Siemens-Schuckert D.IV

Biplane Fighter Aircraft

Imperial Germany | 1918

"The Siemens-Schuckert D.IV biplane fighter was still in production after the armistice was signed and is considered the best fighter design of the Great War."

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Siemens-Schuckert D.IV Biplane Fighter Aircraft.

1 x Siemens-Halske Sh.III 11-cylinder geared rotary engine developing 160 horsepower driving a four-bladed propeller unit at the nose.
Propulsion

118 mph
190 kph | 103 kts
Max Speed

26,247 ft
8,000 m | 5 miles
Service Ceiling

400 ft/min
122 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Siemens-Schuckert D.IV Biplane Fighter Aircraft.

1
(MANNED)
Crew

18.7 ft
5.70 m
O/A Length

27.4 ft
(8.35 m)
O/A Width

8.9 ft
(2.72 m)
O/A Height

1,190 lb
(540 kg)
Empty Weight

1,620 lb
(735 kg)
MTOW

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Siemens-Schuckert D.IV Biplane Fighter Aircraft .

2 x 7.92mm LMG 08/15 machine guns

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Siemens-Schuckert D.IV family line.

D.I - Pilot trainer; Nieuport 11 direct copy; 95 produced.

D.II - Prototype; Siemens-Halske Sh III 160 horsepower rotary engine; larger fuselage to accomodate new engine; larger propeller blades.

D.II - Larger and wider fuselage

D.IIa - Prototype

D.IIb - Prototype

D.IIc - 2 Prototypes (long and short wing span versions)

D.IIe - Prototype

D.III - Upgraded powerplant to Siemens-Halske 160 horsepower rotary engine.

D.IV - Late arriving and post-Armistice production variant; 60 produced.

D.V - Proposed sesquiplane variant

D.VI - Parasol Monoplane variant becoming the E.I.

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.

The Siemens-Schuckert D.IV was a further development of the D-series brand, itself a copy of the spectacular French Nieuport 11. Development of the D.IV stemmed from the D.IIc short wing span prototype ordered after production of the D.I was complete. Performance was improved in the D.IV with new wings and added to the already impressive rate-of-climb that the aircraft would be known for. The D.IV appeared in serviceable numbers in August of 1918, just a few months before Germany's inevitable defeat.

Some 60 D.IV systems were on hand to see operational service with some 123 total examples eventually produced. The D.IV proved to have tremendous climbing capabilities and offered up an impressive service ceiling. Armament consisted of twin 7.92mm LMG 08/15 series machine guns while power stemmed from a Siemens-Halske Sh.III 11-cylinder geared rotary engine of 160 horsepower. Top speed was nearly 120 miles per hour and the aircraft maintained an endurance of 2 hours. In many respects, the system outperformed the challenging Fokker designs and ultimately was regarded as the best fighter design for either side in the whole of the war.

With Germany's capitulation by November of 1918, the armistice was signed and Germany was banned from any future aircraft production - though surprisingly the D.VI continued production through the middle of 1919. Switzerland purchased many surplus D.IV aircraft in the post-war years, keeping them operational well into the 1920's. In any regard, the D.VI can be seen as the pinnacle of the Siemens-Schuckert D-series with the original French Nieuport 11 design to thank for it.

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

Total Production: 123 Units
Contractor(s): Siemens-Schuckert Werke - Germany

[ German Empire; Switzerland ]

1 / 1

Image from the Public Domain.

Going Further...
The Siemens-Schuckert D.IV Biplane Fighter Aircraft appears in the following collections:

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