Junkers D.I

The revolutionary all-metal Junkers D.I was derived from two Junkers prototypes: the J.7 and the J.9. Test pilots described it as "at least as maneuverable as the Albatros D.III or D.V", but front-line pilots were skeptical of a low-wing monoplane. This may by attributed to built-in prejudices, but it may also be a reflection of the D.I's limited downward visibility. In the latter half of 1918 the Germans were usually outnumbered and frequently resorted to quick diving attacks on Entente formations with a quick zoom away without becoming entangled in a dogfight. Limited downward visibility would be a limitation to such tactics -- a limitation not suffered by the contemporary high-wing Fokker D.VIII.

After the initial batch was built, vibration problems forced Junkers to shorten the fuselage, and D.Is trickled their way to the front in both configurations. Though forty were ordered from the parent company, twenty seven were completed by the time production stopped in early 1919. Junkers-Fokker completed another thirteen (of an order of twenty).

It is still a point of debate on how many -- if any -- of the D.Is saw combat service during WWI, but they did serve in Poland during the conflicts with the Bolsheviks, where their weather-proof and robust construction was greatly appreciated.

Card Links

 * German

1:144 Scale

 * Shapeways: Kampfflieger
 * Metal kit:

1:300 Scale

 * Metal: Heroics & Ros GWA300