LFG Roland D.VII

Luft-Fahrzeug-Gesellschaft · Germany · first flew 1917 · fighter

The LFG Roland D.VII was a German single-seat fighter biplane of World War I, featuring LFG Roland's characteristic deep 'Walfisch' (whale) fuselage design that gave poor downward visibility but clean aerodynamics.

Recognition (WEFT)

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

• German WWI fighter with whale-body 'Walfisch' fuselage
• Interplane struts cut into fuselage sides
• Poor downward visibility from deep fuselage

Identified by the very deep, oval-section 'Walfisch' fuselage into which the interplane struts are faired, giving a smooth but bulbous appearance. The deep fuselage is the most distinctive recognition feature compared to other German WWI fighters.

Specifications

• The LFG Roland D.VII has a length of 6.1 m (20 ft).
• It has a wingspan of 8.84 m (29 ft).
• Its maximum speed is 190 km/h (118 mph).
• Typical crew: 1.

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

History

LFG Roland developed a series of distinctive aircraft with deep monocoque fuselages in the mid-war period. The D.VII entered limited service in 1917 but the deep fuselage severely restricted pilot visibility, a dangerous deficiency in combat. The type was not widely adopted and was quickly eclipsed by the Albatros D-series and later Fokker designs.

Variants

Several D-series variants were produced by LFG Roland; the D.VII was one iteration in this development sequence.

Where you'll see it

Saw limited operational service with the German Luftstreitkräfte in 1917, principally on the Western Front.

Related aircraft

• LFG Roland D.VI
• LFG Roland D.I
• LFG Roland D.III
• LFG Roland G.1
• AEG C.VIII
• AEG D.I
• Albatros C.X
• Albatros C.XII

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