LFG Roland D.II

Luft-Fahrzeug-Gesellschaft · Germany · first flew 1916 · fighter

A German single-seat fighter biplane known for its distinctive plywood monocoque fuselage that faired smoothly into the wings, earning it the nickname 'Haifisch' (shark).

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	deep, fully-faired plywood fuselage that fairs into the wings
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

deep, fully-faired plywood fuselage that fairs into the wings
upper wing carried on a short central pylon, leaving a narrow gap above the fuselage
rounded, 'shark-like' nose profile

The short pylon lifting the upper wing clear of the deep fuselage — where the D.I and C.II fill that gap completely — distinguishes it from the strutted, open-sided Albatros fighters of the same period.

Specifications

The LFG Roland D.II has a length of 6.93 m (23 ft).
It has a wingspan of 8.94 m (29 ft).
Its maximum speed is 180 km/h (112 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

LFG's Roland D.II carried the earlier C.II two-seater's fuselage construction technique into a single-seat fighter for 1916, offering good streamlining but poor pilot visibility, which limited its front-line success against more manoeuvrable Allied types.

Variants

The related D.I and later D.III differed mainly in wing gap and visibility improvements as LFG tried to address pilots' complaints.

Where you'll see it

It equipped a number of German fighter squadrons (Jastas) in 1916-17 before being withdrawn in favour of more forgiving designs like the Albatros D.III.

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