Aviatik D.IV
| D.IV | |
|---|---|
| Role | Fighter |
| National origin | Germany |
| Manufacturer | Aviatik |
| First flight | 1918 |
| Number built | 1 |
| Developed from | Aviatik D.III |
The Aviatik D.IV was a prototype fighter aircraft built in Germany in 1918.[1] Together with the Aviatik D.III from which it was developed,[2] it was a contender at the Second Fighter Competition[1] but was not selected for production.[1][2]
Today, little is known of this one-off prototype.[2][3]
Design
[edit]Contemporary photos show the D.IV to have been, like the D.III, a single-bay, unequal-span biplane with wire-braced wings.[1] Its layout was conventional, with an open cockpit for the pilot and tailskid undercarriage.[1][3] A piston engine in the nose drove a four-bladed tractor propeller.[1] The tail was again of conventional design.[1][3]
The choice of powerplant was a major departure from the D.III, using the Benz Bz.IIIbv geared V8 engine. This was a larger displacement and more powerful version of the two Bz.III subtypes that had been fitted to the D.III prototypes.[1][2] None of these engines were mature yet, leading aviation historian Jack Herris to speculate that entering these aircraft with pre-production engines in the competition might have had the primary purpose of developing the engines.[1] The authors of The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft speculate that in addition to the engine change, the D.IV probably incorporated a revision to the wing structure used on the D.III.[2]
Specifications
[edit]Data from Herris 2014, p.63
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Wingspan: 9.0 m (29 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 21.0 m2 (226 sq ft)
- Powerplant: 1 × Benz Bz.IIIbv liquid-cooled, eight-cylinder V engine, 145 kW (194 hp)
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]Bibliography
[edit]- Gray, Peter; Thetford, Owen (1970). German Aircraft of the First World War. London: Putnam.
- Herris, Jack (2014). Aviatik Aircraft of WWI. Reno: Aeronaut Books.
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft. London: Aerospace Publishing. 1981.