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The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service () during World War I. A modified licensed version was built by Oeffag for the Austro-Hungarian Air Service (Luftfahrtruppen). The D.III was flown by many top German flying aces, including Wilhelm Frankl, Erich Löwenhardt, Manfred von Richthofen, Karl Emil Schäfer, Ernst Udet, and Kurt Wolff, and Austro-Hungarian Godwin von Brumowski. It was the preeminent fighter during the period of German aerial dominance known as "Bloody April" 1917.

Design and development

thumb|left|[[Ernst Udet in front of his Albatros D.III (serial D.1941/16)]]

Development of the prototype D.III started in late July or early August 1916. The date of the maiden flight is unknown, but is believed to have occurred in late August or early September. Idflieg placed additional orders for 50 aircraft in February and March 1917.

Operational history

thumb|Albatros D.III fighters of Jasta 11 at Douai, France. The second closest aircraft was one of several flown by [[Manfred von Richthofen]]

The D.III entered squadron service in December 1916, and was immediately acclaimed by German pilots for its maneuverability and rate of climb. rescinding the order on 19 February after Albatros introduced a reinforced lower wing. New production D.IIIs were completed with the strengthened wing, and existing D.IIIs were withdrawn to Armee-Flugparks for modifications, forcing Jastas to use the Albatros D.II and Halberstadt D.II during the interim.

At the time, the continued wing failures were attributed to poor workmanship and materials at the Johannisthal factory. In fact, the real cause lay in the sesquiplane arrangement taken from the Nieuport: while the lower wing had sufficient strength in static tests, it was subsequently found that the main spar was located too far aft, causing the wing to twist under aerodynamic loads. Pilots were therefore advised not to perform steep or prolonged dives in the D.III. This design flaw persisted despite attempts to rectify the problem in the D.III and succeeding Albatros D.V. Apart from its structural deficiencies, the D.III was considered pleasant and easy to fly, if somewhat heavy on the controls. The sesquiplane arrangement offered better climb, maneuverability, and downward visibility than the preceding D.II. Like most contemporary aircraft, the D.III was prone to spinning, but recovery was straightforward.

thumb|Lineup of Albatros D.III fighters of Jagdstaffel 50 - mid to late 1917. The subdued staffel scheme of black and white stripes and chevrons can be seen on the fuselage and tailplanes of most machines, which are otherwise in factory finish.

Albatros built approximately 500 D.III aircraft at its Johannisthal factory. In the spring of 1917, D.III production shifted to Albatros' subsidiary, Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke (OAW), to permit Albatros to concentrate on development and production of the D.V. Between April and August 1917, Idflieg issued five orders for a total of 840 D.IIIs. The OAW variant underwent its Typenprüfung in June 1917. Production commenced at the Schneidemühl factory in June and continued through December 1917. OAW aircraft were distinguishable by their larger, rounded rudders. Peak service was in November 1917, with 446 aircraft on the Western Front. The D.III remained in frontline service after production ended; as of 31 August 1918, 54 D.III aircraft remained on the Western Front.

Austro-Hungarian variants

thumb|left|Albatros D.III (Oeffag) series 253, with later production rounded nose

In the autumn of 1916, Oesterreichische Flugzeugfabrik AG (Oeffag) obtained a licence to build the D.III at Wiener-Neustadt. Deliveries commenced in May 1917. The aircraft were officially designated as Albatros D.III (Oeffag), but were known as Oeffag Albatros D.III in Austro-Hungary, and just Oeffag D.III in Poland. Beginning with aircraft 112 of the series 153 production run, Oeffag introduced a new rounded nose that eliminated the spinner. Remarkably, German wind-tunnel tests showed that the simple rounded nose improved propeller efficiency and raised the top speed by . In service, the Oeffag aircraft proved to be popular, robust, and effective. Oeffag built approximately 526 D.III aircraft between May 1917 and the Armistice (586 in total according to other publications).

Postwar

thumb|left|Albatros D.III (Oeffag) series 253 of [[Polish 7th Air Escadrille]]

After the Armistice, in early 1919 Poland bought 38 series 253 aircraft from the factory, ten more were rebuilt from wartime leftovers. The new Czechoslovak Air Force also obtained and operated several Oeffag machines after the war.

Modern reproductions

An Austrian aviation enthusiast, Koloman Mayrhofer, has completed a pair of Albatros D.III (Oeffag) series 253 reproductions. Both are equipped with vintage Austro-Daimler engines. One aircraft will be flown and operated by a non-profit organization. The second aircraft is slated for static display at the Flugmuseum AVIATICUM, near Wiener-Neustadt, Austria.

Operators

;

  • Luftfahrtruppen
  • Austro-Hungarian Navy

;

  • Bulgarian Air Force

;

  • Czechoslovak Air Force - (postwar)

;

  • Luftstreitkräfte
  • Kaiserliche Marine

;

  • Hejaz Air Force

;

  • Lithuanian Air Force - (postwar)

;

  • Polish Air Force (postwar)

;

  • Ottoman Air Force and Turkish Air Force (postwar)

;

  • Yugoslav Royal Air Force (postwar)

Specifications (D.III (Oef) Series 153)

thumb|Official Albatros D.III Baubeschreibung drawing

thumb|Albatros D.III

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography

  • Connors, John F. Albatros Fighters In Action (Aircraft No. 46). Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 1981. .
  • Franks, Norman, Hal Giblin and Nigel McCrery. Under the Guns of the Red Baron: Complete Record of Von Richthofen's Victories and Victims. London: Grub Street, 1998. .
  • Grosz, Peter M. "The Agile & Aggressive Albatros". Air Enthusiast Quarterly, No. 1, n.d., pp.&nbsp;36–51.
  • Grosz, Peter M. Albatros D.III (Windsock Datafile Special). Berkhamsted, Herts, UK: Albatros Publications, 2003. .
  • Grosz, Peter M., George Haddow and Peter Schiemer. Austro-Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War I. Boulder, CO: Flying Machines Press, 2002. .
  • Mikesh, Robert C. Albatros D.Va: German Fighter of World War I. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1980.
  • Miller, James F. Albatros D.III: Johannisthal, OAW, and Oeffag Variants (Air Vanguard 13). Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2014.
  • Morgała, Andrzej. Samoloty wojskowe w Polsce 1918-1924 [Military Aircraft in Poland 1918-1924] (in Polish). Warsaw: Lampart, 1997. .
  • VanWyngarden, Greg. Albatros Aces of World War I Part 2 (Aircraft of the Aces No. 77). Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2007. .

Further reading

  • YouTube video of Koloman Mayrhofer and his two Albatros D.III reproductions
  • Photobucket video of Mayrhofer's Austrian Oeffag/Albatros D.III flight test
  • Vintage 1916/17 silent film of Albatros D.III aircraft construction (German intertitles)