Pfalz D.VIII

D.VIII
Role	Fighter
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	Pfalz Flugzeugwerke GmbH
First flight	1918
Introduction	1918
Primary user	Luftstreitkräfte
Produced	1918
Number built	40

The Pfalz D.VIII was a German World War I fighter aircraft.

Development

The D.VIII was approved for production arising from German initiatives in 1918 to develop superior fighter aircraft. Its power unit, the Siemens-Halske Sh.III rotary enabled the type to achieve a top speed of 120 miles per hour () at sea level. Armament was twin 7.92mm Spandau machine guns.

Production

Forty units were completed but as this was very near the end of the war, they were used mostly for evaluation purposes.

Specifications (D.VIII - (Sh III engine))

Data from German Aircraft of the First World War

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 5.65 m (18 ft 6½ in)
• Wingspan: 7.52 m (24 ft 8½ in)
• Height: 2.75 m (9 ft 0½ in)
• Wing area: 17.2 m² (186 ft²)
• Empty weight: 543 kg (1,195 lb)
• Loaded weight: 738 kg (1,624 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Siemens-Halske Sh.III 11-cylinder geared rotary engine, 119 kW (160 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 190 km/h (103 knots, 118 mph)
• Service ceiling: m (ft)
• Wing loading: 42.9 kg/m² (8.73 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 0.16 kW/kg (0.099 hp/lb)
  
• Endurance: 1.5 hours
• Climb to 6,000 m (19,700 ft): 25 minutes

Armament

• Guns: 2 × 7.92 mm (0.31 in) LMG 08/15 machine guns

See also

• Siemens-Schuckert D.IV

References

Bibliography

• Cowin, H. W. "German and Austrian Aviation of World War I". Osprey Publishing Ltd, 2000. ISBN 1-84176-069-2
• Gray, Peter and Thetford, Owen. German Aircraft of the First World War. London:Putnam, 1962.
• Green, William and Swanborough, Gordon. The Complete Book of Fighters. New York: Smithmark, 1994. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.

External links

• Pfalz D.VIII