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Fokker E.III
role : fighter
first flight : summer1915 operational : October 1915
country : Germany
design :
production : 249 aircraft
general information :
After the Fokker E. I followed the E. II, which was equipped with a more powerful
100 PK Oberursel rotary motor. But otherwise very similar to the E.I.
Only 12 E. II were built. It was quickly followed by the E. III which had a wing
with smaller chord (1.80 m). Boelcke's Feldfliegerabteilung 62 began with the E. III
to fly by the end of 1915. The E. III was the most important and most built
version. Some were equipped with 2 machine guns but this affected the performance
seriously.
Especially the E. III was responsible for the Fokker scourge in the winter of
1915/1916. In the spring of 1916 new Allied fighters aircraft such as the DH-2, the
F.E.2b and the Nieuwport fighters appeared, and together they put an end to the
dominance of the Fokker-monoplanes which lasted for 6 month. The E.III remained
in service until the summer of 1916, when the new Albatross fighters appeared. The
famous German ace Max Immelman died on June 18, 1916 when his E.III was shot
down in a fight with
FE-2b’s from 25th sq.RFC over Sallaumines.
Lt. G.R.McCubbin and Corporal J.H.Waller were credited for downing Immelmann.
According to the German’s Immelmann shot his own airscrew to pieces due to a
failing synchronizing system.
After the E. III followed the E. IV, equipped with a dual rotary motor of 160 hp and
with double machine guns. However, The performance was less than that of the
E. III and it was not a success. 48 pieces were built. Altogether there are approx. 625
armed Fokker-monoplanes built.
E.III 408/15 with Eduard Bohm posing in front. 27 Januar 1916 he crashed or was shot down and died.
Oswald Boelcke scored the most Eindecker victories - 19 out of his final tally of 40. His last victory in an Eindecker occurred on 27 June 1916. Max Immelmann had the second-highest Eindecker score. He achieved all of his 15 victories in the type.
For control the E.III still used wing-warping.
Petrol capacity : 81 litre, enough for 1.5 hrs flying
The British spoke about autumn 1915 as the Fokker era. The Germans were largely unaware of this era because they knew that there were only a few Fokker-eindecker operational at any time. End October only 55 aircraft and end 1915 only 86 Fokker monoplanes operational at the front. The production of the Oberursel rotary was very slow and also the Fokker-factory was not ready for mass-production. The aircraft were constructed by hand by craftsman.
12 oktober 1916 Fokker E.III intercept France and British bombers raiding Oberndorff,
so withdrawn from the front it was still used for home defense.
users : Luftwaffe
crew : 1
armament : 1 synchronized 7.92 [mm] (0.312 in) Spandau LMG 08/15 machine-gun
engine : 1 Oberursel U.I air-cooled 9 -cylinder atmospheric inlet-valve rotary engine 100 [hp](73.6 KW)
dimensions :
wingspan : 9.52 [m], length : 7.25 [m], height : 2.79[m]
wing area : 16.0 [m^2]
weights :
max.take-off weight : 608 [kg]
empty weight operational : 399 [kg] bombload : 0 [kg]
performance :
maximum speed : 140 [km/hr] at sea-level
climbing speed : 213 [m/min]
service ceiling : 3600 [m]
endurance : 1.83 [hours]
estimated action radius : 115 [km]
description :
shoulder-winged monoplane with fixed landing gear and tail strut
wingtype : 11 two spar wing
engines, landing gear, fuel and bombs in or attached to the fuselage
airscrew :
fixed pitch 2 -bladed tractor airscrew with max. efficiency :0.63 [ ]
estimated diameter airscrew 2.17 [m]
angle of attack prop : 20.82 [ ]
reduction : 1.00 [ ]
airscrew revs : 1200 [r.p.m.]
pitch at Max speed 1.94 [m]
blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 142 [m/s]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
mean wing chord : 1.68 [m]
calculated wing chord (rounded tips): 2.15 [m]
wing aspect ratio : 5.66 []
gap : 0.00 [m]
gap/chord : 0.00 [ ]
seize (span*length*height) : 193 [m^3]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 6.3 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 28.7 [kg/hr] (39.1 [litre/hr]) at 68 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 4.40 [km/kg]
estimated total fuel capacity : 81 [litre] (60 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 139.7 [kg] = 1.90 [kg/KW]
weight 17 litre oil tank : 1.5 [kg]
oil tank filled with 0.6 litre oil : 0.5 [kg]
oil in engine 0 litre oil : 0.4 [kg]
fuel in engine 1 litre fuel : 0.4 [kg]
weight 17 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 2.5 [kg]
weight cowling 2.9 [kg]
weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 16.9 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 163 [kg](26.9 [%])
***************************************************************
fuselage skeleton (wood gauge : 5.01 [cm]): 47 [kg]
bracing : 2.4 [kg]
fuselage covering ( 9.9 [m2] doped linen fabric) : 3.2 [kg]
weight controls + indicators: 5.7 [kg]
weight seats : 3.0 [kg]
weight other details, lighting set, etc. : 5.1 [kg]
weight 65 [litre] main fuel tank empty : 5.2 [kg]
weight engine mounts & firewalls : 4 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 75 [kg](12.3 [%])
***************************************************************
E.III fighting a Nieuport 11
weight wing covering (doped linen fabric) : 10 [kg]
total weight ribs (30 ribs) : 36 [kg]
load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 503.5 [N]
load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 178.0 [N]
total weight 4 spars : 26 [kg]
