Aviatik D.VII

History

As one of the last fighters designed by Aviatik before the end of World War I, the D.VII was used only as an experimental biplane. An offshoot of the earlier D.VI promise, the single-seat, single-engine D.VII further developed a redesigned rear wing surface.

The first flight was recorded in October 1918, but the end of the war in November marked the end of the machine's development.

The aircraft was tested to be 20 feet in length, with a wingspan of 31.7 feet and a height of 8.1 feet. The curb weight is 1,642 pounds, and the MTOW is 2,085 pounds. Power comes from Mercedes-Benz Bz.

A liquid-cooled V8 piston engine with a IIIbm gearbox, producing 200 hp and driving a four-bladed propeller in the nose (this is the same engine used in the D. VI). The proposed weapon is 2 x 7.92mm LMG 08/15 'Spandau' machine guns, firing synchronized through rotating propeller blades.

When flying, the D.VII has a top speed of 119 mph and is capable of cruising in a range of 103 mph. The climb rate is 800 feet per minute.

The shape of the D.VII matched that of biplane fighters of the time: an open-air cockpit aft of the upper wing assembly, a panel side fuselage and a fixed undercarriage that pivoted the fuselage mass on the two main components below. The upper and lower wing assemblies are connected by parallel struts to form two compartments along the length of the wing.

Main wing aircraft also have different wingspans. The large four-blade wooden propeller on the nose is covered by a spinner that helps with aerodynamics. Machine gun weapons were placed on the nose.

Like the D.VI before it, Aviatik designed the D.VII for the upcoming test flight of the D-Type in October 1918. Engine problems prevented the D.VI from competing in an earlier second D-Type test flight.

In any case, neither of these designs has much value and has only reached the prototype stage, and that's it.

Specification

Basic

Production

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Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes