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Phonix D (Series)

1917 WORLD WAR 1

The Story of Phoenix D (series)

The Phonix D.I is a single-seat fighter platform developed and produced by Phonix Flugzeug-Werke, Germany. Over 200 of this aircraft were produced (various sources) covering the D.I, D.II and D.III variants.

The D.I prototype first flew in 1917 and was unveiled shortly after Phoenix delivered its C.I armed reconnaissance aircraft.

During World War I, Phoenix had gained some much-needed experience producing fighter jets for the Austro-Hungarian Empire, eventually producing around 22 different aircraft types during the war. Its early forays included building aircraft for other companies, including Albatros and Hansa-Brandenburg, while in later ventures the company broke away and built its own wartime designs.

At the beginning of 1917, Phonix Flugzeug-Werke took the opportunity to replace the backward Hansa-Brandenburg DI. The result was the Phoenix D.I, a plane not too different from the Hansa-Brandenburg product it was meant to replace.

The D.I has a traditional single-cabin biplane wing configuration with parallel forward-leaning struts. The front of the hull is dominated by the engine and cooling system, including a 200-horsepower (DI) liquid-cooled 6-cylinder in-line Hiero engine.

The one-person cockpit is located aft of the cabin. The fuselage features a panel fairing with some curvature under the engine to improve aerodynamics. The fuselage ends abruptly at the empennage, which has a unique collection of angled fins. The landing gear consisted of two main landing gear wheels supported under the fuselage, while a simple tail skid was installed under the empennage. All in all, the D.I is a bold and small design that, like other Phonix designs, won't win a beauty contest.

The weapon revolves around two forward-firing stationary 8mm zero-scan machine guns. The D.I has a wingspan of 29 feet 6.5 inches, and the aircraft has a top speed of 112 miles per hour. Endurance is rated at approximately 2 hours of flight time while being able to reach altitudes of 19,685 feet.

In practice, early versions of D.I proved rather disappointing. Although the aircraft was well equipped, relatively fast, and had good visibility, it had poor climb capability, was difficult to maneuver, and had some structural weaknesses.

These limitations allow the D.I to be reasonably effective as a photo reconnaissance platform early in its life.

The maneuverability problem was addressed by introducing an improved D.II variant with balanced elevators and ailerons. Even in D.III, D.II has been further improved. The D.III features biplane counterbalanced ailerons and a 230 hp Hiero inline engine. The D.III originally appeared on March 15, 1918, and the final product was delivered on November 4, 1918.

Ultimately, the D. series as a whole proved viable and a reliable and durable stand. The pilots were quick to use their excellent diving skills in combat.

The Phoenix D series was used by the Royal Austro-Hungarian Air Force (KuKLFT) and its naval divisions. Both Air Force and Navy versions are in service at the same time. Sweden became the only other operator of the aircraft, which was a postwar role and the D. III type.