Pfalz D.IIIa
| Pfalz D.IIIa | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Pfalz |
| Designer | Rudolf Gehringer [1] |
| Introduction | Nov 1917 [1] |
| Primary users |  Germany Ottoman Empire
|
| Number built | 750 [2] |
| Developed from | Pfalz D.III |
| Wingspan | 9.4 m (30 ft 10 in)[3] |
| Engine | 160hp Mercedes D.III inline or 180hp Mercedes D.IIIa inline |
| Armament | 2×sync. fixed LMG08/15 |
| Ammo | 1000 rounds[4] |
| Crew | 1 |
| Max Speed | 164 km/h (102 mph)[2]-180 km/h (112 mph)[5][3] |
| Climb | 1,000 m (3,280 ft) in 3:18[3] 1,500 m (5,000 ft) in 7:00[5] 2,000 m (6,560 ft) in 7:18[3] 3,000 m (10,000 ft) in 11:42[3]-17:30[5] 4,000 m (13,100 ft) in 17:18[3] 5,000 m (16,400 ft) in 24:42[3] |
| Ceiling | 5,200 m (17,000 ft)[5] |
| Endurance | 2:00 [2] |
The Pfalz D.IIIa was an improved Pfalz D.III with the 180hp Mercedes D.IIIa engine. It had a larger tailplane and rounder lower wingtips for increased efficiency. [6] Perhaps most importantly, the twin guns were moved to the fuselage deck where they could be more easily aimed and cleared in case of a jam, unlike the D.III in which the guns were buried in the fuselage.
Though overshadowed by the late Albatros and Fokker fighters, about 25% of the fighter strength at the front lines in April 1918 was Pfalz D.IIIa's (by then the D.III had dwindled to only a handful). By that date the D.IIIa was starting to phase out of production, and only a few were built in May, including a batch intended for Turkey with modified radiators.[1] In all, about twenty were built for Ottoman use.[7]
For more information, see Wikipedia:Pfalz D.III.
Timeline [note 1]
Game Data
Wings of Glory
| Availability | Maneuver | Damage | Dmg Points | Max Alt. | Climb | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct/Nov17-end | J | A | 16 | 12 [note 2] | 4 [note 3] | 83 |
Plane and Crew Cards
-
Jasta 16b
RAF -
Jasta 29
RAF -
Jasta 51
Berr
RAF -
Jasta 30
Bethge
RAF -
Jasta 77b
Ewers
RAF -
Jasta 18
Hitschler
RAF -
Jasta 30
Kaus
RAF -
Jasta 30
Kaus
RAF -
Jasta 18
Muller
RAF -
Jasta 29
Siempelkamp
RAF -
Jasta 4
Guntruck -
Jasta 7
Degelow
Guntruck -
Jasta 10
Heldmann
Guntruck -
Jasta 16B
Holtzem
Guntruck -
Jasta 30
Kaus
Guntruck -
Jasta 30
von der Marwitz
Guntruck -
Jasta 34B
Stark
Guntruck -
Jasta 37
Guntruck -
Jasta 64B
Schuschke
Guntruck
Blue Max/Canvas Eagles
Miniatures and Models
1:144 Scale
- Full-color miniatures
- Ares Wings of Glory: WGF123A Berthold, WGF123B Holtzem
- Shapeways Full Color: Reduced Aircraft Factory: Jasta 16b, 5895/17, Berr, Bethge, Ewers, Hitschler, Kaus(2), Muller, Siempelkamp
- Wings of War: WW23F Holtzem
- Paintable 3D Prints
- Plastic or Resin Kit: Valom 14423
1:200 Scale
- Shapeways: Reduced Aircraft Factory
1:285/6mm/1:288 Scale
- Shapeways: Kampfflieger, Reduced Aircraft Factory
1:350 Scale
- Shapeways: Kampfflieger
Resources
Orthographic Drawings
References
- Notes
- Citations
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Grosz'90, p.2.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Grosz'90, p.33.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Herris'12, p.68.
- ↑ Kelly, p.231.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Lamberton, pp.220-221.
- ↑ Gray, p.187.
- ↑ Herris'12, p.132.
- ↑ Grosz'85, p.60 and Grosz'86, p.66.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Ares Climb Rates and Maximum Altitude Table, version 1.2, Oct 2021
- Bibliography
- Peter Gray and Owen Thetford. German Aircraft of the First World War. Great Britain, Putnam, 1962, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-809-7.
- Peter M. Grosz, "Archiv -- Frontbestand". WW1 Aero, № 107, Dec 1985 and № 108, Feb 1986. Poughkeepsie, NY: World War I Aeroplanes, Inc.
- P.M. Grosz and R.L. Rimmel, ed., Windsock Datafile 21: Pfalz D.IIIa. Great Britain: Albatros Productions, Ltd, 1990. ISBN 0-948414-25-1
- Jack Herris, Pfalz Aircraft of WWI. USA: Aeronaut Books, 2012. ISBN 978-1-935881-12-4
- Kevin Kelly, "Belts and Drums: A Survey of First World War Aircraft Ammunition Totals". Over the Front, Vol. 5, No. 3, Autumn 1990. Walsworth Publishing Co, Inc. and The League of World War I Aviation Historians.
- W.M. Lamberton and E.F. Cheesman, Fighter Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War. Great Britain: Harleyford Publications Limited, 1960.