Pfalz D.XII
Pfalz-Flugzeugwerke · Germany · first flew 1918 · fighter
The Pfalz D.XII was a German single-seat biplane fighter of 1918, one of the last Pfalz designs to see service on the Western Front in the final months of World War I.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Semi-monocoque plywood fuselage giving a rounded oval cross-section |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Semi-monocoque plywood fuselage giving a rounded oval cross-section
- Equal-span single-bay biplane with Mercedes D.IIIa inline engine
- Two synchronised Spandau machine guns on the upper fuselage
Identified by its characteristic Pfalz oval-section plywood fuselage — much rounder than the flat-sided Fokker D.VII — and the inline Mercedes engine with a prominent radiator on the upper wing centre section.
Specifications
- The Pfalz D.XII has a length of 6.35 m (21 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9 m (30 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 170 km/h (106 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Evaluated at the second D-type competition in June 1918, the Pfalz D.XII was ordered into limited production alongside the Fokker D.VII. It reached frontline units in mid-1918 but was generally considered inferior to the Fokker in pilot opinion.
Variants
Only the single D.XII production variant existed; a few were surrendered to the Allies after the Armistice.
Where you'll see it
Operated by Jagdstaffeln on the Western Front from mid-1918 until the Armistice; several examples were evaluated by the United States after the war.
Related aircraft
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