WW1 Planes
This page is dedicated to some of my WW1 planes - from air fighters to supply and personal transport, bombers, reconnaissance planes, multi-purpose planes, night fighter, ground attack planes and more. This includes the monoplanes to biplanes, triplanes, twin-engine planes and other types. I'll share it by order of creation.
Fokker Dr.I
The Fokker Dr.I is perhaps one of the most known aircraft built by Fokker-Flugzeugwerke for the German Empire during World War I and one of the famous aircraft piloted by Manfred von Richthofen - the Red Baron. The triplane is known for its rotary engine and its three wings, making it highly maneuverable compared to its rivals; and, thanks to its two Maschinengewehr MG08, made it a fierce German plane to confront Allied planes. During World War I, the British introduced their Sopwith Triplane - superior to the German Albatross planes, despite being armed with a single Vickers machine gun. In April 1917, Anthony Fokker studied a captured British Sopwith Triplane while visiting the Jasta 11. In response to the new threat, Fokker instructed Reinhold Platz to build a triplane, although not giving any specifications from the British counterpart. The V.4 prototype was built for evaluation, but presented unacceptable high control forces from the use of unbalanced ailerons and elevators and lacked horn balances. After the tests, the V.5 was produced by Fokker - presenting horn-balanced ailerons and elevators, as well as longer-span wings. The V.5 also featured interplane struts, which were not necessary from a structural standpoint, but which minimized wing flexing. After the first flight on July 5, 1917, the Idflieg (Inspektion der Fliegertruppen - "Inspectorate of Flying Troops") issued an order for 20 pre-production aircraft. The first Dr.I that entered were issued to the Jasta 10 and Jasta 11 in August 1917. The aircraft proved to be superior to the Sopwith Triplane in maneuverability and firepower - consisting in two Maschinengewehr MG08; as well compared with the Albatros and Pfalz fighters. Despite these good characteristics, the triplane suffered from a series of issues from low quality materials, poor construction and the shortages of castor oil for the engine lubricants, with some crashes occurring that killed some of the pilots by October 1917 to the summer of 1918. Some corrective measures were taken to strengthen the wings, but the issues persisted, with NACA investigating the cause that crippled the Dr.I in 1929. The major cause for the accidents was the upper wing carrying a higher lift coefficient than the lower wing – at high speeds it could be 2.55 times as much. Production ended in May 1918 in favor of the Fokker D.VII, by which time only 320 Dr.I planes had been manufactured. Three models were preserved after the Armistice - including Serial 152/17, in which Manfred von Richthofen obtained three victories, but were destroyed during Allied bombing operations in World War II. There are several replicas built for individuals and museums. The aircraft made legends like the Red Baron and his brother Lothar von Richthofen, Werner Voss (or Voß), Kurt Wolff, Josef Jacobs and many other German pilots.
Sopwith Camel
The Sopwith Camel is one of the British biplanes built by Sopwith Aviation Company during World War I. It was developed from the Sopwith Pup as the Germans introduced the newest Albastros D.III - faster and better armed compared to the Pup. In response, Herbert Smith started designing a new version of the biplane, which would lead to the creation of the Sopwith Camel. The newer aircraft had a metal fairing over the gun breeches, intended to protect the guns from freezing at altitude, creating a "hump" that led pilots to call the aircraft “Camel”, although this name was never used officially. The prototype Camel flew for the first time on December 22 1916, by Harry Hawker (one of the future founders of Hawker Aviation) at Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey. The Camel had a conventional design for its era, with a wire-braced wooden box-girder fuselage structure, an aluminium engine cowling, plywood panels around the cockpit, and a fabric-covered fuselage, wings and tail. While possessing some clear similarities with the Pup, it had a noticeably bulkier fuselage. Its armament consists of two 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns mounted directly in front of the cockpit, synchronised to fire forwards through the propeller disc. In May 1917, the first production contract for an initial batch of 250 Camels was issued by the British War Office. Throughout 1917, a total of 1,325 Camels were produced, almost entirely the initial F.1 variant. Unlike the Pup and the Triplane, the Sopwith Camel has been described as difficult to fly, having light and sensitive controls - making it extreme manoeuvrability and its difficult handling to the close placement of the engine. In addition, the torque of its Clerget 9B rotary engine made the Camel difficult to turn left, which resulted in a nose-up attitude, but the torque also resulted in being able to turn to the right quicker than other fighters. Still, several aircraft crashes occurred when piloted by inexperienced pilots when the full fuel load pushed the aircraft's centre of gravity beyond the rearmost safe limit. The first operational debut occurred in June 1917 with No 4 Squadron being equipped with Sopwith Camel F.1 models, with victories racking up for the Allies. The biplane quickly proved to be superior to the Albatros D.III and D.V. Together with the S.E.5a and the SPAD S.XIII, it helped to re-establish Allied aerial superiority for a time. An important role for the Camel was home defense, when several planes from Eastchurch and Manston airfields were rallied against daylight raids by German zeppelins, including Gotha bombers, from July 1917. When the Germans switched to night operations, the Camel proved to be a capable aircraft at night operations. The biplane was also used as a naval fighter with the 2F.1 variant, as well in a series of trials as a parasite fighter, attached to the Airship R23 as a mothership. Despite facing obsolescence as a day fighter when confronted by the Fokker Dr.I and D.VII, the Sopwith Camel continued serving in the Royal Flying Corps as a ground attack aircraft by attacking German lines with Cooper bombs and low-level strafing runs. After World War I, the Sopwith Camel saw service during the Russian Civil War when the White Army confronted the Bolsheviks until retiring from service in January 1920 with 5,490 units built.
