Pfalz Dr.I

Pfalz Dr. I
Pfalz Dr.I
Role	Fighter
Manufacturer	Pfalz Flugzeugwerke
First flight	October 1917
Introduction	April 1918
Retired	1918
Primary user	Luftstreitkräfte
Number built	10

The Pfalz Dr.I was a German fighter prototype of World War I. Official interest in the potential of the triplane configuration for single-seat fighters prompted Pfalz to develop the Dr.I. It underwent initial testing in October 1917, and an initial batch of 10 aircraft were shipped to the Front and arrived in April 1918.

Operational history

Service pilots involved in testing the Dr.I considered it too slow and its Sh III engine too unreliable for frontline use and no further examples were produced.

List of operators

German Empire

Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 5.50m (18 ft 0½ in)
• Wingspan: 8.55 m (28 ft 0⅔ in)
• Height: 2.76 m (9 ft 0⅔ in)
• Wing area: 17.20m² (185.14 ft²)
• Empty weight: 510 kg (1,124 lb)
• Loaded weight: 705 kg (1,554 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Siemens-Halske Sh.III eleven cylinder geared rotary engine, 119 kW (160 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 190 km/h (118 mph) 190km/h (118mph) at 4,000m (13,125 ft)
• Service ceiling: 6,000 m (19,680 ft)
  
• Time to 5,000 m: 13.5 minutes
• Endurance: 1.5 hours

Armament

• Guns: 2 x synchronised LMG 08/15 machine guns

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Enzo Angelucci (1981). Rand McNally Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft, 1914-1980. Crescent. ISBN 978-0-517-41021-9. 
• William Green; Gordon Swanborough (1998-12-01). Complete Book of Fighters. ISBN 978-1-85833-777-7.