D.VIII
Fokker D.VIII
The D.VIIIs, designed by Reinhold Platz, are the last type from the Fokker series to be used by the German army for air combat in the First World War.
It was a light parasol decker developed from no less than 7 prototypes from the V.26, V.28 series.
Because the aircraft was equipped with one wing, the Germans also gave this type the confusing designation E.V, from Eindecker, the "D" designation of "fighter plane" is the most used.
After a successful fighter aircraft competition in January 1918, another competition was issued by Idflieg in April 1918.
In the first competition, all participants were required to use the 160 hp Mercedes engine.
In the second competition the engine choice was free, the D.VIII was equipped with the standard 110 hp Oberursel Ur. II, later Goebel and Siemens-Halske engines were also used.
The D.VIII emerged as the winner of the competition and was immediately put into production as a Fokker E.V
In August 1918 the first aircraft came to the front, again there were quality problems with the production of a Fokker aircraft.
Fokker had the D.VIII wings built at the piano factory in Perzina, where quality control was inadequate.
The German authorities had ordered Fokker to install a rear spar in the wing.
After three accidents, caused by wing breakage, the wing construction at Fokker was changed by, among other things, removing the rear spar in the wing. The problem was solved.
The armament consisted of 2x 7.92 mm LMG 08/15 Spandau machine guns.
The aircraft came back into service in the autumn of 1918, but this was too late to have any influence on major German victories in the air.
Of the 380 units built, only 85 participated in combat operations at the front.
After the armistice, most D.VIII's were scrapped, some ended up in Italy, the USA, Poland, England, Belgium and Japan after the end of the First World War.
One D.VIII that had come with the “smuggling train” from Germany, was employed by the LVA in 1919, but was never operational.
It was a light parasol decker developed from no less than 7 prototypes from the V.26, V.28 series.
Because the aircraft was equipped with one wing, the Germans also gave this type the confusing designation E.V, from Eindecker, the "D" designation of "fighter plane" is the most used.
After a successful fighter aircraft competition in January 1918, another competition was issued by Idflieg in April 1918.
In the first competition, all participants were required to use the 160 hp Mercedes engine.
In the second competition the engine choice was free, the D.VIII was equipped with the standard 110 hp Oberursel Ur. II, later Goebel and Siemens-Halske engines were also used.
The D.VIII emerged as the winner of the competition and was immediately put into production as a Fokker E.V
In August 1918 the first aircraft came to the front, again there were quality problems with the production of a Fokker aircraft.
Fokker had the D.VIII wings built at the piano factory in Perzina, where quality control was inadequate.
The German authorities had ordered Fokker to install a rear spar in the wing.
After three accidents, caused by wing breakage, the wing construction at Fokker was changed by, among other things, removing the rear spar in the wing. The problem was solved.
The armament consisted of 2x 7.92 mm LMG 08/15 Spandau machine guns.
The aircraft came back into service in the autumn of 1918, but this was too late to have any influence on major German victories in the air.
Of the 380 units built, only 85 participated in combat operations at the front.
After the armistice, most D.VIII's were scrapped, some ended up in Italy, the USA, Poland, England, Belgium and Japan after the end of the First World War.
One D.VIII that had come with the “smuggling train” from Germany, was employed by the LVA in 1919, but was never operational.
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