Phönix D.I


The Phönix D.I, with the D.II and D.III variants, was an Austro-Hungarian First World War biplane fighter built by the Phönix Flugzeug-Werke and based on the Hansa-Brandenburg D.I.

Development

The Phönix D.I was the second design developed by the Phönix Flugzeug-Werke based on Hansa-Brandenburg D.I design which it has produced under licence. The D.I was a single-seat biplane fighter with improvements over the original Hansa-Brandenburg design which included more efficient wings, a more powerful engine and structural improvements. A prototype was first flown in 1917 and proved to be fast but difficult to handle but because of the urgent need for fighters the D.I entered production. To improve the problems a modified variant, the D.II was introduced with balanced elevators and balanced ailerons on the upper wings. A further development was the D.III which had balanced ailerons on both wings and a more powerful Hiero 6 in-line engine. The last of 158 aircraft of all three types was delivered on 4 November 1918.

Operational service

Army D.I's entered service in December 1917. It was used as an escort fighter by Fliks 4/D, 15/D, 17/D, 48/D, 54/D and 66/D. It was used as a fighter in Fliks 14/J, 30/J, 60/J, 61/J and 63/J. It was favorably received by pilots, not least by those that were used to flying twin-seaters who found it stable, robust and easy to fly. Some were equipped with cameras and thus converted to dedicated reconnaissance machines.
Several Austro-Hungarian aces used this aircraft, among them Kurt Gruber, Roman Schmidt, Karl Teichmann, Godwin Brumowski, Benno Fiala Ritter von Fernbrugg, Franz Gräser, Karl Nikitsch, Frank Linke-Crawford and József Kiss - who was killed while flying a D.II on May 24, 1918.

Variants

Data from: Austro-Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War One
;20.15: prototype for D.I
;20.16: prototype for D.I
;20.18: prototype for D.II
;D.I
;D.II
;D.IIa:
Powered by a Hiero 6
;D.III
;J.1: Swedish Air Force designation for the D.III fighters purchased in 1920.

Operators