Pfalz D.XII

History

The D.III biplane eventually became the most promising design of the Pfalz Flugzeugwerke in the First World War (1914-1918), but even this project could not compete with the contemporary offerings of rivals Albatros and Fokker. The company went back to the drawing board and tried another aircraft, which became the D. XII and the Type 800 were completed before the end of the war in November 1918.

The D. XII was well suited to the Allied fighters of the day, but Fokker's competing design, the D. VII, stole the show, with production reaching 3,300 systems. Both arrived in the last year of the war.

The Pfalz D. XII is based on the company's previous approach, using the D. III aircraft with wing elements inspired by the French SPAD S. VII (detailed elsewhere on this site). The program eventually evolved from his own ideas for Pfalz, which itself became D. XII. The prototype was ready for March 1918 and made its first flight that month.

The design proved reliable enough to justify an order of 50 examples of the type, which was certified in June. After the 200th production example, a revised rudder design welcomed the fuselage.

The D. XII provided useful numbers for the German Armed Forces in July, but failed to match the popularity of the Fokker D. VII. However, there are also some pilots who have experienced the troubles of the Pfalz and admired its exceptional diving abilities.

However, it turns out that more than a fair share of critics believe the plane has rough controls, lacks robustness, and a potentially dangerous landing.

The end of the war limited total production, and the conquering Allies studied the design extensively - but few considered it an advantage over competing designs. Poland operated two D.VII aircraft after the war, becoming the only foreign user of the design.

When completed, D. XII measures 20.9 feet in length, 29.5 feet in wingspan, and 8.9 feet in height. Empty weight is 1,580 pounds and maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) is 1,980 pounds. Power comes from a water-cooled Mercedes D.IIIa 6-cylinder inline engine that produces 160 horsepower and has a top speed of 106 mph.

Ceilings up to 18,500 feet and a rate of climb in excess of 800 feet per minute.

Its general layout is traditional, using a biplane wing arrangement. The wings are supported with N-type struts and corresponding cables. The fuselage has plate sides, and the engine is mounted in the nose in the usual way - driving a twin-blade propeller unit. The tail contained a circular vertical fin with a lower horizontal plane. The landing gear has two rolling main legs and the tail is supported by a simple skid.

The pilot sits under and behind the upper wing of the open-air cockpit. Directly in front of his position is a machine gun weapon. The structure consists of a monocoque hull with a plywood skin and fabric.

The armament is 2 x 7.92mm LMG 08/15 machine guns mounted on the nose and firing synchronously via rotating propeller blades.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes