LFG Roland D.II
| Roland D.II | |
|---|---|
| File:Am Flugplatze (BildID 15531513).jpg | |
| General information | |
| Type | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Luft-Fahrzeug-Gesellschaft, Pfalz |
| Number built | 300 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | Early 1917 |
| First flight | October 1916 |
| Developed from | Roland D.I |
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The LFG Roland D.II was a German single-seat fighter of World War I. The type was manufactured by Luftfahrzeug Gesellschaft, and also by Pfalz Flugzeugwerke under license.
Design and development
[edit | edit source]The D.II used a plywood monocoque fuselage. Two layers of plywood strips were spirally wrapped in opposing directions over a mold to form one half of a fuselage shell. The fuselage halves were then glued together, covered with a layer of fabric, and doped. This design, which was known as the Wickelrumpf, allowed the creation of a smooth, strong and light structure.[1] The upper wing was attached to the fuselage by means of a large central pylon, greatly impairing the pilot's forward vision. Armament consisted of twin "Spandau" LMG 08/15 machine guns buried in the fuselage decking.
The D.II was initially powered by a 160 hp Mercedes D.III engine, giving a top speed of 105 mph at sea level. Later aircraft, designated D.IIa, were powered by a 180 hp Argus As.III. The As.III offered poor performance above 3,000 m and the D.IIa was mostly relegated to operations on the Eastern Front.
Nicknamed Haifisch (shark) for its sleek appearance, the D.II and D.IIa proved generally unpopular in service due to poor fields of view and heavy controls. It was quite fast and strong, but had mediocre manoeuvrability and handling.[1] However, it is also reported that the aircraft had particularly sensitive controls, particularly in the yawing plane.[2] The type is known to have been used by Jasta 25 at their Canatlarzi base in Macedonia in 1917.
Variants
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- D.II: Single-seat fighter-scout biplane, powered by a 160 hp (119 kW) Mercedes D.III piston engine.
- D.IIa: Single-seat fighter-scout biplane, powered by a 180 hp (134 kW) Argus As.III piston engine.
- C.V: One-off two seat derivative with a 160 hp (119 kW) Mercedes D.III engine.
- Pfalz D.II/D.IIa: aircraft licence-built by Pfalz Flugzeugwerke, from February 1917 renamed Roland D.II/D.IIa (Pfal). There were built 100 D.II (s/n 2830-2929/16) and 100 D.IIa (s/n 300-399/17).[1]
Operators
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Specifications (D.II)
[edit | edit source]Data from German Aircraft of the First World War [3]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 6.93 m (22 ft 9 in)
- Wingspan: 8.94 m (29 ft 4 in)
- Height: 3.11 m (10 ft 2 in)
- Wing area: 22.8 m2 (245 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 715 kg (1,576 lb)
- Gross weight: 954 kg (2,103 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Mercedes D.III 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine, 119 kW (160 hp)
- Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 180 km/h (110 mph, 97 kn)
- Endurance: 2 hours[4]
- Service ceiling: 5,000 m (16,000 ft) [5]
- Time to altitude: 5,000 m (16,000 ft) in 23 minutes
Armament
- Guns: 2 × 7.92 mm LMG 08/15 machine guns
See also
[edit | edit source]Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b c Herris, Jack. Pfalz Aircraft of World War I. Great War Aircraft in Profile, Volume 4. 2001. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).. P.27
- ^ Cowin 2000, p. 49
- ^ Gray and Thetford 1962, pp. 164-165.
- ^ Donald 1994, p. 554.
- ^ Angelucci 1981, p. 50.
Bibliography
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- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- Angelucci, Enzo (editor). World Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft. London: Jane's, 1981. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)..
- Cowin, H. W. German and Austrian Aviation of World War I. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2000. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)..
- Donald, David (editor). The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. London: Blitz, 1997. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)..
- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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