Fokker D.VII

Fokker D.VII
País	Alemanha
Papel	Lutador
Primeiro voo	janeiro de 1918
Construído	3300

O Fokker D.VII foi um caça alemão da Primeira Guerra Mundial projetado por Reinhold Platz do Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. A Alemanha produziu cerca de 3.300 aeronaves D.VII no segundo semestre de 1918. Em serviço com a Luftstreitkräfte, o D.VII rapidamente provou ser uma aeronave formidável. O Armistício que pôs fim à guerra exigiu especificamente que a Alemanha entregasse todos os D.VIIs aos Aliados. As aeronaves sobreviventes viram muito serviço com muitos países nos anos após a Primeira Guerra Mundial.

Fonte: Fokker D.VII na Wikipédia

Fokker D.VII Walk Around
Fotógrafo	Vladimir Yakubov
Localização	Museu Nacional da USAF
Fotos	53

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German WWI Fokker D VII Walk Around
Fotógrafo	Bill Maloney
Localização	Desconhecido
Fotos	64

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The Masterpiece of Reinhold Platz

O Fokker D.VII is widely considered the finest fighter aircraft produced during World War I. Entering service in April 1918, it arrived just in time to restore German air superiority. It was so formidable that the Allied powers included a specific clause in the Armistice agreement (Article IV) demanding that Germany surrender every single D.VII in its inventory. It was noted for being exceptionally easy to fly, famously described as being able to “turn a mediocre pilot into a good one, and a good pilot into an ace.”

Attribute	Technical Specification (BMW Engine Variant)
Papel	Fighter / Interceptor
tripulação	1 (Pilot)
First Flight	janeiro de 1918
Usina	1 × BMW IIIa 6-cylinder water-cooled inline
Horsepower	185 hp (High-altitude optimized)
Maximum Speed	124 mph (200 km/h)
Service Ceiling	21,000 feet (6,400 m)
Armamento	2 × 7.92mm Spandau LMG 08/15 machine guns

Revolutionary Engineering

Cantilever Wing Design: Unlike contemporary biplanes that relied on a complex web of external bracing wires, the D.VII used thick “cantilever” wings. This reduced aerodynamic drag significantly and made the wings incredibly strong, allowing the plane to dive at speeds that would have ripped the wings off other aircraft.
Welded Steel Tube Fuselage: While most aircraft of the era used wooden frames, Anthony Fokker utilized a frame of welded steel tubing. This made the aircraft more durable in combat and better at protecting the pilot during crash landings.
The “Propeller Hang”: The D.VII had a unique ability to “hang on its prop”—essentially flying at a nose-high angle in a near-stalled condition while remaining fully controllable. This allowed pilots to fire upward into the unprotected bellies of Allied aircraft.
BMW IIIa Engine: The later “F” variants were equipped with the high-compression BMW engine. This motor was designed to maintain power as the air thinned at high altitudes, giving the D.VII a massive advantage over Allied fighters like the Sopwith Camel.

A Legacy Smuggled into History

The Great Smuggle: After the war, Anthony Fokker successfully smuggled several trains full of D.VII components and engines across the border into his native Netherlands, defying the Armistice terms and allowing his company to continue production post-war.
Global Service: Because it was so advanced, the D.VII served for years after the war in the air forces of Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and even the United States, where captured examples were used for research.
The Red Baron’s Input: Manfred von Richthofen personally flew the prototype (the V.11) during the January 1918 fighter competition. His enthusiastic recommendation was a key reason the aircraft was rushed into mass production.
Preservation: Only about seven original D.VIIs survive today. One of the most famous is displayed at the Museu Nacional do Ar e do Espaço in Washington, D.C., still wearing its original “lozenge” camouflage fabric.