Beautiful Planes of World War I

Fokker D VII

The Fokker D VII aircraft may have made a rather late entry into the war (January 1918) but that doesn’t mean this bird didn’t make its mark. Designed by Reinhold Platz of Fokker-Flugzeugwerke, this World War I aircraft quickly proved its mettle over the skies of Europe until the end of the war.

Fitted with a Mercedes D.IIIa engine, this Fokker’s performance outstripped most other World War I aircraft. A max speed of 117 miles per hour meant that it could outrun its competition. A service ceiling just shy of 20,000 feet gave it plenty of operating room once in the air. Combine that performance with formidable armament of two 7.92 mm LMG 08/15 Spandau machine guns and it is no wonder this aircraft continued to see service long after the Armistice ended “the war to end all wars.” Not bad for an aircraft initially dismissed as “ungainly”.