Albatros D.V

Despite the series shortcomings, the D.V continued where the D.III design left off.

The Albatros D.V series is often regarded as the best of th bunch in regards to the preceding D.I, D.II and the D.III models. By the latter years of 1917, the improved D.III was already showing signs that it had become outclassed by the newer Allied S.E.5 fighters so thusly the development of the D.V ensued based on the aforementioned D.III.

The D.V series offered up vast improvements to the overall aerodynamically-shaped fuselage. Materials of the fuselage itself continued to be of the fabric-covered plywood variety but the integral improvements in performance, handling and the dual-synchronized machine guns all allowed the D.V to be pushed into the production lines.

Though not without limitations within these capabilities, the Albatros suffered from a variety of setbacks, most notably the propensity of the system to break up in flight. Upon later research the issue was traced back to the engineering design of the lower wing structure, where inherent weaknesses were located and ironed out. The development of the D.V would lead to the D.Va, the last in the Albatros series (detailed elsewhere on this site). This makes the Albatros series one of the more notable series of German aircraft from the First World War, matched only perhaps by the mentions of the successful German Fokker series.