1917, Fokker built the experimental V 11 biplane, fitted with the standard Mercedes D.IIIa engine. In January 1918, Idflieg held a fighter competition at Adlershof. For the first time, front line pilots participated in the evaluation and selection of new fighters. Fokker submitted the V 11 along with several other prototypes. Manfred von Richthofen flew the V 11 and found it tricky, unpleasant and directionally unstable in a dive. Platz lengthened the rear fuselage by one structural bay and added a triangular fin in front of the rudder. Richthofen tested the modified V 11 and praised it as the best aircraft of the competition. It offered excellent performance from the outdated Mercedes engine, yet was safe and easy to fly. Richthofen's recommendation virtually decided the competition, but he was not alone in recommending it. Fokker immediately received a provisional order for 400 production aircraft, which were named D.VII by Idflieg.

 
Fokker D.VII (F)
 
Fokker D.VII looping

Fokker's factory was not up to the task of meeting all D.VII production orders and Idflieg directed Albatros and AEG to build the D.VII under license, though AEG did not ultimately produce any aircraft. Because the Fokker factory did not use detailed plans as part of its production process, Fokker simply sent a D.VII airframe for Albatros to copy. Albatros paid Fokker a five percent royalty for every D.VII it built under license. Albatros Flugzeugwerke and its subsidiary, Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke (OAW), built the D.VII at factories in Johannisthal [Fokker D.VII (Alb)] and Schneidemühl [Fokker D.VII (OAW)] respectively. Aircraft markings included the type designation and factory suffix, immediately before the individual serial number.

Some parts were not interchangeable between aircraft produced at different factories, even between Albatros and OAW.[2] Each manufacturer tended to differ in both nose paint styles and the patterning and layout of their engine compartment cooling louvers on the sides of the nose.[3] OAW produced examples were delivered with distinctive mauve and green splotches on the cowling. All D.VIIs were produced with either the five-color Fünffarbiger or less often, the four-color Vierfarbiger lozenge camouflage covering, except for early Fokker-produced D.VIIs, which had a streaked green fuselage. Factory camouflage finishes were often overpainted with colorful paint schemes or insignia for the Jasta or for a pilot.

In September 1918, eight D.VIIs were delivered to Bulgaria. Late in 1918, the Austro-Hungarian company Magyar Általános Gépgyár (MÁG, Hungarian General Machine Company) commenced licensed production of the D.VII with Austro-Daimler engines. Production continued after the end of the war, with as many as 50 aircraft completed.[4]

Powerplants edit

The earliest production D.VIIs were equipped with 170–180 hp Mercedes D.IIIa.[5] Production quickly switched to the intended standard engine, the higher-compression 134 kW (180–200 hp) Mercedes D.IIIaü. Some early production D.VIIs delivered with the Mercedes D.IIIa were later re-engined with the D.IIIaü.

By mid-1918, some D.VIIs received the "overcompressed" 138 kW (185 hp) BMW IIIa, the first product of the BMW firm. The BMW IIIa followed the SOHC, straight-six configuration of the Mercedes D.III but incorporated several improvements. Increased displacement, higher compression and an altitude-adjusting carburettor produced a marked increase in speed and climb rate at high altitude. Because the BMW IIIa was overcompressed, using full throttle at altitudes below 2,000 m (6,600 ft) risked premature detonation in the cylinders and damage to the engine. At low altitudes, full throttle could produce up to 179 kW (240 hp) for a short time. Fokker-built aircraft with the new BMW engine were called D.VII(F), the suffix "F" standing for Max Friz, the engine designer.

BMW-engined aircraft entered service with Jasta 11 in late June 1918. Pilots clamored for the D.VII(F), of which about 750 were built. Production of the BMW IIIa was limited and the D.VII continued to be produced with the 134 kW (180 hp) Mercedes D.IIIaü until the end of the war.

D.VIIs flew with different propeller designs from different manufacturers. Despite the variations there is no indication these propellers gave disparate performance. Axial, Wolff, Wotan, and Heine propellers have been noted.

Operational history edit

World War I edit

 
Hermann Göring, commander of Jagdgeschwader 1, beside his Fokker D.VII 5125/18. He holds a walking stick previously owned by Manfred von Richthofen
 
Ernst Udet beside his D.VII, nicknamed "Lo"
 
Fokker D.VII of Jasta 66

When the Fokker D.VII entered squadron service with Jasta 10 in early May 1918, Allied pilots at first underestimated the new fighter because of its squarish, ungainly appearance. However, their experiences in combat quickly forced them to revise their view. The type quickly proved to have many important advantages over the Albatros and Pfalz scouts. Unlike the Albatros scouts, the D.VII could dive without any fear of structural failure. The D.VII was also noted for its high manoeuvrability and ability to climb, its remarkably docile stall and reluctance to spin. It could "hang on its prop" without stalling for brief periods of time, spraying enemy aircraft from below with machine gun fire. These handling characteristics contrasted with contemporary scouts such as the Camel and SPAD, which stalled sharply and spun vigorously.

