Albatros D.V
The Albatros D.V is a fighter aircraft of the German aircraft manufacturer Albatros Flugzeugwerke. It was the final development of the Albatros D.I family and the last Albatros fighter to see operational service with the Luftstreitkräfte (Imperial German Air Service) during the First World War.
| Albatros D.V | |
|---|---|
| Albatros D.Va reproduction at Duxford Air Show, 2012 | |
| Role | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Albatros Flugzeugwerke |
| Designer | Robert Thelen |
| First flight | April 1917 |
| Primary users | Luftstreitkräfte Kaiserliche Marine Polish Air Force Ottoman Air Force |
| Number built | c. 2,500 |
| Developed from | Albatros D.III |
The D.V was developed from the D.III during early 1917. Sharing many similarities to its predecessor, the most visible change was its new elliptical cross-section fuselage. The D.V was brought into service in May 1917 but early operations were plagued by structural failures of the lower wing. With its limited performance improvements this resulted in pilots expressing their preference for the older D.III. Albatros produced the improved D.Va with modifications for greater structural strength, although some structural concerns remained.
Despite its well-known shortcomings and general obsolescence, approximately 900 D.V and 1,612 D.Va aircraft were produced at the Johannisthal and Schneidemühl factories before production was terminated in April 1918. The D.Va continued to fly in German hands until the end of fighting with the Armistice of 11 November 1918. The Polish Air Force and Ottoman Air Force also operated the type. A pair of original D.Va aircraft have been preserved and some airworthy reproductions have been built.