The Red Baron, a photographic album of the first world war's greatest ace, Manfred von Richthofen, Terry C Treadwell, Pen and Sword Books, 2021

Albatros D.III, by Albatros Flugzeugwerke

Main role: Fighter

Engine: 1 Mercedes D.IIIa 127 kw (170 hp) or 130kW(175 hp)

Armament: 2 7.92mm LMG 08/15 machinguns

As soon as the D.II was in production, its designer turned to a more advanced version intended to offer considerably improved manoeuvrability. The result was the D.III that retained the fuselage and empennage of the D.II but added a version of the D.III engine with a higher compression ratio for slightly more power, and adopted a new wing cellule without stagger. The wings comprised a longer-span upper wing with raked tips and a narrow-chord lower wing in a sesquiplane arrangement with V-layout interplane struts. At the same time the radiator was shifted from the centre section to the starboard wing so that a bullet puncture would not result in the pilot being scalded. The D.III entered service in the spring of 1917, and was produced in large numbers to become the decisive fighter over the Western Front between that time and the autumn of the same year. (source: The International Encyclopedia of Aircraft, Oriole Publishing, 1991)

Span: 9.05 m(29.6 ft)

Length: 7.33 m (24 ft)

Height: 

Wing surface: 

Empty weight: 

Max. weight: 886 kg (1953 lbs)

 

Cruise speed: 

Max. speed: 176 km/h (109 mph)

Ceiling: 

Endurance: 2 hours

Climb rate:    

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