Pfalz D.III

Biplane Fighter Aircraft

Imperial Germany | 1917

"The Pfalz D.III excelled in dive attacks on Allied observation balloons."

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 Pfalz D.III was an exceptional aircraft produced in large numbers by Bavaria for Bavarian forces and; later, Imperial German air forces. The D.III biplane was a agile fighter capable of high-speed diving attacks and excelled at attacking Allied reconnaissance balloons and aircraft alike. Two 7.92mm machine guns complimented the system well and production ballooned by 1918.

Bavarian forces were the first to receive the highly-acclaimed Pfalz D.III's as control of the factories was Bavarian to begin with. Ultimately, German pilots would receive the units and they would begin to play a role on the Western Front, though appearing in large numbers to little too late to effect the outcome of the war.

The success of the Pfalz D.III system produced variants and an offshoot that improved upon the base system in the Pfalz D.XII, which reconfigured the radiator closer to the engine and featured other minor improvements to capabilities.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

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

1 x Mercedes D.III 6-cylinder liquid-cooled inline engine developing 160 horsepower driving a two-bladed propeller unit at the nose.
Propulsion

103 mph
165 kph | 89 kts
Max Speed

16,995 ft
5,180 m | 3 miles
Service Ceiling

820 ft/min
250 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Pfalz D.IIIa Biplane Fighter Aircraft.

1
(MANNED)
Crew

22.8 ft
6.95 m
O/A Length

30.8 ft
(9.40 m)
O/A Width

8.8 ft
(2.67 m)
O/A Height

1,532 lb
(695 kg)
Empty Weight

2,061 lb
(935 kg)
MTOW

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

STANDARD:
2 x 7.92mm LMG 08/15 Spandau machine guns

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

D.III - Base Production Model Designation

D.IIIa - Guns repositioned to upper decking to assist pilot in clearing weapons of jams; subtle changes to horizontal stabilizer and wingtips; appearing in November of 1917; at least 430 examples produced.

D.XII - Further development of the D.III featuring reconfiguration of radiator placement; improved engine performance.

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

Total Production: 600 Units
Contractor(s): Pfalz Flugzeug-Werke GmbH - Germany

[ Bavaria; German Empire ]

1 / 1

Image from the Public Domain.

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

HOME

AVIATION INDEX

AIRCRAFT BY COUNTRY

AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks of the World U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols Breakdown U.S. 5-Star Generals List WWII Weapons by Country World War Next

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.

©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)