Several aircraft suffered rib failures and fabric shedding on the upper wing. Heat from the engine sometimes ignited phosphorus ammunition until additional cooling louvers were installed on the metal sides of the engine cowling panels and fuel tanks sometimes broke at the seams. Aircraft built by the Fokker factory at Schwerin were noted for their lower standard of workmanship and materials. Despite faults, the D.VII proved to be a remarkably successful design, leading to the familiar aphorism that it could turn a mediocre pilot into a good one and a good pilot into an ace.

Richthofen died days before the D.VII began to reach the Jagdstaffeln and never flew it in combat. Other pilots, including Erich Löwenhardt and Hermann Göring, quickly racked up victories and generally lauded the design. Aircraft availability was limited at first, but by July there were 407 in service. Larger numbers became available by August, by which point D.VIIs had achieved 565 victories. The D.VII eventually equipped 46 Jagdstaffeln. When the war ended in November, 775 D.VII aircraft were in service.

Post-war service edit

 
Captured D.VII with an American Liberty L-6 engine installed for testing

The Allies confiscated large numbers of D.VII aircraft after the Armistice. The United States Army and Navy evaluated 142 captured examples.[6] Several of these aircraft were re-engined with American-built Liberty L-6 motors, very similar in appearance to the D.VII's original German power plants. France, Great Britain and Canada also received numbers of war prizes.

Other countries used the D.VII operationally. The Polish deployed approximately 50 aircraft during the Polish-Soviet War, using them mainly for ground attack missions.[7] The Hungarian Soviet Republic used a number of D.VIIs, both built by MAG and ex-German aircraft in the Hungarian-Romanian War of 1919.[8]

The Dutch, Swiss, and Belgian air forces also operated the D.VII. The aircraft proved so popular that Anthony Fokker completed and sold a large number of D.VII airframes that he had smuggled into the Netherlands by rail after the Armistice. As late as 1929, the Alfred Comte company manufactured eight new D.VII airframes under license for the Swiss Fliegertruppe.

Variants edit

 
V.22
Fokker V 11
Prototype
Fokker V 21
Prototype with tapered wings
Fokker V 22
Prototype with four-bladed propeller
Fokker V 24
Prototype with 240 hp (180 kW) Benz Bz.IVü engine
Fokker V 31
One D.VII aircraft fitted with a hook to tow the Fokker V 30 glider
Fokker V 34
D.VII development with 185 hp (138 kW) BMW IIIa engine
 
The post-war Fokker V.34 prototype with BMW IIIa engine.
 
V.36
Fokker V 35
Two-seat development with 185 hp (138 kW) BMW IIIa engine and undercarriage fuel tank
Fokker V 36
D.VII development with 185 hp (138 kW) BMW IIIa engine and undercarriage fuel tank
Fokker V 38
Prototype Fokker C.I
D.VII
Production aircraft from Fokker; either from their wartime Schwerin/Görries headquarters, or post-Armistice, in the Netherlands.
D.VII(Alb)
Production aircraft from Albatros Flugzeugwerke in Johannisthal, Berlin
D.VII(MAG)
Production by Magyar Altalános Gepgyár RT - (MAG) at Mátyásföld, near Budapest[9]
D.VII(OAW)
Production aircraft from Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke in Schneidemühl.
MAG-Fokker 90.05
The Fokker V 22 powered by a 200 hp (150 kW) Austro-Daimler 200hp 6-cyl.[10]
Fokker D.VII Lithuanian versions
1 D.VII powered by Siddeley Puma, produced in 1928; 2 D.VII, powered by Mercedes D.III, produced in 1930. Both types featured larger engine cowling and radiator under the nose.[1]

Operators edit

 
Interned Fokker D.VII in Swiss markings
 
Fokker D.VII "U.10" of Jasta 65 on display at the National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C.

Survivors edit

Main article: List of surviving Fokker D.VIIs
 
Fokker D.VII preserved at the Deutsches Museum in Oberschleißheim
 
Fokker D.VII displayed at the Royal Air Force Museum

Reproductions edit

 
Airworthy Fokker D.VII reproduction incorporating an original engine and parts
 
Preserved D.VII on display at the Militaire Luchtvaart Museum in Soesterberg, Netherlands

Many modern D.VII reproductions have been built. Most flyable examples are powered by 7.2 litre (440 cu. in.) American Ranger, or 9.2 litre (560 cu. in.) displacement British Gipsy Queen inverted-six cylinder inline engines, both of which are substantially smaller in displacement than either the Mercedes or BMW engines that powered wartime D.VIIs. A few flying reproductions, such as the one at New York State's Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, are equipped with original Mercedes D.IIIa engines.[15]

