Thank you Jan, I missed that one.
Actually, it doesn’t matter if Fokker E.V appears as Fokker D.VIII in the Aircraft Database listing, if it creates trouble by changing it.
But in the Official Models listing, it definitely has to appear as Fokker E.V for two reasons :
1- Gaming reason
ARES uses the designation Fokker E.V on its listing and website presentation.
http://www.aresgames.eu/games/ww1-wi...cks/fokker-e-v
The name Fokker E.V also appears on the plane card and even on the Sharon Fokker E.V fuselage (Fok. EV 137 - picture below).
And of course, the gaming stores use the Ares designation too : https://www.miniaturemarket.com/arewgf119c.html
So from a gamer point of view, the Fokker E.V name would be more accurate on your app as this app is supposed to be used by gamer.
And it avoids confusion for a new gamer discovering the game who has purchased a Fokker E.V mini and can’t find its name in the Official Models listing.
2- History reason
ARES was right to list this plane under Fokker E.V, as the 3 miniatures selected are the early Fokker E.V which were supposed to be flown in August 1918, before being grounded.
As explained in the following sources, this plane under Fokker D.VIII designation may have never been flown in combat during WW1.
In the WINDSOCK DATAFILE 25 “Fokker D.VIII” (author PM Grosz) :
page 4 : Beginning with the first E.V acceptances on July 3 1918, the E.V parasol was sent to the Front and soon sufficient numbers were available to equip select Jagdstaffeln (Jasta 6 received the type on August 5 1918). ...
On August 16 and 19 two pilots were killed when the E.V wing failed in flight. The type was immediately grounded pending a thorough investigation (1).
E.V production was halted on August 24 to await the crash commission findings and load test results. A new wing was successfully load tested on September 1918.
page 5 : Permission to resume building the EV fighters now designated D.VIII (signifying that a new wing was fitted) was given on September 24 1918 and the first D.VIII was accepted on October 8th 1918. Fokker was also required to supply new wings for the 139 E.V fighters that has been grounded.
By November 11, 80 D.VIII fighters had been accepted, but to date no concrete proof has been found that the D.VIII (or E.V fitted with replacement wings ) saw combat in the last weeks of the war.
In fact most of the 85 parasol fighters listed in the October 31 Front-line complement consisted of the E.V version stored at Armee Flug Parks awaiting replacement wings.
The few operational sorties flown (from August 5 to 19, there being no combat use recorded thereafter) was insufficient to identify the type’s strengths and weaknesses such as only the wear and tear of extended squadron service could expose.
(1) At least, one naval squadron the Seafront Staffell continued to operate Fok E.V after it was grounded with two parasols reported Alcott on August 22 1918. The last time a Seafroste E.V was reported was on August 27.
(2) Lt Theo Osterkamp did not obtain his 25 and 26th victories while flying a D.VIII (sic) as claimed by Gray and Thetlord (German aircraft of WW1, Putnam p110). According to his biography, Osterkamp had not flown the E.V very much because it was too slow to maintain pace with the squadron aircraft (Fokker D.VII). During a solitary E.V familiarisation flight, he was jumped by 3 Spad, forcing him to bail out. Curiously, this important event is not recorded in the squadron war diary.
PROFILE PUBLICATION
https://rclibrary.co.uk/download_title.asp?ID=2052
page 9 : Aircraft with the new wing were redesignated Fok. D.VIII. It was laid down that aircraft built as EVS but fitted with correctly built wing were to be given the new designation ; this does not seem to have been done in every case, as a few examples of the new type survived the armistice bearing the E.V designation.
A message from Dan San Abott on the Aerodrome (post 5 November 2002) : “the Fokker E.V after return to service in October 1918 were redesignated D.VIII, none saw service during the war.)”
http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1844
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