SPAD S.XIII
The SPAD S.XIII is a French biplane built by the Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés (SPAD) as a development from the earlier and highly successful SPAD S.VII. In early 1917, the main air fighter from the French Aéronautique Militaries was the SPAD S.VII, equipped with the powerful Hispano-Suiza 8A water-cooled V8 engine and armed with a single Vickers machine gun, making it the fastest plane to confront the planes from the Central Powers. This would change with the arrival of the Albatros D.III. In response, the French designer Louis Béchereau started the development of a series of modern planes: S.XII and the S.XIII. Both equipped with the HS.8BeC. The S.XII would be introduced with a 37 mm cannon installed in the engine hub - firing through the propeller shaft. However, it was deemed unpopular by the pilots in comparison to the S.XIII - equipped with a pair of Vickers MGs. The first flight occurred on April 4th, 1917. Issues related to the engine were evident at the time, but it was soon deemed reliable for mass production. The SPAD S.XIII had some similarities with the S.VII since both were of wooden construction with fabric covering, although a bit heavier and larger than its predecessor. Later models would include a high-compression HS.8Bc or HS.8Be for better performances at high altitude. The first units were shipped to the Armée de l'Air commenced in May 1917, however due to delays related to the slow rate of deliveries, only 764 of the planned 2,230 had been delivered by the end of March 1918. The SPAD S.XIII was faster than most German and Allied planes at the time. Both the French and American air forces received the new aircraft, making extensive use in the frontline and famous aces like the French Rene Fonck, Georges Guynemer and Charles Nungesser, as well the Italian Francesco Baracca and the American aces Eddie Rickenbacker and Frank Luke. Aside from the US and France, Italy, Great Britain, Belgium and the Russian Empire also operated this aircraft. With the war's end in 1918, the SPAD S.XIII was shipped to other nations like Czechoslovakia, Romania, Spain, Greece, Japan, Siam (now Thailand and other Indochina countries) and Brazil. The remaining planes were used for racing and static displays at the museums. 8,472 units were built until 1918.
