RODEN 012 Albatros Flugzeugwerke D.III (German WWI BIPLANE) RUDOLF BERTHOLD
1/72 SCALE
DESCRIPTION:
The appearance of the Albatros D.III was closely influenced by the latest French designs, in particular Nieuport. Of course, Nieuport fighters were not true biplanes but "sesquiplanes" (ie. 1 ½ wings). The lower wing was built around a single spar, and the chord of the lower wing was narrower in comparison with the upper wing. Robert Thelen and the Albatros designers completely rebuilt the wing cellule; all others elements of the Albatros D.II (fuselage, tail unit, undercarriage) were still in place. Only the interplane struts received a new configuration: parallel struts were replaced by V-struts.
Some aspects of performance, like maneuverability and climb, increased, but speed was unchanged. The power of the Mercedes D.IIIa engine was now rated at 160 h.p., but this was not enough. Teeves & Braun replaced Windhoff side radiators, retained on many D.IIs, with an installation on the wing.
The first mass-production aircraft reached the Front in December 1916, and were greeted with enthusiasm by many pilots. But very soon many of the aircraft crashed: the lower wing had a tendency to collapse in excessive maneuvers. Even Manfred von Richthofen almost fell victim to this fault on January 24th 1917, but he was fortunate enough to effect a hurried forced landing. He changed his Albatros for a Halberstadt D.II, but one month later he again returned to the cockpit of the Albatros. Despite the problem with the lower wing, the Albatros D.III was still the best German fighter in the first half of 1917 and superior to any Allied fighter. "Bloody April" of 1917, when Great Britain lost 151 aircraft on Western Front (Germany lost 30), led the Allies to seek an adequate answer to the Albatros D.III.
FEATURES:
* Brand: Roden
* Title: WW I Albatros D.III Rudolf Berthold
* Number: 012
* Scale: 1/72
* Type: Full kit
* Released: 2002 New tool
* Packaging: Folding box (Side opener)
* Topic: Albatros D.III » Propeller (Aircraft)
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