Albatros
Albatros D.XII
The Albatros D.XII was a German single‑seat fighter developed near the end of World War I by the aircraft manufacturer Albatros Flugzeugwerke. First flown in early 1918, the D.XII was intended to replace the older D.Va and to compete with the Fokker D.VII, which had set a new performance standard. The aircraft featured a streamlined, rounded fuselage of wooden frame covered with fabric, and a new low‑drag, two‑bay wing design with slightly tapered tips. Powered by the 180 hp Mercedes D.IIIaü inline engine, the D.XII could reach a top speed of about 190 km/h (118 mph) and had a service ceiling around 6,500 m. Its armament consisted of two synchronized 7.92 mm LMG 08/15 machine guns, the standard for German fighters of the period.
Although only a handful of D.XII aircraft were completed before the armistice, the type demonstrated Albatros’s ability to adapt to rapid aerodynamic advances and to incorporate more powerful engines. Post‑war, a few examples were used by civil flying clubs and helped influence the design of interwar trainer aircraft. The D.XII thus represents the final evolutionary step of Albatros’s WWI fighter line and marks a transitional point toward the modern monoplane fighters of the 1920s.
Although only a handful of D.XII aircraft were completed before the armistice, the type demonstrated Albatros’s ability to adapt to rapid aerodynamic advances and to incorporate more powerful engines. Post‑war, a few examples were used by civil flying clubs and helped influence the design of interwar trainer aircraft. The D.XII thus represents the final evolutionary step of Albatros’s WWI fighter line and marks a transitional point toward the modern monoplane fighters of the 1920s.
Classification
Dimensions
- Length
- 5.78 metre
Performance
- Maximum Speed
- 180 kilometre per hour
Production & History
- First Flight
- 1918
Design & Classification
- Country of Origin
- Manufacturer
- Albatros
- Engine
- Mercedes D.III
- Wikidata ID
- Q3607919