DFW Dr.I
DFW · Germany · first flew 1918 · fighter
The DFW Dr.I was a German single-seat triplane fighter prototype of 1918, produced as Deutsche Flugzeug-Werke's entry in the Adlershof triplane evaluation following the success of the Fokker Dr.I. It used a water-cooled Mercedes inline engine rather than the rotaries favoured by most triplane competitors.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 4.5 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Three-stacked-wing triplane layout derived from DFW D.I biplane
- Water-cooled inline Mercedes D.III engine — not a rotary
- Only one built; entered Adlershof triplane competition January 1918
A very compact triplane with three closely-stacked wings of equal or near-equal span, a slender inline-engine nose, and a conventional tail. Distinguished from the Fokker Dr.I by the enclosed water-cooled engine nose cowling and DFW's characteristic structural details.
Specifications
- The DFW Dr.I has a length of 4.5 m (15 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 8.2 m (27 ft).
- Typical crew: 1 pilot.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
DFW submitted the Dr.I to the January 1918 Adlershof D-type competition, where it competed against triplane designs from Fokker, Pfalz, Roland, and others. The inline-engined approach gave a cleaner nose cowling than rotary-powered competitors but the design was not selected. Only one aircraft was completed.
Variants
No variants; a single prototype only.
Where you'll see it
Experimental only; not adopted for service.
Related aircraft
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