Fokker DVII History
Reinhold Platz designed the Fokker DVII fighter for Fokker-Flugzeugwerke and it proved to be, arguably, the best fighter of WW1. Unfortunately for the Luftstreitkräfte (German air force) it was just too late in WW1 for the Fokker DVII to turn the tide of defeat. This fact was obvious to the allies as well as the axis forces.

Albatros Instructed to Build the Fokker DVII
The Fokker DVII WW1 fighter was so superior to the Albatros D.V fighter it was intended to replace, that Albatros were instructed to build them instead of their own aircraft designs. However the needs of war exceeded production and, due to a lack of Fokker DVII production capability, the Albatros D.V fighters that were already built had to remain in service until the last day of WW1.

Fokker DVII Fighter Post WW1
After the end of WW1, most of the surviving 3,500 Fokker DVII fighters that had been produced were eagerly acquired by the air forces of the victors (the US alone acquired over 200 Fokker DVII fighters!). The Armistice agreement had specifically required that the Fokker DVII biplane fighters be handed over to the allies in total. No other weapon of war was singled out.

Various scale models, model kits and plans of this aircraft have been available in the market place.

Fokker DVII Fighter Specifications:

Fokker DVII Crew: Pilot Only
Fokker DVII Wing Span: 8.9 m (29 ft 2 in)
Fokker DVII Length: 7 m (23 ft)
Fokker DVII Height: 2.75 m (9 ft)
Fokker DVII Empty weight: 700 kg (1,544 lb)
Fokker DVII Gross weight: 850 kg (1,874 lb)
Fokker DVII Maximum Speed: 186 km/h (116 mph)
Fokker DVII Rate of Climb: 1,000 m (3,280 ft) / 3.8 min
Fokker DVII Service Ceiling: 6,980 m (22,900 ft)
Fokker DVII Engine: Single but varied, most aircraft used one of these - Mercedes 160 hp, 180 hp water-cooled straight 6 or a BMW 185 hp water-cooled V12

Fokker DVII Armament:

Guns:
Twin synchronized (by interrupter gear) Spandau machine guns firing through the propeller arc.