Fokker D.III

The Fokker D.III, Fokker designation M.19, was a German single-seat biplane fighter of World War I. It began as an effort to improve on the D.II, combining the 120 kW Oberursel U.III 14-cylinder two-row rotary engine, first used in the E.IV, with the two-bay wings of the D.I. The prototype reached Adlershof for testing on 20 July 1916 and production orders followed for 50, 60 and 100 aircraft. Oswald Boelcke scored seven victories in one but found it too slow, and the engine wore out quickly. After tests in late 1916 exposed poor construction and workmanship, the D.III was withdrawn from heavily contested sectors and from combat in December 1916.