Specifications (D.VII with Mercedes D.III engine) edit

Data from [16]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 6.954 m (22 ft 10 in)
  • Wingspan: 8.9 m (29 ft 2 in)
  • Height: 2.75 m (9 ft 0 in)
  • Wing area: 20.5 m2 (221 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 670 kg (1,477 lb)
  • Gross weight: 906 kg (1,997 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Mercedes D.III 6-cyl. water-cooled in-line piston engine, 120 kW (160 hp)  ::::or 1 × 130 kW (170 hp) Mercedes D.IIIa 6-cyl. water-cooled in-line piston engine
or 1 × 138 kW (185 hp) BMW IIIa 6-cyl. water-cooled in-line piston engine, 175 kW (235 hp) (85 octane fuel, rating at low level, emergency only, risk of engine damage.)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 189 km/h (117 mph, 102 kn) ::::with BMW IIIa engine - 200 km/h (120 mph; 110 kn)
  • Range: 266 km (165 mi, 144 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 6,000 m (20,000 ft) [17]
  • Rate of climb: 3.92 m/s (772 ft/min) ::::with BMW IIIa engine – 9.52 metres per second (1,874 ft/min)
  • Time to altitude: [18]
1,000 m (3,300 ft) in 4 minutes 15 seconds (1 minutes 40 seconds w/ BMW IIIa)
2,000 m (6,600 ft) in 8 minutes 18 seconds (4 minutes 5 seconds w/ BMW IIIa)
3,000 m (9,800 ft) in 13 minutes 49 seconds (7 minutes 0 seconds w/ BMW IIIa)
4,000 m (13,000 ft) in 22 minutes 48 seconds (10 minutes 15 seconds w/ BMW IIIa)
5,000 m (16,000 ft) in 38 minutes 5 seconds (14 minutes 0 seconds w/ BMW IIIa)
6,000 m (20,000 ft) (18 minutes 45 seconds w/ BMW IIIa)
  • Wing loading: 43.0 kg/m2 (8.8 lb/sq ft)

Armament

See also edit

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

References edit

  1. ^ "First World War". www.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2018. "A. - CLAUSES RELATING TO THE WESTERN FRONT. - IV. - Surrender in good condition by the German Armies of the following equipment:-5,000 guns (2,500 heavy, 2,500 field)...25,000 machine guns...3,000 trench mortars...1,700 aeroplanes (fighters, bombers - firstly all D.7's and night-bombing machines).
  2. ^ Gray, Peter; Thetford, Owen (1970). German Aircraft of the First World War (2nd ed.). London: Putnam. pp. 105–108. ISBN 978-0-370-00103-6.
  3. ^ "The Aerofile - The Fokker D.VII File - Production differences". aerofile.info. 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2019. Basically, there are four different cowling layouts of D.VII's. First, there's the original V.11 and early Fokker built production aircraft, with the twin exhaust pipes on the right side of the 160 hp Mercedes engine. This type of cowling can also be seen on D.VII(Alb.) 527/18, the first Albatros production aircraft. Later Fokker D.VII(F) aircraft had a different exhaust pipe for the 175 hp Mercedes or 185 hp BMW engine, and the cowling had more cooling louvres...D.VII's built by Albatros had also more cooling louvres, in a different layout...The O.A.W. built D.VII's can be easily identified, since they have cowlings with 20 round shaped cooling openings on both sides. Some sources state that only O.A.W. painted the cowlings in a lozenge camouflage pattern.
  4. ^ Owers 1995, pp. 67–66
  5. ^ Some sources erroneously state that the D.VII was equipped with the 120 kW (160 hp) Mercedes D.III engine. The Germans used D.III as a generic term to describe later versions of that engine.
  6. ^ Swanborough, Gordon; Bowers, Peter M. (1971). United States military aircraft since 1908 (Rev. ed.). Putnam. p. 610. ISBN 0370000943.
  7. ^ Owers 1995, pp. 69–70.
  8. ^ Owers 1995, p. 68
  9. ^ Grosz, Peter M.; Haddow, George; Scheiner, Peter (2002) [1993]. Austro-Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War One. Boulder: Flying Machine Press. pp. 351–353. ISBN 1-891268-05-8.
  10. ^ Grosz, Peter M.; Haddow, George; Scheiner, Peter (2002) [1993]. Austro-Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War One. Boulder: Flying Machine Press. pp. 343–345. ISBN 1-891268-05-8.
  11. ^ a b c d Owers 1996, p. 54
  12. ^ Owers 1996, p. 55
  13. ^ a b Owers 1996, p. 53
  14. ^ Velychenko, Stephen (2011). State building in revolutionary Ukraine: a comparative study of governments and bureaucrats, 1917-1922. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. 300. ISBN 9781442686847. p. 300: Taking a new German Fokker up one day, he crashed, destroying the plane and his leg in the incident. The model is not mentioned but it is most likely a D.VII.
  15. ^ "World War I (1914-1918) « Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome". oldrhinebeck.org. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  16. ^ The Fokker D.VII. Aircraft Profiles. Vol. 25. Leatherhead, UK: Profile Publications.
  17. ^ The Rand McNally encyclopedia of military aircraft, 1914-1980. Military Press. 1983. p. 47. ISBN 0-517-41021-4.
  18. ^ "BMW DVII factory figures". Flugsport. 1919.

