Servicetime of the Phoenix D.I

[LOOP]

Do anyone know the servicetime of the Phoenix D.I?
I have found some info here on the Drome. 17.Q4 - 18.Q4 but I would like a little more precise than that.
I've searched the net and found that it entered service in October 1917 and that there were still some 70 aircrafts operating in September 1918.
But I don't know if those where D.I or if it is a mix of D.I, II and III:s. The three versions are often bunched together.
The total number built was 158 and that includes all three versions. To me it seem a bit strange if most of those 70 ACs were D.I.

/P-G

[Jager]

According to the game Hostile Aircraft's charts, it was used until the end of the war, but only on the Italian front. Wonder why?
The D.IIa entered service in May of 1918. No mention of the D.III.

A Russian site give production numbers of 144 D.Is, 48 D.IIs and 29 D.IIIs. It also shows a D.III in Swedish service (J.1)
http://www.airwar.ru/enc/fww1/phd1.html

The Military Factory (.com) gives a entry date for the D.III as March 1918.
http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircr...ircraft_id=743

A couple of nice Swedish profiles here: http://www.cbrnp.com/profiles/quarter1/phonix.htm

Karl

[LOOP]

Thanks for the quick answer All the info I needed
144+48+29=221 Phönix D:s built. that is more than I have found in other sites. But if those figures are right the majority of the 70 ac in service in sept-18
must have been D.I.
The Swedish one I have read about.
Here is a little film showing the development of the Swedish airforce. and some pics of the Phönix (j.1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx9dKCmJ-wE (sorry but it is in Swedish )

[Mau Fox]

Yes Per-Gunnar, that's correct. Not surprisingly, there still were 72 D.I in front line service on Summer 1918.

According to P.M.Grosz's Windsock Datafile #31, at page 3 it is stated that "The fact that 72 Phonix D.I figthers were still operational on August 1 1918 speaks well for its all-round, if not spectacular, qualities."

The first D.I fighters were accepted in october 1917 and the last in late Spring 1918. These became fully operational in December 1917.
In Grosz's work, we can also read that "Flight comparison performed in September 1917, reported the D.I was faster in speed and climb that the Albatros D.III (Oef) and possessed significantly better flight characyeristic than the Aviatik D.I."

In October 1917 the German Idflieg reported that "the new Phonix D.I deserved notice because it has totally amazing qualities, especially the quickness of manouvre and stability when trottled down. The pilot can stall the aircraft virtually on the spot and drop several hundred meters without losing control."

As said, being from December 1917 the D.I was flown either as an escort or a pure fighter. Several machines were also converted to perform photo-recon duties.

The Phonix D.II became operational from May 1918 but some accidents due to engine bearers failure made this type unpopular to pilots.

The Phonix D.III was an attempt to fix some minor flaws mainly focused on resolving the inaccessible machineguns that were relocated at pilots' eye.
On september 18, 1918 the production received formal approval for 100 D.III but these did not see operational service before the end of the War.

If you, or anyone else, is interested in a deep approach to this neat fighter, I can share the Windsock datafile.

Mau

[Jager]

Maurizio; a couple of hits I had indicated that the D.III had a more powerful engine, and a slightly better speed. Does the datafile give those figures?
And any mention of a D.IV?
Karl

[Mau Fox]

Ciao Karl,

your hits are correct. Here is a comparative chart showing the differences between the Phonix versions:



The above chart comes from the mentioned Datafile.

About the D.IV, as we read in Austro Hungarian Aces of WWI by Chris Chant and Mark Rolfe, this "was a potentially excellent fighter that reached only the prototype stage. It was demonstrated at the July 1918 evaluation of new Austro-Hungarian fighters at Aspern with an advanced reflector gun sight."
The prototype serial number was 20.24.

[Edited] To be more accurate, I also double checked my Profile #175 Phonix Scouts.

Actually there were two D.IV prototypes: 20.24 powered by a 230 h.p. Hiero and 20.25 with the 230 h.p. Austro-Daimler.

Profile publications #175 also reports that "Nothing is known of the behaviour of the D.IV under flight test, or if there were any plans to produce the type in quantity."

Mau

[LOOP]

Nice work! As allways

There were some fiddling with the elevators and ailerons to I believe.