SPAD S.VII
The SPAD S.VII is a French biplane, one of the first of the series of single-seat biplanes built by the Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés (SPAD) during WWI. It was one of the few planes built with an in-line V8 engine, making it one of the fastests and having good diving characteristics, not to mention its rugged and sturdy construction. Development started in 1915 when Swiss designer Marc Birkigt had created an overhead cam aviation powerplant based on his Hispano-Suiza V8 automobile engine, resulting in the Hispano-Suiza V8A - capable of providing 100 kW (140 hp) at 1,400 rpm. With this new engine, Louis Béchereau, chief designer of the SPAD company, quickly produced a prototype fighter: the SPAD S.V - based on the previous SPAD S.A two-seat biplane. The new plane had a wooden with fabric-covering construction and a metal sheeting construction for the engine hub and additional struts mounted on the wings. The main armament was a .303 (7.7mm) Vickers machine gun, installed above the engine, synchronized to fire through the propeller arc. The first flight occurred in April 1916, presenting excellent results for maximum speed and diving performance, despite the Nieuport 17 sesquiplane that equipped a large part of the fighter units presented good maneuverability characters that could outperform the SPAD biplane. Still, an initial production contract for 268 machines was made on May 10th, 1916, to be designated SPAD VII C.1 (C.1, from avion de chasse in French, indicating the aircraft was a fighter, while the 1 indicated it was a single seater). However, many engine and design problems led to a series of refinements and field modifications to solve it. The first combat debut occurred in August 1916 along the Nieuport 17 to replace the Nieuport 11 after the end of the infamous Fokker Scourge and the arrival of a new generation of German and Austrian planes. Many pilots found the SPAD S.VII less maneuverable in combat, with some of them moving to the Nieuport planes. Despite that, some pilots enjoyed the new plane due to its roughness and good diving performance to disengage combat. By mid-1917, more than 500 units were delivered to the frontline, replacing the Nieuport 11 and 17. With the arrival of the German Albatros D.III - armed with two machine guns, the SPAD S.VII was outmatched in firepower and it was gradually replaced by its successor: the SPAD S.XIII, but it remained in service as a training plane until 1928. Aside from France, the British Empire, the United States of America, the Kingdom of Italy, the Russian Empire, Japan, Belgium and Portugal also operated the SPAD S.VII during the Great War, with aces like Francesco Baracca (Italy), Alexander Pentland (Australia), Georges Guynemer (France), Edmond Thieffry (Belgium) and others that scored while commanding the French biplane. With the war ending in 1918, the SPAD S.VII was operated by other countries like Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Chile, Argentina, Finland, Estonia, Greece, Poland, Pure, Netherlands, Serbia, Siam (now Thailand and other Indochina countries), Yugoslavia, the Soviet Union and Ukrainian People's Republic. Around 6,000 units were built, with seven planes being preserved nowadays across the world (1 in Czech Republic, 1 in France, 2 in Italy and 3 in the United States).
Sopwith Triplane
The Sopwith Triplane is a World War I British plane built by Sopwith Aviation Company. It was the first aircraft with three wings for military purposes. During the development of the Sopwith Pup, a radical idea came within certain figures from the company - installing a third wing on top of the fuselage and the other two wings. On May 28, 1916, the first prototype (serial N500) was ready for flight tests, with Harry Hawker (one of the future founders of Hawker Aviation) at the controls. During takeoff, the aircraft was deemed very agile, with effective, well-harmonised controls, despite the odd looking for its three wings. Still, the aircraft was put into military operations after receiving a single Vickers machine gun - mounted centrally in front of the cockpit. In July 1916, the Triplane N500 was sent to Dunkirk for evaluation, having its first successful kill within 15 minutes of its arrival to intercept enemy aircraft. The Sopwith Triplane received a production order from the Admiralty by two contracts to Sopwith for a total of 95 Triplanes, two contracts to Clayton & Shuttleworth Ltd. for a total of 46 aircraft, and one contract to Oakley & Co. Ltd. for 25 aircraft between July 1916 and January 1917. The aircraft resembled the first models from the Sopwith Pup biplane, with the exception for the third wing located above the plane. Ailerons were fitted to all three wings - linked via cables. The first Triplanes were powered by a 110 hp Clerget 9Z nine-cylinder rotary engine, but later models were fitted with a more powerful 130 hp Clerget 9B rotary, with one Triplane being tested with a 110 hp Le Rhône rotary engine, but performance were not promising. The first batch of Triplanes were integrated into the No. 1 Naval Squadron by December 1916, but the squadron did not see any significant action until February 1917. Later, Squadrons No 8, 9 and 10 were equipped with Sopwith Triplanes. The Triplane's combat debut was highly successful. The new fighter's exceptional rate of climb and high service ceiling gave it a marked advantage over the Albatros D.III, though the Triplane was slower in a dive. The British triplane was praised by German pilots like Manfred von Richthofen (The Red Baron) and Ernst von Hoeppner; with some units being captured by the Germans and tested for probing strength and weakness, leading to the development of future German triplanes like the famous Fokker Dr.I. Despite the early success, the Sopwith Triplane suffered from a number of design issues. The fuel and oil tanks were inaccessible without dismantling the wings and fuselage; even relatively minor repairs had to be made at rear echelon repair depots. Spare parts became difficult to obtain during the summer of 1917, resulting in the reduction of No. 1 Naval Squadron's complement from 18 to 15 aircraft. Another issue was the structural weakness because the wings of some aircraft collapsed in steep dives. This defect was attributed to the use of light gauge bracing wires in the 46 aircraft built by subcontractor Clayton & Shuttleworth. Several pilots of No. 10 Naval Squadron used cables or additional wires to strengthen their Triplanes. In 1918, the RAF issued a technical order for the installation of a spanwise compression strut between the inboard cabane struts of surviving Triplanes. One aircraft, serial N5912, was fitted with additional mid-bay flying wires on the upper wing while used as a trainer. And last issue was the single Vickers machine gun as the main armament - with some units receiving two guns to compete with German planes. With the introduction of the Sopwith Camel in July 1917, most of the RAF squadrons were equipped with the new biplane, relegating the Triplane to training roles due to increasing losses and the lack of spare parts. Around 147 units were built throughout the war.
