Eduard news: Halberstadt D.V???

[Familyman]

There is a surprise on Eduard's updated Future releases page:

http://www.eduard.cz/./info/freleases/coming.htm


Halberstadt D.V. D.V??? I have to confess that the type is completely unknown to me! Could somebody enlighten me a bit please? Looks like the types from D.I to D.III, but I really can't find D.V from my collection of books!


Yours

Mikko

[Yeoman]

Hello Familyman
The DV looked very similar to the others in the series, I think the most noticeable difference was the circular cut out to try to improve pilot visibility.
Also the cabane struts were splayed out, rather than meeting at the top. Again this was done for better visibility.
I think less than 60 were built and most went to Turkey. Those supplied to the Turks had twin machine guns as well.

I am sure others will fill you in with more details than I can!

[Rick]

The only thing that I can contribute is the Halberstadt D.V batch numbers:
402-421/16
1099-1118/16
2310-2339/16
3500-3524/16

For a grand total of 95 aircraft ordered, which agrees fairly well with Yeoman's total. R.

[Cigogne]

They were similar in design, yes, but it wasn't just the struts and cutout that were different. The whole top wing was a three piece affair, w/ a separate center section where the outer wing panels attached. (Similar to the later Sopwith Camel.) The D.I-III had the two piece wing panels that joined in the center of the trestle type cabane strut assembly. Ailerons were balanced.

The D.V was used on the Western Front. Buddecke flew one as he led Jasta 4 in the Fall of 1916 prior to his return to Turkey. In fact, there were many others that flew the Halberstadt D-types as well, including the D.V while serving on the Western Front. Buddecke flew the type again in Turkey. It was a favored type (D.II-V) and was well liked by the Jasta pilots. In fact, of the first Jastas formed, many were outfitted with the Halberstadt types. Jastas 1 and 4 (.), which both boasted of being "aces" units w/ several PlM airmen in the ranks... (Jasta 1=Wintgens-PlM, Leffers-PlM, Höhndorf PlM, Zander, von Keudell, Mulzer-PlM, Bethge, etc. and Jasta 4=Frankl PlM, Buddecke PlM, Berthold PlM, von Althaus PlM, Bernert etc.) preferred this type over the Albatros D.I-II initially. Boelcke's Jasta 2 was the first to really have a full compliment of Albatros D-types of the early Jastas. The other Jastas took a while before they switched over to the Albatros camp! Jasta 1 even flew the Fokker D.I for a time later in the late Fall of 1916. I'm sure all of those PlM pilots were part of the reason for the preference of the type in the early days of the Jastas.

The Halberstadt D.II-V were very maneuverable, although not as fast as the Albatros fighters. They could outmaneuver the Albatros in a dogfight. This was proved by Wilhelm Frankl while a guest instructor at Valenciennes During December 1916. So impressed was Josef Jacobs by this that he continued to fly the type well in to 1917. He alternated with an Albatros D.II (LVG-built), but flew a good many of them, if not the majority, in the Halberstadt. May is the last time he flew missions on the type before going fully with the Albatros D.III-V and later Pfalz D.III.

In Turkey the type was flown into 1918. There were some modifications to those supplied to the Ottoman Fliegerabteilungen in Turkey. They had additional radiators on the fuselages, and some had a taller nose cowling profile than the earlier cutaway versions.

Cheers!

[Ross_Moorhouse]

Eduard's artwork ....

[greenknight]

I have found Albatros Publications' book "Halberstadt Fighters" in their "Classics of WWI Aviation Series" interesting and informative. See linked page for more details:

http://www.windsockdatafilespecials.com/stock.html

[Cigogne]

The Eduard boxart painting depicts Hans Buddecke's D.V of Jasta 4 circa Oct. 1916. He had two pale blue bands around the fuselage cross marking.

Nicely rendered. His later D.V in Turkish service had a similar dark finish, but, with the black squares with white borders.

[GAF]

Originally Posted by Cigogne

They were similar in design, yes, but it wasn't just the struts and cutout that were different. The whole top wing was a three piece affair, w/ a separate center section where the outer wing panels attached. (Similar to the later Sopwith Camel.) The D.I-III had the two piece wing panels that joined in the center of the trestle type cabane strut assembly. Ailerons were balanced.

The D.V was used on the Western Front. Buddecke flew one as he led Jasta 4 in the Fall of 1916 prior to his return to Turkey. In fact, there were many others that flew the Halberstadt D-types as well, including the D.V while serving on the Western Front. Buddecke flew the type again in Turkey. It was a favored type (D.II-V) and was well liked by the Jasta pilots. In fact, of the first Jastas formed, many were outfitted with the Halberstadt types. Jastas 1 and 4 (.), which both boasted of being "aces" units w/ several PlM airmen in the ranks... (Jasta 1=Wintgens-PlM, Leffers-PlM, Höhndorf PlM, Zander, von Keudell, Mulzer-PlM, Bethge, etc. and Jasta 4=Frankl PlM, Buddecke PlM, Berthold PlM, von Althaus PlM, Bernert etc.) preferred this type over the Albatros D.I-II initially. Boelcke's Jasta 2 was the first to really have a full compliment of Albatros D-types of the early Jastas. The other Jastas took a while before they switched over to the Albatros camp! Jasta 1 even flew the Fokker D.I for a time later in the late Fall of 1916. I'm sure all of those PlM pilots were part of the reason for the preference of the type in the early days of the Jastas.

The Halberstadt D.II-V were very maneuverable, although not as fast as the Albatros fighters. They could outmaneuver the Albatros in a dogfight. This was proved by Wilhelm Frankl while a guest instructor at Valenciennes During December 1916. So impressed was Josef Jacobs by this that he continued to fly the type well in to 1917. He alternated with an Albatros D.II (LVG-built), but flew a good many of them, if not the majority, in the Halberstadt. May is the last time he flew missions on the type before going fully with the Albatros D.III-V and later Pfalz D.III.

In Turkey the type was flown into 1918. There were some modifications to those supplied to the Ottoman Fliegerabteilungen in Turkey. They had additional radiators on the fuselages, and some had a taller nose cowling profile than the earlier cutaway versions.

Cheers!

Is this the same Josef Jacobs who is associated with the black Fokker DR 1?

[Cigogne]

GAF,

Yes, this is the one and the same Josef Jacobs. He was sent from his unit to Jastaschule Valenciennes in December 1916. I'm not sure if he was there to instruct or to learn. It sounds like he accomplished a bit of both in what I have learned/read. He had, prior to that time, been been a member of Jasta 12 where he had been flying the Fokker D.II biplane. Prior that that he'd flown with the KEK units. In going to the Jastaschule he was able to utilize the Halberstadt D-types and that is where he was so impressed with Frankl's flying. Frankl had reported from Jasta 4 where, at that time, following Boelcke's death, he was the leading "Kanone." Richthofen would soon pass him by in January. But, when he demonstrated the handling qualities in a 1 on 1 dogfight situation against a pilot in an Albatros D.II... he totally outclassed the Albatros pilot. Jacobs wrote how he was impressed by this.

[RAGIII]

It is nice to see something just a little more obscure planned by a Major Manufacturer! since Jasta 4 is a Squadron that I model, I guess I will start saving for this one also!
RAGIII