Bibliography edit

  • Anderson, Lennart (November–December 2019). "La renaissance de l'aviation militair bulgare dans les années vingt" [The Rebirth of Bulgarian Military Aviation in the Twenties]. Avions (in French) (232): 52–66. ISSN 1243-8650.
  • Gray, Peter & Thetford, Owen (1987) [1970]. German Aircraft of the First World War (2nd ed.). London: Putnam. ISBN 0-85177-809-7.
  • Herris, Jack & Leckscheid, Jörn (2023). Fokker Aircraft of WWI: Volume 5: 1918 Designs, Part 1 - Prototypes & D.VI: A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes. Great War Aviation Centennial Series. Vol. 55A. n.p.: Aeronaut Books. ISBN 978-1-953201-09-6.
  • Herris, Jack & Leckscheid, Jörn (2023). Fokker Aircraft of WWI: Volume 5: 1918 Designs, Part 2 - D.VII & D.VIII: A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes. Great War Aviation Centennial Series. Vol. 55B. n.p.: Aeronaut Books. ISBN 978-1-953201-61-4.
  • Imrie, Alex (1971). Pictorial History Of The German Army Air Service 1914 - 1918. Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan Limited.
  • Imrie, Alex (1978). German Fighter Units June 1917 - 1918. London: Osprey Publishing Limited. ISBN 0-85045-289-9.
  • Imrie, Alex (1986). Fokker Fighters Of World War One. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 0-85368-782-X.
  • Imrie, Alex (1987). German Air Aces Of World War One. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 0-85368-792-7.
  • Klaauw, Bart van der (March–April 1999). "Unexpected Windfalls: Accidentally or Deliberately, More than 100 Aircraft 'arrived' in Dutch Territory During the Great War". Air Enthusiast (80): 54–59. ISSN 0143-5450.
  • Nelcarz, Bartolomiej & Peczkowski, Robert (2001). White Eagles: The Aircraft, Men and Operations of the Polish Air Force 1918–1939. Ottringham, UK: Hikoki Publications. ISBN 1-902109-73-2.
  • Owers, Colin (November–December 1995). ""Especially... The D.VII...": The post-1918 career of the Fokker D.VII: Part One". Air Enthusiast. No. 60. pp. 63–70. ISSN 0143-5450.
  • Owers, Colin (January–February 1996). ""Especially... The D.VII...": The post-1918 career of the Fokker D.VII: Part Two". Air Enthusiast. No. 61. pp. 52–63. ISSN 0143-5450.
  • "Round-Out". Air Enthusiast (65): 77–78. September–October 1999. ISSN 0143-5450.
  • Swanborough, Gordon; Bowers, Peter M. (1971). United States military aircraft since 1908. Putnam. ISBN 0370000943.
  • Weyl, A.R. (1988). Fokker : the Creative Years. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-85177-817-8.

Further reading edit

  • Nicolle, David (March–April 1999). "Young Turks: Ottoman Turkish Fighters 1915–1918". Air Enthusiast. No. 74. pp. 40–45. ISSN 0143-5450.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fokker D.VII.
  • Fokker D. VII – National Museum of the United States Air Force
  • The Fokker D VII File website
  • Original Fokker D VII, photos of the unrestored Fokker D VII at the Lac-Brome Museum in Knowlton/Lac-Brome, Quebec
  • www.all-aero.com Fokker D.VII
  • Vintage News Those Canadian Fokkers war Trophies 10 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine

