LFG Roland D.XVII

The LFG Roland D.XVII was a single-seat, single-engine, parasol wing German fighter aircraft flown close to the end of World War I. Only one was built.

Design and development

The D.XVII was the last of LFG's line of single-seat fighters. It combined features of their previous two models, the D.XV and D.XVI: it had the engine and fuselage of the third D.XV but was a parasol wing aircraft like the D.XVI.^[1][2]

Despite the common configuration, the wings of the D.XVI and D.XVII were different; the latter's had constant chord and overhung ailerons. It was mounted over the fuselage on each side with an inverted V-form strut pair from the leading edge to the lower fuselage longeron and a second strut from the rear wing spar to the same longeron further aft. The structure was stabilized laterally with a further outward leaning strut between top of the forward V-strut and the upper fuselage.^[1][2]

The D.XVII shared the flat-sided, tapered fuselage of the third D.XV, a tailplane at the top of the fuselage, a straight edged fin and an almost semicircular rudder which reached down only to the tailplane. Both aircraft were powered by a 138 kW (185 hp) BMW IIIa six cylinder, water-cooled inline engine driving a two-bladed propeller. The fixed conventional undercarriage was standard for the time, with a rigid axle mounted on V-struts to the lower fuselage, plus a tailskid faired into a small ventral fin.^[1][2]

The D.XVII was rolled out on 18 October 1918 in time for the third D-type competition held at Adlershof that month but was judged inferior to the Fokker V 29, another parasol wing, BMW III powered design. The Roland's wing oscillated in turns and stalled without warning at low speeds.^[1]

Specifications

Data from Green & Swanborough p.340^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Powerplant: 1 × BMW IIIa 6-cylinder water-cooled inline, 138 kW (185 hp)
• Propellers: 2-bladed

Armament

• Guns: 2 × synchronised 7.9 mm (0.31 in) LMG 08/15 (Spandau) machine guns

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Roland aircraft.

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Green, William; Swanborough, Gordon (1994). The Complete Book of Fighters. Godalming, UK: Salamander Books. p. 3340. ISBN 1-85833-777-1. 
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Gray, Peter; Thetford, Owen (1970). German Aircraft of the First World War. London: Putnam. p. 462. ISBN 0-85177-809-7. 

Aircraft produced by Luft-Fahrzeug-Gesellschaft LFG-Roland LFG Roland Arrow C.I C.II C.III C.V C.VIII D.I D.II D.III D.IV D.V D.VI D.VII D.VIII D.IX D.XIII D.XIV D.XV D.XVI D.XVII Dr.I E.I G.1 LFG W WD LFG post WWI V 1 V 2 V 3 V 8 V 13 V 19 V 20 Arkona V 26 V 36 V 39 V 40 V 42 V 44 V 52 V 58 V 59 V 60 V 61 V 101 Jasmund V 130 Strela

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