Palatinate EI-VI
The Pfalz E. types were together with the Fokker monoplanes the first German fighter planes in the First World War .
development
The Pfalz-Flugzeugwerke , previously mainly engaged in the reproduction of French Morane monoplanes , began building combat monoplane in 1915 like their competitor Fokker . After some Pfalz umbrella decks had already been equipped with machine guns (MG), Pfalz decided, like Fokker, to concentrate on the construction principle of a middle decker with bracing.
The EI was a near real-life replica of the Morane-Saulnier H . It had consistently deep wings with rounded tips, which were hinged to the fuselage for transverse control, a rectangular fuselage with a square cockpit cutout, and the horseshoe-shaped aluminum engine cover. As armament, a synchronized machine gun was installed on the fuselage slightly to the right, which fired through the propeller circle.
The design principle of the E.II also changed little, but it received the 100 HP rotary engine from the Oberursel engine factory .
With the otherwise identical E.III, Pfalz returned to the high-decker at the end of 1915 . Here the wings were connected to a tombstone and, like the Morane Parasol, cut out in a trapezoidal shape above the cockpit. The 100 HP Siemens & Halske Sh.I engine was also installed, as the production of Oberursel engines was already at full capacity.
Only a few of the other types E.IV to E.VI were built. The D4 as a further development of the E-types to the double-decker was only created as a prototype.
commitment
Despite good performance data, the Pfalz monoplane was overshadowed by the more agile and more powerful Fokker monoplane. They were considered obsolete in 1916 and were largely replaced by the front-line units by the middle of the year. Only in Palestine at Fliegerabteilung 300 , on the Eastern Front and possibly also in the Balkans, the Pfalz monoplane was still used for a while, where it was used as an escort for reconnaissance aircraft.
A Pfalz E.II was on 17 July 1916, the Imperial and Royal Navy issued and when A10 until 1 March 1917 as interceptors to protect Pola used.
Speed comparison combat single-seater in action 1915/16
Model | Type | delivered | year | km / h |
---|---|---|---|---|
Fokker | EGG | 56 | 1915 | 130 |
E.II | 23 | 132 | ||
E.III | 258 | 140 | ||
E.IV | 40 | 1915-16 | 160 | |
Hanuschke | EGG | 6th | 1915 | 130 |
Palatinate | EGG | 74 | 145 | |
E.II | 80 | |||
E.III | 20th | 1915-16 | 160 | |
E.IV | 24 | 1916 | ||
EV | 20th | 165 | ||
E.VI | 20th | ? | ||
Siemens-Schuckert | EGG | 20th | 140 | |
E.III | 6th | |||
total | 641 |
Technical specifications
Parameter | EGG | E.II | E.III | E.IV | EV | E.VI |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Construction year | 1915 | 1916 | ||||
Intended use | Fighter plane | |||||
crew | 1 | |||||
length | 6.30 m | 6.45 m | 6.85 m | 6.60 m | 6.45 m | |
span | 9.26 m | 10.20 m | 11.20 m | 10.20 m | ||
height | 2.55 m | 3.40 m | 2.55 m | 2.60 m | 2.55 m | |
Wing area | 14.40 m² | 16.00 m² | 18.50 m² | 16.00 m² | ||
Empty mass | 345 kg | 410 kg | 445 kg | 471 kg | 510 kg | |
Takeoff mass | 535 kg | 620 kg | 705 kg | 694 kg | 696 kg | |
Engine | air-cooled seven-cylinder rotary engine Oberursel-Gnôme U 0 80 HP (59 kW) |
air-cooled nine-cylinder rotary engine Oberursel UI 100 PS (74 kW) |
air-cooled nine-cylinder rotary engine Siemens & Halske Sh.I 110 PS (81 kW) |
air-cooled 14-cylinder rotary engine Oberursel U III 160 PS (118 kW) |
liquid-cooled six - cylinder in - line engine Mercedes DI 105 PS (77 kW) |
air-cooled nine-cylinder rotary engine Oberursel UI 100 PS (74 kW) |
Top speed | 145 km / h in NN | 150 km / h in NN | 160 km / h in NN | 165 km / h in NN | ||
Climbing time to 1000 m | 3 min | |||||
Climbing time to 2000 m | 12 min | 9:45 min | 8:30 min | |||
Ascent time to 3000 m | 23 min | 19 min | ||||
Service ceiling | 3300 m | 4000 m | ||||
Range | 180 km | 220 km | 250 km | 150 km | 180 km | |
Flight duration | 2 h | |||||
Armament | 1 MG |
See also
literature
- Enzo Angelucci, Paolo Matricardi: The planes. From the beginning to the First World War . Falken-Verlag, Wiesbaden 1976, ISBN 3-8068-0391-9 , ( Falken manual in color ).
- Günter Kroschel, Helmut Stützer: The German military aircraft 1910–1918 . Lohse-Eissing, Wilhelmshaven 1977, ISBN 3-920602-18-8 .
- Heinz Nowarra: The Development of Airplanes 1914–1918 . Lehmanns, Munich 1959.
Individual references / comments
- ↑ internal company name, no further development of the later built, very successful Pfalz D.III
- ↑ See Walter von Bülow-Bothkamp .