January 01, 1970
fokker, german, world, fighter, aircraft, designed, reinhold, platz, fokker, flugzeugwerke, germany, produced, around, aircraft, second, half, 1918, service, with, luftstreitkräfte, quickly, proved, itself, formidable, aircraft, armistice, ending, specifically. The Fokker D VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker Flugzeugwerke Germany produced around 3 300 D VII aircraft in the second half of 1918 In service with the Luftstreitkrafte the D VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft The Armistice ending the war specifically required as the fourth clause of the Clauses Relating to the Western Front that Germany was required to surrender all D VIIs to the Allies 1 Surviving aircraft saw much service with many countries in the years after World War I Fokker D VII Fokker D VII reproduction at the NMUSAF The aircraft is painted in the colors of Leutnant Rudolf Stark of Jasta 35b Role Fighter Manufacturer Fokker Flugzeugwerke Designer Reinhold Platz First flight January 1918 Primary user Luftstreitkrafte Number built approximately 3 300 Contents 1 Development and production 1 1 Powerplants 2 Operational history 2 1 World War I 2 2 Post war service 3 Variants 4 Operators 5 Survivors 6 Reproductions 7 Specifications D VII with Mercedes D III engine 8 See also 9 References 10 Bibliography 11 Further reading 12 External linksDevelopment and production edit nbsp Fokker D VII OAW 8909 18 Fokker s chief designer Reinhold Platz had been working on a series of experimental V series aircraft starting in 1916 The aircraft were notable for the use of cantilever wings Hugo Junkers and his aviation firm had originated the idea in 1915 with the first practical all metal aircraft the Junkers J 1 monoplane nicknamed Blechesel Sheet Metal Donkey or Tin Donkey The wings were thick with a rounded leading edge The shape of the wings airfoil gave greater lift with its relatively blunt leading edge as seen in cross section giving it more docile stalling behavior than the thin wings commonly in use nbsp Fokker s V 11 prototype direct precursor to the production D VII Late in 1917 Fokker built the experimental V 11 biplane fitted with the standard Mercedes D IIIa engine In January 1918 Idflieg held a fighter competition at Adlershof For the first time front line pilots participated in the evaluation and selection of new fighters Fokker submitted the V 11 along with several other prototypes Manfred von Richthofen flew the V 11 and found it tricky unpleasant and directionally unstable in a dive Platz lengthened the rear fuselage by one structural bay and added a triangular fin in front of the rudder Richthofen tested the modified V 11 and praised it as the best aircraft of the competition It offered excellent performance from the outdated Mercedes engine yet was safe and easy to fly Richthofen s recommendation virtually decided the competition but he was not alone in recommending it Fokker immediately received a provisional order for 400 production aircraft which were named D VII by Idflieg nbsp Fokker D VII F nbsp Fokker D VII looping Fokker s factory was not up to the task of meeting all D VII production orders and Idflieg directed Albatros and AEG to build the D VII under license though AEG did not ultimately produce any aircraft Because the Fokker factory did not use detailed plans as part of its production process Fokker simply sent a D VII airframe for Albatros to copy Albatros paid Fokker a five percent royalty for every D VII it built under license Albatros Flugzeugwerke and its subsidiary Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke OAW built the D VII at factories in Johannisthal Fokker D VII Alb and Schneidemuhl Fokker D VII OAW respectively Aircraft markings included the type designation and factory suffix immediately before the individual serial number Some parts were not interchangeable between aircraft produced at different factories even between Albatros and OAW 2 Each manufacturer tended to differ in both nose paint styles and the patterning and layout of their engine compartment cooling louvers on the sides of the nose 3 OAW produced examples were delivered with distinctive mauve and green splotches on the cowling All D VIIs were produced with either the five color Funffarbiger or less often the four color Vierfarbiger lozenge camouflage covering except for early Fokker produced D VIIs which had a streaked green fuselage Factory camouflage finishes were often overpainted with colorful paint schemes or insignia for the Jasta or for a pilot In September 1918 eight D VIIs were delivered to Bulgaria Late in 1918 the Austro Hungarian company Magyar Altalanos Gepgyar MAG Hungarian General Machine Company commenced licensed production of the D VII with Austro Daimler engines Production continued after the end of the war with as many as 50 aircraft completed 4 Powerplants edit The earliest production D VIIs were equipped with 170 180 hp Mercedes D IIIa 5 Production quickly switched to the intended standard engine the higher compression 134 kW 180 200 hp Mercedes D IIIau Some early production D VIIs delivered with the Mercedes D IIIa were later re engined with the D IIIau By mid 1918 some D VIIs received the