Germany - 1918 Pfalz D.XII

Even a Thoroughbred Can Finish in Second Place

The final year of the war produced many excellent aircraft. The Pfalz D.XII was one of the finer fighters built by the Germans. It had sleek lines and lovely curves which are pleasing to the eye. It has always been one of my favorite late war fighters.

Pfalz D.XII - 1918

The Pfalz D.XII was the successor to the Pfalz D.IIIa series fighter. They were received into service in late summer of 1918. It was a sturdy, agile, and well designed fighter that nearly rivaled the famed Fokker D.VII in performance. Though the D.XII was an effective fighter aircraft, it was overshadowed by the highly successful Fokker D.VII. It was not produced in great numbers due to the amount of time needed to form the plywood fuselage.

References

1. "Pfalz D.XII", From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pfalz_D.XII
2. Gray, Peter and Owen Thetford. "German Aircraft of the First World War". London: Putnam, 1962, p. 191-192, p. 504. ISBN 0-93385-271-1.
3. Herris, Jack. "Pfalz Aircraft of World War I" (Great War Aircraft in Profile, Volume 4). Boulder, Colorado: Flying Machine Press, 2001, p. 87, pp. 101-102, p. 104. ISBN 1-891268-15-5.
4. Van Wyngarden, Greg. "Pfalz Scout Aces of World War I" (Aircraft of the Aces No. 71). Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2006, p. 85-86, p. 88. ISBN 1-84176-998-3.
5. Weyl, Alfred Richard. "Fokker: The Creative Years." London: Putnam, 1965, p. 322. ISBN 0-85177-817-8.
6. Wynne, H. Hugh. "The Motion Picture Stunt Pilots and Hollywood's Classic Aviation Movies". Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Company, 1987, p. 97. ISBN 0-93312-685-9.