Fokker D.VII

The Fokker D.VII is justifiably famous as the best overall German fighter of the war, and in 1918 it was produced in huge numbers. In fact, Fokker's rival Albatros was ordered to build D.VIIs since its D.V and D.Va fighters had done little to restore German dominance in the air. The D.VIIs clean cantilever wings and single-bay construction cut down on drag. Balanced control surfaces made the plane fly with a minimum of effort and pilots found it responsive and forgiving.

Though the plane was quite good with the original 160hp Mercedes engine, it was exceptional when upgraded with the high-compression 185hp B.M.W. engine, a configuration sometimes known as the Fokker D.VIIF. The first BMW-engined D.VII reached the front in May. About a third of the planes produced by Fokker had the BMW.

Had the war continued, Austro-Hungarian D.VIIs built by Fokker, MAG, and Aviatik would have been available to the Luftfahrtruppe. Six hundred and thirty were on order.

The plane was held in such regard that it was specifically mentioned in the Armistice Agreement, which specified all front-line D.VIIs were to be handed over to the Entente allies.

Austria-Hungary had standardized on the Fokker D.VII in August 1918, with plans for Aviatik to build 255; Fokker, 225; MAG, 150; and Thöne &amp; Fiala, 30. MAG had completed thirty-five and partially built another twenty-five as the war ended. The Fokker D.VII(MAG) Series 93 used a 225hp Daimler(MAG) engine, and it would have been interesting to see how the D.VII behaved with such an increase in horsepower.

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