overcompressed 138 kW 185 hp BMW IIIa the first product of the BMW firm The BMW IIIa followed the SOHC straight six configuration of the Mercedes D III but incorporated several improvements Increased displacement higher compression and an altitude adjusting carburettor produced a marked increase in speed and climb rate at high altitude Because the BMW IIIa was overcompressed using full throttle at altitudes below 2 000 m 6 600 ft risked premature detonation in the cylinders and damage to the engine At low altitudes full throttle could produce up to 179 kW 240 hp for a short time Fokker built aircraft with the new BMW engine were called D VII F the suffix F standing for Max Friz the engine designer BMW engined aircraft entered service with Jasta 11 in late June 1918 Pilots clamored for the D VII F of which about 750 were built Production of the BMW IIIa was limited and the D VII continued to be produced with the 134 kW 180 hp Mercedes D IIIau until the end of the war D VIIs flew with different propeller designs from different manufacturers Despite the variations there is no indication these propellers gave disparate performance Axial Wolff Wotan and Heine propellers have been noted Operational history editWorld War I edit nbsp Hermann Goring commander of Jagdgeschwader 1 beside his Fokker D VII 5125 18 He holds a walking stick previously owned by Manfred von Richthofen nbsp Ernst Udet beside his D VII nicknamed Lo nbsp Fokker D VII of Jasta 66 When the Fokker D VII entered squadron service with Jasta 10 in early May 1918 Allied pilots at first underestimated the new fighter because of its squarish ungainly appearance However their experiences in combat quickly forced them to revise their view The type quickly proved to have many important advantages over the Albatros and Pfalz scouts Unlike the Albatros scouts the D VII could dive without any fear of structural failure The D VII was also noted for its high manoeuvrability and ability to climb its remarkably docile stall and reluctance to spin It could hang on its prop without stalling for brief periods of time spraying enemy aircraft from below with machine gun fire These handling characteristics contrasted with contemporary scouts such as the Camel and SPAD which stalled sharply and spun vigorously Several aircraft suffered rib failures and fabric shedding on the upper wing Heat from the engine sometimes ignited phosphorus ammunition until additional cooling louvers were installed on the metal sides of the engine cowling panels and fuel tanks sometimes broke at the seams Aircraft built by the Fokker factory at Schwerin were noted for their lower standard of workmanship and materials Despite faults the D VII proved to be a remarkably successful design leading to the familiar aphorism that it could turn a mediocre pilot into a good one and a good pilot into an ace Richthofen died days before the D VII began to reach the Jagdstaffeln and never flew it in combat Other pilots including Erich Lowenhardt and Hermann Goring quickly racked up victories and generally lauded the design Aircraft availability was limited at first but by July there were 407 in service Larger numbers became available by August by which point D VIIs had achieved 565 victories The D VII eventually equipped 46 Jagdstaffeln When the war ended in November 775 D VII aircraft were in service Post war service edit nbsp Captured D VII with an American Liberty L 6 engine installed for testing The Allies confiscated large numbers of D VII aircraft after the Armistice The United States Army and Navy evaluated 142 captured examples 6 Several of these aircraft were re engined with American built Liberty L 6 motors very similar in appearance to the D VII s original German power plants France Great Britain and Canada also received numbers of war prizes Other countries used the D VII operationally The Polish deployed approximately 50 aircraft during the Polish Soviet War using them mainly for ground attack missions 7 The Hungarian Soviet Republic used a number of D VIIs both built by MAG and ex German aircraft in the Hungarian Romanian War of 1919 8 The Dutch Swiss and Belgian air forces also operated the D VII The aircraft proved so popular that Anthony Fokker completed and sold a large number of D VII airframes that he had smuggled into the Netherlands by rail after the Armistice As late as 1929 the Alfred Comte company manufactured eight new D VII airframes under license for the Swiss Fliegertruppe Variants edit nbsp V 22 Fokker V 11 Prototype Fokker V 21 Prototype with tapered wings Fokker V 22 Prototype with four bladed propeller Fokker V 24 Prototype with 240 hp 180 kW Benz Bz IVu engine Fokker V 31 One D VII aircraft fitted with a hook to tow the Fokker V 30 glider Fokker V 34 D VII development with 185 hp 138 kW BMW IIIa engine nbsp The post war Fokker V 34 prototype with BMW IIIa engine nbsp V 36 Fokker V 35 Two seat development with 185 hp 138 kW BMW IIIa engine and undercarriage fuel tank Fokker V 36 D VII development with 185 hp 138 kW BMW IIIa engine and undercarriage fuel tank Fokker V 38 Prototype Fokker C I D VII Production aircraft from Fokker either from their wartime Schwerin Gorries headquarters or post Armistice in the Netherlands