production numbers

[rockyr]

No wonder the Germans has such problems:

Model/Number built

Diii 1346
DVa 1650
Pfalz Diii 1010
D VII 2029

SE5a 5205
Camel 5490
SPAD XIII 8472
Tripehound 180
N17 7200

[The Cowman]

He who has the most resources wins the war...

[Dom S]

Yes to an extent, but it doesn't tell the whole story. The allies had real issues with *engine* production, so frequently had "completed" aircraft (since in the accounting of the day aircraft and engine were two different items, oddly) that were going nowhere, and the location of the fighting was also an issue - since combats were over the German lines far more often than the allied (combination of tactical stance and prevailing wind) the Germans were able to salvage substantially more "losses" since they tended to end up in possession of the crash-landeds.... Aircraft availability undoubtedly *was* more of a problem for the Germans than the allies, but not by as big a margin as you might guess, and the speed with which they were churning out D.VIIs in 1918 testifies to how well they could do when they got their system organised.

[Dom S]

(The engine availability issue also meant the allies produced a lot of obsolete aircraft - Nieuports in particular were being made long after they weren't fit for combat, filling a useful niche as an advanced trainer, but not adding to the combat strength at all. For 2-seaters it was worse; witness the huge numbers of British RE-8s and French Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutters still required in combat in 1918, because the far superior machines theoretically available couldn't be produced in sufficient numbers.)

[rockyr]

I was surprised by the late war output by the Germans, focused on the D VII.

Beyond engines, mass production by the Entente also came with quality problems. The French certainly had their engine problems, as any Spad XIII pilot would attest.

We also know it is not only about quantity, but quality too. Both sides struggled with designs and production in what was still a fledgling aeronautical industry.

I was bemused by the extra horsepower of the D Va being countered by the extra weight, resulting in minimal performance improvements over the D III. Then there were pilot accusations about the wings being LESS reliable...

I need to find some German high command records to see how and why they came to such defensive air strategies. I am sure numbers must have come into the picture, as well as the security of one's own lines Dom mentioned.

[Pope]

Apart from the production issues noted above, does anyone know if the German's were affected by fuel shortages in WW1? I was wondering if this may have played a part in the adopted defensive air strategy?

Cheers Aled

[Dom S]

Yes, fuel was always at least something of an issue, but in the closing months of the war it was a massive one for the Germans; just at the time when they finally had a markedly superior aircraft to the allies, being produced in real numbers, they didn't have the fuel to keep them all airborne.

[Jager]

I believe castor oil (for rotories) was also a related issue. As for the defensive stance on the Western Front, I think that it was linked to the same stance on the ground; if you are defensive on the ground, you can be defensive on in the air, so more resourses can go to the East.

[Ravenlord]

No wonder the Germans has such problems:

Model/Number built

Diii 1346
DVa 1650
Pfalz Diii 1010
D VII 2029

SE5a 5205
Camel 5490
SPAD XIII 8472
Tripehound 180
N17 7200

I don´t really know the number of entente build aircraft, but the grand master of WWI aerial history Peter M. Grosz + had other figures published in many books.
Here are some production numbers of the fighters of Germany and Austria-Hungary that I have collected from Windsock Datafiles, JaPo Publications, Osprey Publications, etc.:

Germany

Albatros D. I 50
Albatros D. II 275
Albatros D. III 1340
Albatros D. V 900
Albatros D. Va 1612

Fokker D. I 113
Fokker D. II 181
Fokker D. III 210
Fokker D. IV 44
Fokker Dr. I 320
Dokker D. VI 60
Fokker D. VII about 2500 +/- of 3500 ordered
Fokker D. VIII 289 (most without engines or early prod. machines with wing failures)

Halberstadt D. II 87-94
Halberstadt D. III 50
Halberstadt D. V 57 (31 for turkish airservice)

Pfalz D. III 260
Pfalz D. IIIa 750
Pfalz D. VIII 120
Pfalz D. XII 750-800
Pfalz D. XV about 50-70 (to late for service)

Roland D. I 80-120
Roland D. II 90-131
Roland D. IIa 280
Roland D. VIa ca. 120
Roland D. VIb ca. 40

SSW D. III/IV 136

Austria-Hungary

Aviatik D. I 677

Hansa-Brandenburg D.l 122

Albatros (OEF) D. II 16
Albatros (OEF) D. III 53. 44
Albatros (OEF) D. III 153. 281
Albatros (OEF) D. III 253. 260 (201 taken over by LFT)

Phönix D. I 120
Phönix D. II/IIa 96
Phönix D. III 74 (only few in service)

I´ve listet Fighters since mid 1916 to November 1918.
It is out of question that the entente outnumbered the central powers by far in the production of aircraft.
It would be interessting for me to see a list of entente fighters including italian fighters or such planes that where not build in thousands.

Matthias