German Fighter Aircraft in World War I: Design, Construction and Innovation (Casemate Illustrated Special)

During World War I, German aircraft manufacturers developed fighter planes at rapid speed to achieve air superiority. German companies employed systematic production methods and modular engineering—notably Fokker, whose aircraft featured wooden wings with welded steel fuselages that could be quickly disassembled and reassembled in the field. Pfalz and Albatros pioneered streamlined fuselages using semi-monocoque construction with plywood to create semi-stressed skin, a technology the Allies lacked. German manufacturers also advanced inline engine technology, as seen in Albatros fighters, which offered greater stability than rotary engines. After initially favoring rotary engines, Fokker eventually adopted inline engines, resulting in the Fokker D VII—an aircraft so advanced it was the only one specifically named in the Treaty of Versailles as prohibited for German production after the war. This book examines how German fighter aircraft were developed during the war, the innovations behind the Fokker D VII, and the various aircraft types produced. It features 140 photographs and ten color profiles, including unpublished images of surviving aircraft, archive photographs, and models that reveal details kept secret during wartime.