D VII Alb Production aircraft from Albatros Flugzeugwerke in Johannisthal Berlin D VII MAG Production by Magyar Altalanos Gepgyar RT MAG at Matyasfold near Budapest 9 D VII OAW Production aircraft from Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke in Schneidemuhl MAG Fokker 90 05 The Fokker V 22 powered by a 200 hp 150 kW Austro Daimler 200hp 6 cyl 10 Fokker D VII Lithuanian versions 1 D VII powered by Siddeley Puma produced in 1928 2 D VII powered by Mercedes D III produced in 1930 Both types featured larger engine cowling and radiator under the nose 1 Operators editThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed April 2020 Learn how and when to remove this message nbsp Interned Fokker D VII in Swiss markings nbsp Fokker D VII U 10 of Jasta 65 on display at the National Air and Space Museum Washington D C nbsp Argentina Argentine Naval Aviation one ex French captured aircraft postwar nbsp Austria Hungary Austro Hungarian Navy nbsp Belgium Belgian Air Force 9 Squadron postwar nbsp Kingdom of Bulgaria Bulgarian Air Force nbsp Czechoslovakia postwar nbsp Denmark Royal Danish Air Force postwar operated a single D VII from 1922 to 1927 11 nbsp Finland Finnish Air Force postwar 12 nbsp Free City of Danzig Police air squadron postwar nbsp German Empire Luftstreitkrafte Kaiserliche Marine nbsp Hungarian Soviet Republic Hungarian Red Air Force postwar nbsp Kingdom of Hungary Royal Hungarian Air Force postwar nbsp Netherlands postwar Army Aviation Group LVA Naval Aviation Service MLD Netherlands Indies LA KNIL nbsp Latvia Latvian Air Force postwar 11 nbsp Lithuania Lithuanian Air Force postwar 11 nbsp Poland Polish Air Force postwar nbsp Kingdom of Romania Royal Romanian Air Force postwar nbsp Soviet Union Soviet Air Force postwar purchased 50 D VIIs from Fokker in 1920 13 nbsp Sweden Swedish Air Force postwar operated a single D VII from 1920 11 nbsp Switzerland Swiss Air Force 13 nbsp Ottoman Empire Ottoman Air Force nbsp Ukrainian People s Republic Ukrainian People s Republic Air Fleet postwar 14 nbsp United States United States Army Air Service postwar United States Marine Corps postwar Survivors editMain article List of surviving Fokker D VIIs nbsp Fokker D VII preserved at the Deutsches Museum in Oberschleissheim nbsp Fokker D VII displayed at the Royal Air Force MuseumReproductions edit nbsp Airworthy Fokker D VII reproduction incorporating an original engine and parts nbsp Preserved D VII on display at the Militaire Luchtvaart Museum in Soesterberg Netherlands Many modern D VII reproductions have been built Most flyable examples are powered by 7 2 litre 440 cu in American Ranger or 9 2 litre 560 cu in displacement British Gipsy Queen inverted six cylinder inline engines both of which are substantially smaller in displacement than either the Mercedes or BMW engines that powered wartime D VIIs A few flying reproductions such as the one at New York State s Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome are equipped with original Mercedes D IIIa engines 15 Specifications D VII with Mercedes D III engine editData from 16 General characteristicsCrew 1 Length 6 954 m 22 ft 10 in Wingspan 8 9 m 29 ft 2 in Height 2 75 m 9 ft 0 in Wing area 20 5 m2 221 sq ft Empty weight 670 kg 1 477 lb Gross weight 906 kg 1 997 lb Powerplant 1 Mercedes D III 6 cyl water cooled in line piston engine 120 kW 160 hp or 1 130 kW 170 hp Mercedes D IIIa 6 cyl water cooled in line piston engine or 1 138 kW 185 hp BMW IIIa 6 cyl water cooled in line piston engine 175 kW 235 hp 85 octane fuel rating at low level emergency only risk of engine damage dd dd dd Propellers 2 bladed fixed pitch propeller Performance Maximum speed 189 km h 117 mph 102 kn with BMW IIIa engine 200 km h 120 mph 110 kn Range 266 km 165 mi 144 nmi Service ceiling 6 000 m 20 000 ft 17 Rate of climb 3 92 m s 772 ft min with BMW IIIa engine 9 52 metres per second 1 874 ft min Time to altitude 18 1 000 m 3 300 ft in 4 minutes 15 seconds 1 minutes 40 seconds w BMW IIIa 2 000 m 6 600 ft in 8 minutes 18 seconds 4 minutes 5 seconds w BMW IIIa 3 000 m 9 800 ft in 13 minutes 49 seconds 7 minutes 0 seconds w BMW IIIa 4 000 m 13 000 ft in 22 minutes 48 seconds 10 minutes 15 seconds w BMW IIIa 5 000 m 16 000 ft in 38 minutes 5 seconds 14 minutes 0 seconds w BMW IIIa 6 000 m 20 000 ft 18 minutes 45 seconds w BMW IIIa dd Wing loading 43 0 kg m2 8 8 lb sq ft Armament Guns 2 7 92 mm 0 312 in LMG 08 15 Spandau machine gunsSee also editRelated development Fokker C I Aircraft of comparable role configuration and era Ansaldo A 1 Balilla Martinsyde Buzzard Pfalz D XII Royal Aircraft Factory S E 5 Sopwith Snipe SPAD 13References edit First World War www nationalarchives gov uk Retrieved 5 November 2018 A CLAUSES RELATING TO THE WESTERN FRONT IV Surrender in good condition by the German Armies of the following equipment 5 000 guns 2 500 heavy 2 500 field 25 000 machine guns 3 000 trench mortars 1 700 aeroplanes fighters bombers firstly all D 7 s and night bombing machines Gray Peter Thetford Owen 1970 German Aircraft of the First World War 2nd ed London Putnam pp 105 108 ISBN 978 0 370 00103 6 The Aerofile The Fokker D VII File Production differences aerofile info 2019 Retrieved 12 June 2019 Basically