Engineering:Fokker D.II

Fokker D.II
Role	Fighter
Manufacturer	Fokker-Flugzeugwerke
Designer	Martin Kreutzer

Fokker M.17 prototype

The Fokker D.II was a German fighter biplane of World War I. It was a single-seat fighter aircraft developed before the Fokker D.I. It was based on the M.17 prototype, with single-bay unstaggered wings and a larger fuselage and shorter span than production D.IIs. Using a 75 kW (100 hp) Oberursel U.I, the D.II was underpowered, though the single 7.92 mm (.312 in) lMG 08 machine gun was normal for 1916. The German Army purchased 177.

Operational history

In service, the D.II proved to be little better than the earlier Fokker Eindecker fighters - in particular, it was outclassed by the Nieuport 11 and 17. A few examples were used by the Kampfeinsitzerkommandos and the early Jagdstaffeln alongside the Halberstadt D.II but the early Fokker biplanes were quickly discarded when the new Albatros fighters came out.

Operators

German Empire

• Luftstreitkräfte

Netherlands

• Koninklijke Marine

Switzerland

• Swiss Air Force

Specifications (D.II)

General characteristics

• Crew: one pilot
• Length: 6.40 m (21 ft 0 in)
• Wingspan: 8.75 m (28 ft 9 in)
• Height: 2.55 m (8 ft 4 in)
• Wing area: 18.0 m² (194 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 384 kg (847 lb)
• Gross weight: 575 kg (1,268 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Oberursel U.I rotary , 75 kW (100 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 150 km/h (93 mph, 81 kn)
• Range: 200 km (124 mi, 108 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 4,000 m (13,125 ft)
• Rate of climb: 4.2 m/s (820 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 31.0 kg/m² (6.3 lb/sq ft)

Armament

• 1 × fixed, forward-firing 7.92 mm (.312 in) lMG 08 machine gun

References

• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. pp. 399. 
• World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing. pp. File 894 Sheet 40.