Engineering:Schütte-Lanz D.I

D.I
Role	Fighter
Manufacturer	Schütte-Lanz
Designer	Walter Stein
First flight	1915
Introduction	never
Primary user	Luftstreitkräfte
Produced	1915
Number built	1

The Schütte-Lanz D.I was a German single-seat biplane fighter, often said to be Germany's first biplane attack aircraft. The D.I was light-weight and made of wood covered in fabric, apparently based on the British design of the Sopwith Tabloid.

Operational history

After Idflieg testing in 1915, the plane was rejected on the grounds that the biplane design afforded less vision to the pilot than a monoplane and was as such unsuitable for use as a fighter. A modified version, the Schütte-Lanz D.II was produced in the same year.

Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 5.4 m (17 ft 9 in)
• Wingspan: 7.5 m (24 ft 7 in)
• Powerplant: 1 × Oberursel U.0 7-cyl. air-cooled rotary piston engine, 60 kW (80 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 135 km/h (84 mph, 73 kn)

Bibliography

• William Green and Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters. Colour Library Direct, Godalming, UK: 1994. ISBN:1-85833-777-1.