Country of origin:

Germany

Description:

Single-seat biplane fighting scout

Power Plant:

One 119 kw (160 hp) Mercedes D.III six-cylinder in-line liquid-cooled engine

Specifications:

Armament:

Two 7.92 mm (0.31 in) fixed forward firing Spandau LMG 08/15 machine guns

History:

The Pfalz D.III or Scout was built by the Pfalz Flugzeug Werke on the Rhine River and designed by Rudolfo Gehringer following the completion of orders for the E-type monoplanes. The first of its type was seen on the Western Front in September 1917 alongside the Fokker Dr.1 triplane and Albatross D.V biplane, both of which had a superior rate of climb but were less manoeuvrable.  Although outclassed for speed by the new types operated by the Allies at that time, such as the Sopwith Camel and the RAF SE.5a, the Pfalz proved its strength and had some success because of its aerobatic qualities.

Following completion of a number of contracts building LFG and Roland aircraft under licence for the Bavarian Jagdstaffeln, and until the Company designed and built a new single-seat scout employing construction methods it developed from licence designs, the Company developed a new machine which became the D.III, which first flew in 1917.  An unequal span biplane, it was popular with pilots, having good firepower, performance, fields of vision and agility.

The Pfalz was said to be well built, having a semi monocoque ply fuselage, the wings being of unequal chord to give a better downward view. The fuselage upper-wing was kept to a minimum to give a good all-round view from the cockpit. The twin Spandau machine guns were buried in the fuselage, the muzzles extending forward beside the engine.

On 31 December 1917 some 276 D.IIIs and 114 D.IIIas had reached the front and by April 1918 436 were known to be at the front. Some 46 Jastas were equipped with the Pfalz, each having approximately 12 aircraft. Although some crews complained about its weakness and lack of manoeuvrability, it was found to be able to out-dive most aircraft, was found to be an excellent gun platform, and was capable of absorbing a great deal of battle damage.  It had some success in balloon-busting activities.

Apart from metal panelling around the engine, the remainder of the fuselage was of wooden, semi monocoque, construction. The basic framework was of spruce longerons and oval ply formers spirally wrapped in opposing directions with two layers of ply strip and then covered in fabric. The vertical fin was an integral part of the fuselage. On early production aircraft the twin Spandau machine guns were mounted inside the fuselage with the muzzles protruding each side of the cylinder block; but later they were mounted on the decking in front of the windscreen. The tailplane was of wooden construction and fabric covered.  The elevator was of welded steel tube construction with fabric covering.  Both wings were of the same basic shape but the upper wing was greater in span and chord.

In 1918 the Pfalz D.IIIa followed the D.III onto the production line. This new model had an up-rated 134 kw (180 hp) Mercedes D.III engine and had the machine guns mounted in the more conventional position on the forward fuselage. When it entered service in 1917 the D.III was only used by units from Bavaria, these units quite often having composite equipment in that they also had Albatros D.IIIs, D.Vs and Roland D.IIs. However, despite being found to be a very capable fighter when tested by Allied units, it was not popular with pilots who said it had an inferior performance. A total of some 600 examples of both models was built of which 350 were in service at the front line in August 1918.

Two D.IIIas are said to have been obtained for the collection of captured enemy aircraft for the Australian War Memorial. One machine was recorded by the AWM (said to be Serial 4184-17 – there is some conjecture about the actual aircraft involved) as being forced down intact near Bonnieul in northern France by Lieutenant A King Cowper, an Australian with No 24 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, whilst flying an SE.5a, on 26 February 1918.  After being conveyed to the United Kingdom, it was displayed in the Agricultural Hall in Islington. The aircraft was tested by the British Intelligence Unit as G-141.  After thorough testing and assessment it was to be brought to Australia. However, when the crate said to hold the D.IIIa was opened after shipping on the SS Booral it was found it was a Halberstadt and had been mis-identified. Some records indicate the Pfalz was sent to Tasmania and stored in the grounds of the Newtown Infirmary, and that the forward fuselage was in existence until 1967 when it was destroyed by bush fires. If in fact a D.IIIa arrived at some stage, its subsequent fate is not known.

Another D.IIIa which is said to have come to Australia was serial 8284/17 which was captured on 30 May 1918 when it ran out of fuel when being flown by pilot Jakob Pollinger of Jasta 776 and had to land behind British lines. It was allotted the serial G/SNB/13 (also referred to as G/5Bde/13). It was claimed as a war trophy and is said to have been imported but its ultimate fate is not known.  The tailskid of a Pfalz D.IIIa (serial G/2Bde/16) broght down and souvenired by Flying Officer AH Cobby of No 4 Squadron, AFC near the Nieppe Forest in France on 19 June 1918 is held in the collection of the Australian War Memorial.

A Pfalz D.III replica ZK-JPI (c/n PT16 – ex –G-ATIJ) was imported to Blenheim, NZ in 1999 and restored to airworthiness. This machine, an all-wood replica built for the motion picture The Blue Max in 1965, is one of two built by Douglas Bianchi at Booker in the United Kingdom from drawings prepared by Raymond Hillborne. These two aircraft used DH.82 Tiger Moth airframes and are powered by 108 kw (145 hp) de Havilland Gipsy Major 10 engines. It spent sometime in the UK as G-ATIJ and flew in a ‘lozenge’ World War I colour scheme before being exported to Ireland as EI-ARD in June 1967.  It later went to the Frank Ryder Museum in Alabama, USA as N905AC.  Later again it went to Fighter Air Command at Hartlee Field near Denton Texas before being shipped to New Zealand for restoration. It was registered as a Hampshire Aeroplane Pfalz D.III replica.

Another D.III replica became ZK-FLZ (c/n PPS/Pfalz.1 – ex G-ATIF) with the Omaka Collection. This machine was the second built for the movie and was also purchased by Frank Ryder after the conclusion of The Blue Max movie, later going to Javier Arango before being imported to New Zealand in early 2007.