Aviatik (Berg) D.II

The Aviatik (Berg) D.II, the prototypes of which were known as Aviatik 30.22 and Aviatik 30.38, was an Austro-Hungarian fighter plane prototype towards the end of the First World War.

Development

The D.II's fuselage was virtually identical to that of the D.I. It was characterised, however, by its short-span cantilever lower wing. Through 1917, 19 D.IIs were built for front-line evaluation. The series 39 aircraft were powered by the 149.14 kW (200 hp) Austro-Daimler 200hp engine and the series 339 aircraft by the 167.78 kW (225 hp) Austro-Daimler 225 hp engine driving a four-bladed Jaray propeller and armed with the usual paired 8 mm (0.315 in) Schwarzlose machine guns. A further prototype, (30.38), was produced by fitting a 149.14 kW (200 hp) Hiero engine in a D.II airframe.

Operational history

The first three production aircraft were tested in November 1917, and seven were evaluated at the front later in that year, showing good promise. However, the decision was made that Aviatik should instead produce the Fokker D.VII, and any plans to continue production of the D.II were halted.

Operators

 Austria-Hungary

• Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops

 Kingdom of Yugoslavia

• Yugoslav Royal Air Force - Postwar

Specifications (D.II series 39 / series 339)

Data from ^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 6.98 m (22 ft 11 in) (39), 7.1 m (23.29 ft) (339)
• Upper wingspan: 7.5 m (24 ft 7 in) (39), 8 m (26.25 ft) (339)
• Lower wingspan: 5.2 m (17 ft 1 in)
• Height: 2.45 m (8 ft 0 in) (39), 8 m (26.25 ft) (339)
• Wing area: 19.5 m² (210 sq ft) (39), 2.6 m² (28.0 sq ft) (339)
• Empty weight: 668 kg (1,473 lb) (339)
• Gross weight: 845 kg (1,863 lb) (39), 947 kg (2,087.8 lb) (339)
• Powerplant: 1 × Austro-Daimler 200hp 6-cyl. water-cooled in-line piston engine, 150 kW (200 hp) (39), 1x 167.78 kW (225 hp) Austro-Daimler 225hp (339)
• Propellers: 4-bladed Jaray propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 217 km/h (135 mph; 117 kn)
• Time to altitude:
  

• 1,000 m (3,280.8 ft) - (39) 3 min 5 sec, (339) 3 min 39 sec
• 2,000 m (6,561.7 ft) - (39) 6 min 2 sec, (339) 7 min 17 sec
• 3,000 m (9,842.5 ft) - (39) 10 min 55 sec, (339) 11 min 32 sec
• 4,000 m (13,123.4 ft) - (39) 18 min 7 sec, (339) 16 min 54 sec
• 5,000 m (16,404.2 ft) - (339) 28 min 36 sec

Armament

• Guns: 2x 8 mm (0.315 in) Schwarzlose machine guns

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aviatik aircraft.

Notes

Bibliography

• Grosz, Peter M.; George Haddow; Peter Scheiner (2002) [1993]. Austro-Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War One. Boulder: Flying Machine Press. ISBN 1 891268 05 8. 
• Green, William; Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters. Godalming, UK: Salamander Books. p. 44.