Palatinate Dr.I

Palatinate Dr.I
Type:	Fighter plane
Design country:	German Empire
Manufacturer:	Pfalz-Flugzeugwerke
First flight:	1917
Commissioning:	1918
Production time:	1917
Number of pieces:	10

The Pfalz Dr.I was a Jagddreidecker manufactured by the Pfalz-Flugzeugwerke for the German air force from the First World War .

development

The engineering team from the Pfalz company under senior engineer Geringer designed the Pfalz Dr.I in October 1917, based on the double-decker model Pfalz D.VII, based on the example of the English Sopwith Triplane , in parallel with the engineering team from the Fokker company . On December 12, 1917, Manfred von Richthofen and Adolf Ritter von Tutschek test-flow the aircraft at the invitation of the Pfalz-Flugzeugwerke in Speyer, and then in January / February 1918 it was subjected to comparison flying in Berlin-Adlershof , in which 31 new aircraft were tested by experienced front-line pilots were.

In December 1917, an alternative three-decker with the weaker but proven Oberursel UR.I engine appeared. However, this variant was no longer ready for the front because the concept of the Jagddreideckers was now viewed as exhausted.

commitment

Despite excellent performance, the Pfalz Dr.I, unlike the Fokker Dr.I, was unsuccessful, mainly because of the unreliable Siemens & Halske Sh.III engine . However, some of the 10 or so triplane built in April 1918 may have been deployed at the front with Bavarian squadrons.

Performance comparison with other types of aircraft March 1918

Surname	country	Engine power	Top speed	Takeoff mass	Armament	Summit height
Palatinate Dr.I	German Empire	160 hp	201 km / h	705 kg	2	8,000 m
Fokker Dr.I	German Empire	130 hp	110 km / h	585 kg	2	6,500 m
Albatros D.Va	German Empire	185 hp	187 km / h	937 kg	2	6,250 m
Palatinate D.IIIa	German Empire	180 hp	181 km / h	834 kg	2	8,000 m
Morane-Saulnier AI	France	160 hp	208 km / h	674 kg	2	7,000 m
SPAD S.XIII	France	220 hp	222 km / h	820 kg	2	6,650 m
Nieuport 28	France	160 hp	195 km / h	740 kg	2	5,200 m
Sopwith Camel	United Kingdom	130 hp	185 km / h	659 kg	2 and four 11.3 kg bombs	5,791 m
SE5a	United Kingdom	200 hp	222 km / h	880 kg	2	5,185 m

Technical specifications

Parameter	Palatinate Dr. I.	Palatinate Dr. II
crew	1
length	5.49 m	6.00 m
span	8.53 m	7.20 m
height	2.70 m	2.90 m
Wing area	17.20 m²
Empty mass	510 kg	400 kg
Takeoff mass	705 kg	596 kg
Air-cooled rotary motor	Siemens-Halske Sh.III ; 160 PS (118 kW)	Oberursel Ur.I; 110 hp (81 kW)
Top speed	201 km / h
Climbing time to 1000 m	1:42 min	3 min
Climbing time to 2000 m	3:42 min	6:30 min
Ascent time to 3000 m	6:12 min	10:12 min
Climbing time to 4000 m		19:24 min
Ascent time to 5000 m	13:18 min	28:54 min
Service ceiling	8000 m
Range	280 km
Flight duration	1:30 h
Armament	2 MG

See also

• List of aircraft types

literature

• Enzo Angelucci, Paolo Matricardi: Airplanes from the beginnings to the First World War . Wiesbaden 1976, ISBN 3-8068-0391-9 .
• Karlheinz Kens, Hans Müller: The aircraft of the First World War . Munich 1966, ISBN 3-453-00404-3 .
• Günter Kroschel, Helmut Stützer: The German military aircraft 1910-18 . Wilhelmshaven 1977.
• Heinz Nowarra: The Development of Airplanes 1914-18 . Munich 1959.
• Peter Pletschacher: The Royal Bavarian Air Force 1912-1919 . Stuttgart 1978, ISBN 3-87943-576-6 .

Web links

Commons : Pfalz Dr.I  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Model images
• Color profile
• Color profile
• Factory photo
• ( Page no longer available , search in web archives: technical data ) (English)

References and comments

1. ↑ frontflieger.de
2. ↑ according to Günter Kroschel, Helmut Stützer: The German military aircraft 1910-18 . Wilhelmshaven 1977, 19 were built
3. ↑ probably Jasta 74
4. ↑ On April 30, 1918, 9, on June 30, 1918 7, and on August 31, one more machine are said to have been in use. theaerodrome.com
5. ↑ theaerodrome.com