there are four different cowling layouts of D VII s First there s the original V 11 and early Fokker built production aircraft with the twin exhaust pipes on the right side of the 160 hp Mercedes engine This type of cowling can also be seen on D VII Alb 527 18 the first Albatros production aircraft Later Fokker D VII F aircraft had a different exhaust pipe for the 175 hp Mercedes or 185 hp BMW engine and the cowling had more cooling louvres D VII s built by Albatros had also more cooling louvres in a different layout The O A W built D VII s can be easily identified since they have cowlings with 20 round shaped cooling openings on both sides Some sources state that only O A W painted the cowlings in a lozenge camouflage pattern Owers 1995 pp 67 66 Some sources erroneously state that the D VII was equipped with the 120 kW 160 hp Mercedes D III engine The Germans used D III as a generic term to describe later versions of that engine Swanborough Gordon Bowers Peter M 1971 United States military aircraft since 1908 Rev ed Putnam p 610 ISBN 0370000943 Owers 1995 pp 69 70 Owers 1995 p 68 Grosz Peter M Haddow George Scheiner Peter 2002 1993 Austro Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War One Boulder Flying Machine Press pp 351 353 ISBN 1 891268 05 8 Grosz Peter M Haddow George Scheiner Peter 2002 1993 Austro Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War One Boulder Flying Machine Press pp 343 345 ISBN 1 891268 05 8 a b c d Owers 1996 p 54 Owers 1996 p 55 a b Owers 1996 p 53 Velychenko Stephen 2011 State building in revolutionary Ukraine a comparative study of governments and bureaucrats 1917 1922 Toronto University of Toronto Press p 300 ISBN 9781442686847 p 300 Taking a new German Fokker up one day he crashed destroying the plane and his leg in the incident The model is not mentioned but it is most likely a D VII World War I 1914 1918 Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome oldrhinebeck org Retrieved 5 November 2018 The Fokker D VII Aircraft Profiles Vol 25 Leatherhead UK Profile Publications The Rand McNally encyclopedia of military aircraft 1914 1980 Military Press 1983 p 47 ISBN 0 517 41021 4 BMW DVII factory figures Flugsport 1919 Bibliography editAnderson Lennart November December 2019 La renaissance de l aviation militair bulgare dans les annees vingt The Rebirth of Bulgarian Military Aviation in the Twenties Avions in French 232 52 66 ISSN 1243 8650 Gray Peter amp Thetford Owen 1987 1970 German Aircraft of the First World War 2nd ed London Putnam ISBN 0 85177 809 7 Herris Jack amp Leckscheid Jorn 2023 Fokker Aircraft of WWI Volume 5 1918 Designs Part 1 Prototypes amp D VI A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes Great War Aviation Centennial Series Vol 55A n p Aeronaut Books ISBN 978 1 953201 09 6 Herris Jack amp Leckscheid Jorn 2023 Fokker Aircraft of WWI Volume 5 1918 Designs Part 2 D VII amp D VIII A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes Great War Aviation Centennial Series Vol 55B n p Aeronaut Books ISBN 978 1 953201 61 4 Imrie Alex 1971 Pictorial History Of The German Army Air Service 1914 1918 Shepperton Surrey Ian Allan Limited Imrie Alex 1978 German Fighter Units June 1917 1918 London Osprey Publishing Limited ISBN 0 85045 289 9 Imrie Alex 1986 Fokker Fighters Of World War One London Arms and Armour Press ISBN 0 85368 782 X Imrie Alex 1987 German Air Aces Of World War One London Arms and Armour Press ISBN 0 85368 792 7 Klaauw Bart van der March April 1999 Unexpected Windfalls Accidentally or Deliberately More than 100 Aircraft arrived in Dutch Territory During the Great War Air Enthusiast 80 54 59 ISSN 0143 5450 Nelcarz Bartolomiej amp Peczkowski Robert 2001 White Eagles The Aircraft Men and Operations of the Polish Air Force 1918 1939 Ottringham UK Hikoki Publications ISBN 1 902109 73 2 Owers Colin November December 1995 Especially The D VII The post 1918 career of the Fokker D VII Part One Air Enthusiast No 60 pp 63 70 ISSN 0143 5450 Owers Colin January February 1996 Especially The D VII The post 1918 career of the Fokker D VII Part Two Air Enthusiast No 61 pp 52 63 ISSN 0143 5450 Round Out Air Enthusiast 65 77 78 September October 1999 ISSN 0143 5450 Swanborough Gordon Bowers Peter M 1971 United States military aircraft since 1908 Putnam ISBN 0370000943 Weyl A R 1988 Fokker the Creative Years London Putnam ISBN 0 85177 817 8 Further reading editNicolle David March April 1999 Young Turks Ottoman Turkish Fighters 1915 1918 Air Enthusiast No 74 pp 40 45 ISSN 0143 5450 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fokker D VII Fokker D VII National Museum of the United States Air Force The Fokker D VII File website Original Fokker D VII photos of the unrestored Fokker D VII at the Lac Brome Museum in Knowlton Lac Brome Quebec Fokker D VII Halberstadt CL IV and Junkers D I Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome s Fokker D VII page archived version from June 2014 www all aero com Fokker D VII Vintage News Those Canadian Fokkers war Trophies Archived 10 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Fokker D VII amp oldid 1219505635, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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