Albatros D-I & D-II
GypsyWulf@aol.com
Tue, 6 Dec 1994 22:35:44 -0500
According to two different books, the Albatros company introduced and
produced their biplane scout in August 1916 - the D-I.
The D-II was more of a modification, introduced soon after, which differed
primarily in having the top wing lowered by about 8 inches. Instead of
sitting atop two inverted V trestles, as was a common practice among German
aircraft designers, the D-IIs top wing sat atop two low N struts. This change
improved forward and upward visability.
A photo in Kilduff's _Richtofen, beyond the legend..._ shows five Albatros
D-Is lined up wing tip to wing tip. A sixth is visible in the background. The
caption says they are the machines delivered to Jasta 2 in September 1916.
The taller inverted V struts are plainly visible.
Wagner and Nowarra's _German Combat Planes_ reports that there were 50 D-Is
in service on the Western front by 31 October 1916 and 28 D-IIs.
At year end, there were 39 D-Is and 214 D-IIs.
The D-III (many changes from D-II) was introduced in December.
The six D-Is shown in the photo wear the black maltese cross on a white
square, both on fuselage and rudder. Did this style of national marking have
an effective "fashion" life? When was it introduced and when was it
superceeded by a different "official" marking style?
Curious as always,
-- Micheal S.