FEATURES

• One piece construction
• Top and bottom wing alignment is built into model
• Scale dihedral, includes in wing ailerons
• Fuselage built from laser cut formers and side balsa with lightening holes
• Top and bottom stringers
• Laser cut balsa dummy engine and exhaust manifold included
• Dummy Spandau machine gun kits included
• Laser cut IP struts (can be used as templates for bass or spruce)
• Laser cut tail parts included
• Balsa and plywood wheel kit with Neoprene foam rubber tire material included

 

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

When introduced, the Albatros DI totally obsolesced all other fighters in the sky. While not as maneuverable as the Nieuport 11 or the DH2, it had twice the firepower and could out dive and fly faster. However, the DI had some shortcomings. The cabane struts were configured to meet at the center line above the fuselage. This restricted the pilots view. Further it featured fuselage mounted radiators which when punctured by a bullet would allow the coolant to drain out leading to engine seizure. In the DII, the cabane struts featured the more common splayed out scheme allowing for a wing mounted radiator. This wing mounting was to cause difficulties of their own. A bullet severing the radiator line would cause boiling hot radiator fluid to be blown into the face of the pilot. The DII could fly higher than the DI with similar speeds however, climb rate and combat endurance were better with the DI. The top wings were lowered 250 mm in the DII to improve upward visibility. The Reign of the DI/DII would last from late fall of 1916 to the end of August in 1918 when only a handful were still in use at the front. In all 50 DI's and 275 DII's were manufactured. In comparison,the Halberstadt DII fighter with it's 120 hp in line engine, was much more maneuverable. The 160 Hp Mercedes engine with it's sand cast engine block and massive cooling requirements had it's downside. That downside was excessive weight. von Richtofen had a tremendous influence on German fighter design. von Richtofen complained about the poor downward visibility of the DII and this led to the development of the DIII.