Quote:
Originally Posted by Mode One
. . . Besides the larger horizontal Stabilizer, rounded lower wing tips and the bigger engine, are there other differences between the DIII and DIIIa?
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Both machines were equipped with a pair of LMG 08/15 machine guns. The D.III had "buried" machine guns -- the guns were mounted inside the fuselage with only their barrels protruding into metal troughs. This arrangement made it difficult to clear jams in flight and even normal maintenance was complicated by the limited access. So the D.IIIa reverted to the more common practice of mounting the guns on top of the fuselage.