Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Man, Zip; I can't leave any track uncovered with you. As soon as I saw you had responded, I thought "Yep; Zip picked up on the clue about the wing". You are deadly sometimes. Well, congratulations once again and I'll look forward to seeing your next question. You are up, Sir. Thanks; Ernie P.


Question: What warbird do I describe?

Clues:

(1) This was a warbird which was never popular with its pilots.

(2) Although a good aircraft, it suffered in one key area; it suffered mainly in comparison with another contemporary aircraft.

(3) The other aircraft was fielded by the same air force as this one; and the pilots simply preferred the other. Probably with good reason, as the other was an iconic aircraft.

(4) The aircraft you seek was supposedly heavy on the controls, and not quite so maneuverable as was desired.

(5) It was, however, very strong and able to withstand the stresses of steep dives; something not all aircraft of the time could do.

(6) Eventually, several hundred of this aircraft were produced; as it was considered to be a worthwhile and viable aircraft. It was simply considered to be second best, compared to it’s ally.

(7) This aircraft came into being after a formal study of a very effective enemy aircraft.

(8) Essentially, its designers adapted a copy of the wing of the enemy aircraft to one of their own existing designs. That eventually lead to this aircraft.

(9) They also relocated the radiator of the existing design. This lead to some initial difficulties, which delayed it’s introduction.

(10) The prototypes of several new aircraft designs were tested; and one noted ace preferred this aircraft to its competitor. But he was definitely in the minority.

(11) Nevertheless, an order for production of a considerable number of aircraft was issued; mainly because of his recommendation.

(12) Official reports indicated the pilots assigned the new aircraft disliked it. However, after getting used to it, they were able to use them quite effectively. Still, they always preferred the other aircraft.

(13) Two of the aircraft wound up in civilian hands after the war.

(14) Both were used in an iconic movie.

(15).Today, both reside in museums.

(16) One is in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

(17) It was the last of it’s company’s offerings to see widespread service.

(18) The first couple of hundred aircraft had a rather angular fin and rudder design. The remainder utilized a more rounded design, such as used on the original aircraft.

Answer: The Pfalz D.XII.




The Pfalz D.XII was a German fighter aircraft built by Pfalz Flugzeugwerke. Designed by Rudolph Gehringer as a successor to the Pfalz D.III, the D.XII entered service in significant numbers near the end of the First World War. It was the last Pfalz aircraft to see widespread service. Though the D.XII was an effective fighter aircraft, it was overshadowed by the highly successful Fokker D.VII.

In early 1918, the Idflieg (Inspektion der Fliegertruppen) distributed to German aircraft manufacturers a detailed engineering report on the SPAD S.VII, whose wing structure Idflieg considered to be well-designed. Pfalz accordingly produced several Pfalz D.III-derived prototypes with SPAD-type wings. These developed into the Pfalz D.XII. The new aircraft was powered by the 180 hp Mercedes D.IIIaü engine and continued the use of LFG-Roland's patented Wickelrumpf plywood-skinned monocoque fuselage construction. Unlike the earlier aircraft, the D.XII used a two-bay wing cellule. Furthermore, the flush wing radiator was replaced with a car-type radiator mounted in front of the engine.

The prototype D.XII first flew in March 1918. Subsequently, Idflieg issued a production order for 50 aircraft. Pfalz entered several D.XII prototypes in the second fighter competition at Adlershof in May/June 1918. Only Ernst Udet and Hans Weiss favored the D.XII over the Fokker D.VII, but Udet's opinion carried such weight that Pfalz received substantial production orders for the D.XII. The aircraft passed its Typenprüfung (official type test) on 19 June 1918.

Difficulties with the radiator, which used vertical tubes rather than the more common honeycomb structure, delayed initial deliveries of the D.XII until June. The first 200 production examples could be distinguished by their rectangular fin and rudder. Subsequent aircraft featured a larger, rounded rudder profile.

The D.XII began reaching the Jagdstaffeln, primarily Bavarian units, in July 1918. Most units operated the D.XII in conjunction with other fighter types, but units in quieter sectors of the front were completely equipped with the D.XII.

While the D.XII was a marked improvement over the obsolescent Albatros D.Va and Pfalz D.IIIa, it nevertheless found little favor with German pilots, who strongly preferred the Fokker D.VII. Leutnant Rudolf Stark, commander of Jasta 35, wrote:
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No one wanted to fly those Pfalzs except under compulsion, and those who had to made as much fuss as they could about practicing on them.

Later their pilots got on very well with them. They flew quite decently and could always keep pace with the Fokkers; in fact they dived even faster. But they were heavy for turns and fighting purposes, in which respect they were not to be compared with the Fokkers. The Fokker was a bloodstock animal that answered to the slightest movement of the hand and could almost guess the rider's will in advance. The Pfalz was a clumsy cart-horse that went heavy in the reins and obeyed nothing but the most brutal force.

Those who flew the Pfalzs did so because there were no other machines for them. But they always gazed enviously at the Fokkers and prayed for the quick chance of an exchange.
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Thanks to its sturdy wing and thin airfoil section, the D.XII maintained the excellent high-speed dive characteristics of the earlier Pfalz D.III. Like most contemporary fighters, however, the D.XII had an abrupt stall and a pronounced tendency to spin. Furthermore, pilots consistently criticized the D.XII for its long takeoff run, heavy controls, and "clumsy" handling qualities in the air. Rate of roll, in particular, appears to have been deficient. Landings were difficult because the D.XII tended to float above the ground and the landing gear was weak. Ground crews disliked the extensive wire bracing of the two-bay wings, which required more maintenance than the Fokker D.VII's semi-cantilever wings. Evaluations of captured aircraft by Allied pilots were similarly unfavorable.

Between 750 and 800 D.XII scouts were completed by the Armistice. A substantial number, perhaps as many as 175, were surrendered to the Allies. Of these, a few were shipped to the United States and Canada for evaluation.

• In the 1920s, two D.XIIs were sold as war surplus to the Crawford Aeroplane & Supply Co. of Venice, California. Though badly deteriorated, the aircraft briefly appeared as props in the 1930 movie The Dawn Patrol. Both D.XIIs were eventually sold to private collectors. Today, one of these aircraft is now displayed at the Seattle Museum of Flight, after it was acquired from the defunct Champlin Fighter Museum, in Mesa, Arizona. The second is exhibited at the National Air and Space Museum, in Washington D.C.