Sopwith Pup
Sopwith Pup is perhaps one of the known British biplanes that served the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. In 1916, Sopwith started working on a new aircraft based on the Sopwith Sparrow - the first model to integrate ailerons instead of wing warping. The first prototype of the new aircraft (nicknamed as “Pup”, while official records designated it as “Scout”) was powered by a Le Rhône 9C rotary engine, built entirely of wood and fabric-covering structure, with the ending cowling made of metal; equipped with two fabric-covered wings and a single 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun synchronized to fire through the propeller arch. Some models would be equipped with a Vickers or Lewis Gun - mounted on top of the upper wing or upper fuselage, tilted 30 to 45 degrees. The first flight occurred on February 9, 1916, with Harry Hawker (company's test pilot - later becoming the founder of Hawker Aviation Company along with Thomas Sopwith and other key-figures from Sopwith Company), with satisfactory flight performances. After two more prototypes requested by the Royal Naval Air Service, the Pup biplane received an order for mass production, with deliveries commencing in August 1916. The Royal Flying Corps would also order for new biplanes, with subcontracts given to Standard Motor Co. and Whitehead Aircraft - with deliveries commencing in 1917. The Sopwith Pup saw combat in May 1916 against early German biplanes and old monoplanes like the Fokker E.III. The British biplane was agile and manoeuvrable thanks to its design and ailerons that equipped each wing. The Germans respected the Sopwith Pup, with Manfred von Richthofen stating, “We saw at once that the enemy aeroplane was superior to ours.” This would change with the introduction of the Albatros D.III - faster and heavily armed with two synchronized machine guns; and later German planes like the Fokker Dr.I, Fokker D.VII and Albatros D.V; not to mention the longitudinal instabilities that would be inherited to its successor: the Sopwith Camel. By the spring of 1917, the Pup had been outclassed by these new planes, being relegated to home defense duties against Gotha bombers and training roles as the Sopwith Triplane and later Sopwith Camel arriving to replace them in the RFC squadrons. The Sopwith Pup would also lead to developing tactics aboard aircraft carriers, with the first flight and landing at the HMS Furious occurring on August 2, 1917. A Pup flown from the HMS Yarmouth shot down the German Zeppelin L 23 off the Danish coast on August 21, 1917. By the end of its service in 1918, 1,796 Sopwith Pups were built. Aside from the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service, Australia, Belgium, Greece, Romania, the Russian Empire - later the Soviet Union, Japan and the United States would also operate the Sopwith Pup.
Albatros D.II / Albatros D.III
The Albatros D.II is a WW1 biplane built by Albatros for the Imperial German Army Air Service (Luftstreitkräfte) and by under license the Austrian Oeffag (Oesterreichische Flugzeugfabrik AG) for the Austro-Hungarian Air Service (Luftfahrtruppen). In 1916, the German Albatros designed the D.I - one of the first models of the series to retain aerial superiority over the Entente planes after the Fokker Scourge. The D.I was powered by a 120 kW (160 hp) Mercedes D.III six-cylinder water cooled inline engine and equipped with a pair of 7.92 mm MG 08 - firing synchronized with the propeller after improvements with the synchronization gear based on Fokker's design. Despite the good results, pilots complained about the lower visibility from the upper wings, with Robert Thelen, Schubert and Gnädig redesigning the aircraft with the upper wing being repositioned 36 cm closer to the fuselage and stagger it forward slightly. Rearrangement of the cabane struts also improved forward view. Still, the newer biplane: the D.II, retained the original D.I's design, engine and armament. The first models would come out from the factories in August 1916 after an order of 100 planes being issued by the Idflieg (Inspektion der Fliegertruppen - Inspectorate of Flying Troops). The Windhoff "ear" radiators were retained until November 1916 after being banned due to leakages from battle damages - replaced by a new Teves und Braun "airfoil shape" radiator in the centre section of the upper wing. Still, this would also be problematic when damaged radiators could scald the pilot's face when hit. Oeffag variants (also known as the Series 53) were equipped with 138 kW (185 hp) Austro-Daimler engine and armed with two 8 mm Schwarzlose machine guns. The first Albatros D.II composed most of the fighter squadrons or Jagdstaffel, mainly the Jasta 2 in the Imperial Luftstreitkräfte. German famous pilots included Oswald Boelcke (Jasta 2 commander and father of the modern fighter tactics or Dicta Boelcke) and Manfred von Richthofen (the Red Baron), with the later one engaged in a prolonged dogfight with RFC's pilot Lanoe Hawker in his Airco DH.2. Aside from the Germans, the Albatros D.II would also equip the Ottoman Air Force and the Austro-Hungarian Luftfahrtruppen with the Oeffag variant. Despite the success, Albatros started on a redesigned model of the D.II: the Albatros D.III - arriving in late August 1916. Production of the D.II ended in late 1916 with 291 units built.