weight wings : 73 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 4.53 [kg]
weight cables (38 [m]) : 8.3 [kg] (= 218 [gram] per metre)
diameter cable : 6.0 [mm]
weight fin & rudder (1.1 [m2]) : 4.9 [kg]
weight stabilizer & elevator (1.8 [m2]): 8.3 [kg]
total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 94 [kg] (15.5 [%])
*******************************************************************
weight machine-gun(s) : 17.0 [kg]
weight ammunition magazine(s) :2.3 [kg]
weight synchronizing system : 1.0 [kg]
weight armament : 20 [kg]
********************************************************************
wheel pressure : 304.0 [kg]
weight 2 wheels (690 [mm] by 83 [mm]) : 14.8 [kg]
weight tailskid : 1.5 [kg]
weight undercarriage with axle 13.9 [kg]
total weight landing gear : 30.2 [kg] (5.0 [%]
*******************************************************************
********************************************************************
calculated empty weight : 383 [kg](62.9 [%])
weight oil for 2.2 hours flying : 13.7 [kg]
weight ammunition (500 rounds) : 17.5 [kg]
*******************************************************************
calculated operational weight empty : 414 [kg] (68.1 [%])
published operational weight empty : 399 [kg] (65.6 [%])
---o---
"
weight crew : 81 [kg]
weight fuel for 1.5 hours flying : 43 [kg]
********************************************************************
operational weight : 538 [kg](88.5 [%])
estimated bomb load : 25 [kg]
operational weight bombing mission : 563 [kg]
fuel reserve : 17 [kg] enough for 0.58 [hours] flying
possible additional useful load : 29 [kg]
operational weight fully loaded : 608 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 100 [%]
published maximum take-off weight : 608 [kg] (100.0 [%])
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calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (operational without bombload) : 7.31 [kg/kW]
total power : 73.6 [kW] at 1200 [r.p.m]
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 1.8 [g] at 1000 [m]
limit load : 4.1 [g] ultimate load : 6.1 [g] loadfactor : 2.1 [g]
design flight time : 1.46 [hours]
design cycles : 376 sorties, design hours : 550 [hours]
operational wing loading : 330 [N/m^2]
wing stress (3 g) during operation : 218 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.29 ["]
max.angle of attack (stalling angle) : 13.16 ["]
angle of attack at max.speed : 3.34 ["]
calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios
lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° :0.10 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.12 [ ]
lift coefficient at max.speed : 0.36 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at max.speed : 0.0097 [ ]
drag coefficient at max.speed : 0.0798 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0701 [ ]
calculation : *8* (speeds
stalling speed at sea-level (OW): 79 [km/u]
landing speed at sea-level (OW without bombload): 95 [km/hr]
min. drag speed (max endurance) = minimum speed*1.1 at cruise height : 95 [km/hr] at 1800 [m] (power:48 [%])
min. power speed (max range) : 108 [km/hr] at 1800 [m] (power:54 [%])
max.rate of climb speed : 87.8 [km/hr] at sea-level
cruising speed : 126 [km/hr] op 1800 [m] (power:69 [%])
design speed prop : 136 [km/hr]
maximum speed : 140 [km/hr] op 100 [m] (power:99 [%])
climbing speed at sea-level (without bombload) : 248 [m/min]
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
take-off distance at sea-level : 271 [m]
lift/drag ratio : 6.90 [ ]
max. practical ceiling : 4150 [m] with flying weight :492 [kg]
practical ceiling (operational weight): 3650 [m] with flying weight :538 [kg]
practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 1 hour fuel) : 3250 [m] with flying weight :579 [kg]
published ceiling (3600 [m]
climb to 1500m (without bombload) : 7.04 [min]
climb to 3000m (without bombload) : 19.49 [min]
max.dive speed : 308.8 [km/hr] at 2250 [m] height
load factor at max.angle turn 1.78 ["g"]
turn radius at 500m: 62 [m]
time needed for 360* turn 13.0 [seconds] at 500m
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
operational endurance : 2.08 [hours] with 1 crew and 54 [kg] useful (bomb)load and 100.0 [%] fuel
published endurance : 1.83 [hours] with 1 crew and possible useful (bomb) load : 61 [kg] and 88.1 [%] fuel
action radius : 205 [km] with 1 crew and 20[kg] photo camera/radio transmitter or bombload
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks for total 178 [litre] fuel : 575 [km]
useful load with action-radius 250km : 17 [kg]
production : 2.14 [tonkm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 16.34 [kg]
I-°=/
°
Literature :
Praktisch handboek vliegtuigen deel.1 page 256,257
Jagdflugzeuge WOI page 22,24,25
Jachtvliegtuigen page 7 till 13
Fokkers uit WOI page 22 - 29
Fighters 1914-19 page 85,161,162
Warplanes WOI page 44, 47,49,70,085,86
Jane’s fighting aircraft WWI page 148
last check python :
DISCLAIMER Above calculations are based on published data, they must be
regarded as indication not as facts.
Calculated performance and weight may not correspond with actual weights
and performances and are assumptions for which no responsibility can be taken.
Calculations are as accurate as possible, they can be fine-tuned when more data
is available, you are welcome to give suggestions and additional information
so we can improve our program.
For copyright on drawings/photographs/content please mail to below mail
address
(c) B van der Zalm 04 January 2019 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com python 3.7.2(32-bit)