The Planes
Albatros D.I: Modelled on the French Nieuport 17, the D.I was introduced in 1916 and became a favorite of the German air force because of its rate of climb and diving speed. One notable innovation was that its fuselage was covered with plywood rather than stretched fabric, giving the machine greater strength.
Albatros D.II: A modification on the DI, the Albatros D.II made its first appearance over the Western Front in the fall of 1916 with the upper wings closer to the fuselage, on which were mounted two synchronous Spandau machine guns.
Albatros D.III: Introduced in January 1917, the D.III was an agile aircraft whose lower wing was reduced to allow pilots greater downward visibility. Nonetheless this was also a weakness, creating cracks in the lower wing during flight.
Pfalz D.III: A deadly menace to the RFC when introduced in the early summer of 1917, the Pfalz was impressively streamlined and a superb dogfighter with a far superior dive recovery to the Albatros D.III. This was because of its “tail plane with a flat top surface and a convex bottom,” which automatically brought the Pfalz out of a dive.
Fokker D.VII: Described by George Vaughn as Germany’s “greatest single-seater fighter,” the D.VII made its first appearance in April 1918 and proved an instant success. A biplane of cantilever wing design with no external bracing, the machine had superb dive recovery and was reliable at high altitudes.
Sopwith Pup: Though the Pup—introduced in October 1916—was more agile and maneuverable than the Albatros at high altitudes, it had half the horsepower of its German rival and also carried just one .303 Vickers machine gun.
Sopwith Camel: Heralded as the superior version of the Sopwith Pup when it entered service in May 1917, the Camel’s .303 Vickers machine guns’ synchronization gear enabled them to fire through the propeller disc. But 90 percent of the Camel’s weight was contained in the front seven feet of the aircraft making it less maneuverable than the Pup.
S.E.5: A single-seater biplane, the S.E.5 entered service in April 1917 and, with its 200-horsepower Wolseley Viper engine, proved itself fast and sturdy, if a little lacking in maneuverability. The machine had a Vickers that fired through the propeller and a Lewis on the top wing.
F.E.2b: A pusher aircraft (with the engine behind the pilot), the Farman Experimental 2 two-seater biplane was introduced in 1916 but was obsolescent the following year. The F.E.2b’s observer stood in a nacelle in front of the pilot, contributing to its reputation as vulnerable to attacks from the rear.
Curtiss JN-4: Known as the “Jenny,” the two-seater biplane never saw combat but was used as a training aircraft for North American cadets. Its reliability and maneuverability later saw it used as a barnstorming machine in the 1920s.
Avro 504: Recognizable by the skids between its wheels, the Avro was a tough aircraft that was designed in 1913 and used in the early part of the war for reconnaissance patrols and for bombing missions by the Royal Naval Air Service. It later became a favorite training aircraft of the RFC.