The Albatros D.III is a WW1 biplane built by Albatros for the Imperial German Army Air Service (Luftstreitkräfte). A license-version was built by Oeffag for the Austro-Hungarian Air Service (Luftfahrtruppen). The aircraft made several aces from the Central Powers like Manfred von Richthofen, Ernst Udet, Kurt Wolff and many others. Between July and August, the first prototype was in development by Albatros Flugzeugwerke, with the first flight occurring in between August and September. Following the success of the Albatros D.I and D.II, the newer aircraft retained the original design from its predecessors, with modifications related to the wings, armaments, engine and structure as part of specifications by the Idflieg. Like most of WW1 era planes, the D.III was composed of plywood, fabric, strings and metal. The upper wingspan was extended, while the lower wing was redesigned with reduced chord and a single main spar. V-shaped interplane struts replaced the previous parallel struts. Production started on September 26, 1916 after the Idflieg ordered 400 units. However, problems related to the oil radiator (the initial models were installed in the center, being moved to the right after a series of modifications) and the wings were evident - with the later issue being evident on the Nieuport 17 as well. On January 27, the Kogenluft (Kommandierender General der Luftstreitkräfte) issued an order grounding all D.IIIs pending resolution of the wing failure problem, forcing all Jastas to rely on the Albatros D.II and Halberstadt D.II. Although it was attributed to poor workmanship and materials at the Johannisthal factory, 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 determined that the main spar was located too far aft, causing the wing to twist under aerodynamic loads. Pilots were advised not to perform steep or prolonged dives in the D.III until the issue was solved, but the design flaw persisted until the introduction of the D.V. While its successor was being developed, the D.III production shifted to Albatros' subsidiary, Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke (OAW), with the main difference between the two models being evident on the large rounded rudder from the OAW D.III. The Austrian Oesterreichische Flugzeugfabrik AG (Oeffag) obtained a licence to build the D.III at Wiener-Neustadt, officially designated as Albatros D.III (Oeffag), but were known as Oeffag Albatros D.III in Austro-Hungary Empire, and just Oeffag D.III in Poland. The major difference between the Austrian biplane and the German biplane being the engine: the 138, 149, or 168 kW (185, 200, or 225 hp) Austro-Daimler engine - providing improved performance over the Mercedes D.IIIa engine; the removal of the propeller spinner, the main armament consisting in two 8 mm (.315 in) Schwarzlose machine guns over the 7.92 mm (.312 in) LMG 08/15, despite the issues related to its rate of fire and installation comparing the Austrian guns with the German ones. Still, the wing failures were solved after modifications with thicker ribs and spar flanges on the lower wing. The Albatros D.III was popular among German, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman pilots thanks to its rate of climb and maneuverability, surpassing Allied planes like the Sopwith Pup, Nieuport 10 and 11 and the SPAD S.VII. This would change at the end of 1917 with the arrival of planes powered by 8 cylinder V-inline engines like the SPAD S.XIII, as well the Sopwith Camel, Bristol F.2 Fighter and Nieuport 28. The Albatros D.III remained in service until the end of WW1 with a total of 1,866 units built by both the German and Austrian companies. After the war, Poland acquired 38 series 253 aircraft from the Oeffag factory, ten more were rebuilt from wartime leftovers. They were used in the Polish-Soviet War of 1919–20 in two fighter escadrilles (Nos. 7 and 13). Despite the lack of aerial battles, the D.III were used for ground attack operations until being retired in 1923.
I plan to bring more content related to this page. Until I have the renders of the other planes, it will take a considerable time - which by the moment might be complicated due to my studies and job. Still, I hope you like this page, the images and the brief info about the planes I made.
See you next time.
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