Albatros
Albatros D.VI
The Albatros D.VI was a late‑war German fighter built by the Albatros Flugzeugwerke in 1918 as an evolution of the earlier D.V series. Designed to address the handling flaws of its predecessor, the D.VI featured a streamlined wooden monocoque fuselage, a reduced frontal area, and a new 180 hp Mercedes D.IIIaü engine that gave it a top speed of about 200 km/h. The wings were re‑shaped with a slight sweepback and incorporated a strengthened two‑spar construction, allowing a higher wing loading and improved roll rate. Trials showed markedly better climb performance and a more forgiving stall characteristic, which the German Luftstreitkräfte hoped would restore their air superiority after the arrival of Allied types such as the S.E.5a and SPAD XIII.
Only a handful of prototypes were built before the armistice halted production, and the D.VI never saw combat. Nevertheless, its aerodynamic refinements and structural concepts influenced the post‑war development of German aircraft, particularly the transition to cantilever wing designs seen in the later Fokker D.VII and early interwar trainers. The Albatros D.VI therefore stands as a technical bridge between the biplane fighters of World War I and the more advanced configurations that defined the 1920s.
Only a handful of prototypes were built before the armistice halted production, and the D.VI never saw combat. Nevertheless, its aerodynamic refinements and structural concepts influenced the post‑war development of German aircraft, particularly the transition to cantilever wing designs seen in the later Fokker D.VII and early interwar trainers. The Albatros D.VI therefore stands as a technical bridge between the biplane fighters of World War I and the more advanced configurations that defined the 1920s.
No images available