LFG Roland D.III
The L.F.G. Roland D.III was a German fighter aircraft in the First World War.
Development
The D.III was the further development of the engineers Tantzen Hoffmann and the aircraft mbH (Roland ) in Charlottenburg city constructed Roland D.II. Because of their aerodynamic shaping, the fighters of this development series were named Shark. Compared to their predecessors DI and D.II the upper wing of the biplane was set to a tension tower, so that a gap between fuselage and wing improved the pilot's visibility forward and down. Also, the vertical stabilizer was enlarged to make the machine more maneuverable. The machine was just like the D-II equipped with the Opel with Argus As.III engine.
Use
Despite the aforementioned improvements, the Roland D.III remained against the fighters of the Albatros Flugzeugwerke, so were only about 25 used by the 150 ordered by the Royal Bulgarian Air Force and the German Air Force aircraft in addition to theaters of war in the Balkans and on the Eastern Front; all other machines were used for fighter pilot training.
Development
Based on the D.III was modeled after the Sopwith Triplane - as of many other German aircraft manufacturers also - a triplane with the label LFG Roland D.IV / Dr.I built with 160 hp Mercedes engine. Although the machine was broken in September 1917, but was then provided by the rescue with a new hull, in which, instead of the previously used wrapping hull construction with pine veneer strips are less expensive clinker was applied. However, this single-seat fighter could not prevail against the competition model of Fokker himself. Then emerged as the prototype L.F.G. Roland DV were produced with 180 hp Mercedes engine, of which three copies. 1918, creating what is successful L.F.G. Roland D.VI.
Specifications
The Roland D.III in the performance comparison (about mid 1917)