Fokker D.I

Though Fokker had won the love of German fighter pilots in 1915 with their Eindeckers, their early biplanes were uninspired and suffered from poor workmanship. The inline-engined Fokker D.I and D.IV and the rotary-engined Fokker D.II and D.III were substandard relative to competitors like the Halberstadt D.II and the Albatros fighters, and on 6 December 1916 all Fokker biplanes were withdrawn from front-line service due to structural failures both in static testing and in combat use.

The D.I was powered by a 120hp Mercedes D.II and armed with a single fixed machine gun. In an unusual decision for 1916, the plane used wing-warping rather than ailerons. Their first service was in summer 1916. 112 were constructed: ninety for the Fliegertruppe; six for the Navy; and a further sixteen were sent to Austria-Hungary. In November 1917 eight D.I's were sent to the Ottoman air service, but they only saw light use.

Card Links

 * KEK Essenheim
 * Turkish AF

1:144 Scale

 * Shapeways: Kampfflieger, Reduced Aircraft Factory

1:285/6mm/1:288 Scale

 * Shapeways: Reduced Aircraft Factory