Engineering:Aviatik (Berg) D.II

Aviatik (Berg) D.II
Role	Fighter
National origin	Austria-Hungary
Manufacturer	Aviatik
First flight	summer 1917
Primary user	Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops
Number built	13
Developed from	Aviatik (Berg) D.I

The Aviatik (Berg) D.II, the prototypes of which were known as Aviatik 30.22 and Aviatik 30.38, was an Austro-Hungarian sesquiplane fighter aircraft prototype towards the end of the First World War.

Development

The D.II's fuselage was virtually identical to that of the D.I. It was characterised, however, by its short-span cantilever lower wing, which made it a sesquiplane. Through 1917, 19 D.IIs were built for front-line evaluation. The series 39 aircraft were powered by the 150 kW (200 hp) Austro-Daimler 200hp engine and the series 339 aircraft by the 168 kW (225 hp) Austro-Daimler 225 hp engine driving a four-bladed Jaray propeller and armed with the usual paired 8 mm (0.315 in) Schwarzlose machine guns. A further prototype, (30.38), was produced by fitting a 150 kW (200 hp) Hiero engine in a D.II airframe.

Operational history

The first three production aircraft were tested in November 1917, and seven were evaluated at the front later in that year, showing good promise. However, the decision was made that Aviatik should instead produce the Fokker D.VII, and any plans to continue production of the D.II were halted.

Operators

Austria-Hungary

• Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops

Kingdom of Yugoslavia

• Yugoslav Royal Air Force - Postwar

Specifications (D.II series 39)

Data from

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 6.98 m (22 ft 11 in)
• Upper wingspan: 7.5 m (24 ft 7 in)
• Lower wingspan: 5.2 m (17 ft 1 in)
• Height: 2.45 m (8 ft 0 in)
• Wing area: 19.5 m² (210 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 668 kg (1,473 lb) for 339.
• Gross weight: 845 kg (1,863 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Austro-Daimler 200hp 6-cyl. water-cooled in-line piston engine, 150 kW (200 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 217 km/h (135 mph, 117 kn)
• Time to altitude:
  

• 1,000 m (3,300 ft) - 3 minutes 5 seconds
• 2,000 m (6,600 ft) - 6 minutes 2 seconds
• 3,000 m (9,800 ft) - 10 minutes 55 seconds
• 4,000 m (13,000 ft) - 18 minutes 7 seconds

Armament

• Guns: 2 x 8 mm (0.315 in) Schwarzlose machine guns

References

Bibliography

• Grosz, Peter M.; George Haddow; Peter Scheiner (2002). Austro-Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War One. Boulder: Flying Machine Press. ISBN 1-891268-05-8. 
• Green, William; Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters. Godalming, UK: Salamander Books. pp. 44.