LVG D.III

Biplane Fighter Prototype Aircraft

Imperial Germany | 1917

"The LVG D.III competed unsuccessfully for adoption into the German Air Service of World War 1."

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the LVG D.III Biplane Fighter Prototype Aircraft.

1 x NAG C.III 6-cylinder inline engine developing 185 horsepower driving a two-bladed propeller unit at the nose.
Propulsion

109 mph
175 kph | 94 kts
Max Speed

330 ft/min
101 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the LVG D.III Biplane Fighter Prototype Aircraft.

1
(MANNED)
Crew

24.7 ft
7.53 m
O/A Length

32.8 ft
(10.00 m)
O/A Width

9.6 ft
(2.92 m)
O/A Height

1,709 lb
(775 kg)
Empty Weight

2,271 lb
(1,030 kg)
MTOW

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the LVG D.III Biplane Fighter Prototype Aircraft .

PROPOSED:
2 x 7.92mm LMG 08/15 machine guns synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller blades.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the LVG D.III family line.

D.III - Base Series Designation

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/31/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

LVG (Luft-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft) was established in Berlin-Johannisthal, Germany during 1912 and among its first projects was construction of simple aircraft. When Germany entered World War 1 (1914-1918) the company began ramping up its lines for contract work as well as delve into design of in-house fighter-reconnaissance and light bomber types. The first in-house fighter to emerge was the E.1 biplane which came to be nothing more than an experimental platform and whose sole prototype was lost during 1915. The D 10 and D 12 prototypes followed but these too were not furthered beyond their experimental forms. However, their work prompted a succeeding design in the D.III which showed considerable promise and was eventually evaluated for front line service.

The D.III showcased lessons learned from previous attempts by LVG engineers. Its construction featured a semi-monocoque design with plywood skinning and landing wires were replaced by a more conventional strut network for robustness. A biplane planform was used that featured single bays with N-type struts. The undercarriage fitted two landing wheels with the rear of the aircraft supported by a simple skid arrangement. The pilot sat in an open-air cockpit just under and aft of the upper wingspan. Armament was 2 x 7.92mm LMG 08/15 machine guns synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller blades. A large spinner was attached to the two-bladed propeller unit. Power to the aircraft was through a single NAG C.III series 6-cylinder inline engine of 185 horsepower and the completed design showcased a maximum speed of 109 miles per hour.

The D.III was developed to compete against the Albatros D.III series which gained a certain level of fame since its introduction in 1916. Whereas that airframe was produced in 1,866 examples (approximate), the LVG D.III only saw life as another "one-off" prototype - the aircraft judged to be too large and heavy for serious frontline service at a time when light, agile fighters were being sought.

As such, the D.III, like many of LVG's early attempts, was not furthered during the course of the war.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the LVG D.III. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 1 Units
Contractor(s): LuftVerkehrs-Gesellschaft (LVG) - Imperial Germany

[ German Empire (cancelled) ]

1 / 1

Image from the Public Domain.

Going Further...
The LVG D.III Biplane Fighter Prototype Aircraft appears in the following collections:

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