Aviation / Aerospace

LVG D.III

Biplane Fighter Prototype Aircraft [ 1917 ]

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

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/31/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

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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.©MilitaryFactory.com

Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications

Service Year

1917

Origin

Imperial Germany

Status

CANCELLED
Development Ended.

Crew

1

Production

1
UNITS

LuftVerkehrs-Gesellschaft (LVG) - Imperial Germany

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

German Empire (cancelled)

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Air-to-Air Combat, Fighter
General ability to actively engage other aircraft of similar form and function, typically through guns, missiles, and/or aerial rockets.

✓ X-Plane (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator)
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.

Length

24.7 ft
(7.53 m)

Width/Span

32.8 ft
(10.00 m)

Height

9.6 ft
(2.92 m)

Empty Wgt

1,709 lb
(775 kg)

MTOW

2,271 lb
(1,030 kg)

Wgt Diff

+562 lb
(+255 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the base LVG D.III production variant)

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

Max Speed

109 mph
(175 kph | 94 kts)

Rate-of-Climb

330 ft/min
(101 m/min)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base LVG D.III production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)

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

Supported Types

Graphical image of an aircraft medium machine gun

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

Hardpoint Mountings: 0

D.III - Base Series Designation

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