D.III
Albatros Flugzeugwerke · Germany · first flew 1916 · fighter
The Albatros D.III was Germany's dominant fighter of early 1917, the type most associated with 'Bloody April' when the Royal Flying Corps suffered devastating losses.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Beautifully streamlined plywood fuselage tapering to a rounded tail |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Sesquiplane biplane: the lower wing is noticeably narrower than the upper
- Beautifully streamlined plywood fuselage tapering to a rounded tail
- Large propeller spinner blending into a shark-like nose
Spot the sesquiplane layout with V-shaped interplane struts meeting a much narrower lower wing. The fuselage is smoothly rounded plywood rather than fabric-covered slab sides, with a big spinner giving a pointed nose. Twin Spandau guns sit ahead of the cockpit.
Specifications
- The D.III has a length of 7.33 m (24 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.05 m (30 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 175 km/h (109 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed in late 1916 from the D.II, the D.III adopted a Nieuport-style narrow lower wing for better downward view. It equipped Richthofen's Jasta 11 during Bloody April 1917, when German fighters mauled the RFC over Arras. The V-strut lower wing suffered failures in prolonged dives, a flaw never fully cured.
Variants
Albatros-built D.IIIs were followed by the Oeffag-built series in Austria-Hungary, which had stronger wings and more powerful Austro-Daimler engines. The later D.V and D.Va refined the elegant fuselage but kept the same troublesome sesquiplane layout.
Where you'll see it
No Albatros D.III flies in Britain, and surviving originals are rare: an Oeffag-built example is preserved in Poland's Krakow Aviation Museum. UK enthusiasts see the type through flying replicas at Great War airshow displays. Its semi-monocoque plywood fuselage remains admired as one of the most elegant of the war.
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