Pfalz D 4

The Pfalz D.IV was a German single‑seat fighter developed by Pfalz‑Flugzeugwerke during the final months of World War I. First flown in early 1918, it entered limited service with the Luftstreitkräfte in the summer of that year, arriving at a time when the German air force sought a robust successor to the aging Pfalz D.III. The D.IV retained the familiar wooden monocoque fuselage but incorporated a more powerful 185‑horsepower Mercedes D.IIIaü engine, a redesigned, aerodynamically refined wing panel, and a larger, more rounded horizontal stabilizer. These changes gave the aircraft a higher top speed of approximately 190 km/h (118 mph) and improved climb performance, while maintaining the sturdy construction that made Pfalz designs popular with pilots who valued durability in front‑line combat. Although production numbers remained low—fewer than 200 were completed—the D.IV demonstrated the evolution of German fighter design toward higher powerplants and cleaner lines. Its brief operational record, combined with its influence on later interwar biplane and early monoplane concepts, marks the Pfalz D.IV as a noteworthy transitional model in the history of military aviation. Today only a handful of original airframes survive in museums, serving as tangible reminders of the rapid technological progress achieved during the war.

Pfalz-Flugzeugwerke

Classification

Production & History

Design & Classification