Fokker D.II

The Fokker D.II was the German army designation for the Fokker M.17Z biplane, ordered as a replacement for the Fokker E.II monoplane fighter aircraft in 1916. The Fokker D.II was powered by a 100hp Oberursal UR.I engine, and was armed with a single LMG 08/15 machine gun. The German army wanted aileron controls, but earlier production aircraft had to be fitted with wing-warping controls, felt to be more vulnerable to battle damage.

Production of the D.II was slow. Fokker’s Schwerin factory was not really big enough to deal with all the orders that Fokker’s enthusiastic sales techniques were winning, and by the time the D.II appeared in sufficient numbers to enter service, it was already obsolescent. A few aircraft saw active service on quiet fronts, but most were used as training aircraft. One hundred and thirty two aircraft were ordered, but at best only half of this number were available at any one time and by September 1917 most were no longer in use.

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How to cite this article: Rickard, J (28 October 2007), Fokker D.II , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_fokker_dII.html

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