Fokker E.III
Fighter aircraft used in World War I
title: "Fokker E.III" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["fokker-aircraft", "1910s-german-fighter-aircraft", "single-engined-tractor-aircraft", "mid-wing-aircraft", "aircraft-first-flown-in-1915", "rotary-engined-aircraft"] description: "Fighter aircraft used in World War I" topic_path: "geography/germany" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fokker_E.III" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Fighter aircraft used in World War I ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox aircraft"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Fokker E.III |
| image | Fokker Eindecker takeoff profile view.jpg |
| caption | Fokker E.III taking off |
| type | Fighter |
| manufacturer | Fokker-Flugzeugwerke |
| designer | Anthony Fokker |
| first_flight | 1915 |
| introduction | December 1915 |
| primary_user | [[File:Cross-Pattee-alternate3.svg |
| produced | 1915-1916 |
| number_built | 249 |
| variants | Fokker E.I - Fokker E.II |
| :: |
|name = Fokker E.III |image = Fokker Eindecker takeoff profile view.jpg |caption = Fokker E.III taking off |type = Fighter |manufacturer = Fokker-Flugzeugwerke |designer = Anthony Fokker |first_flight = 1915 |introduction = December 1915 |retired = |status = |primary_user =[[File:Cross-Pattee-alternate3.svg|12px]] Luftstreitkräfte |more_users = |produced = 1915-1916 |number_built = 249 |variants = Fokker E.I - Fokker E.II ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Fokker_E.111_(M.14V)monoplane_downed_behind_Allied_lines_in_France_in_WWI(29419242013).jpg" caption="Fokker E.III (M.14V) downed in France during WWI"] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Fokker_EIII_210-16.jpg" caption="Upavon]], [[Wiltshire]], in 1916."] ::
The Fokker E.III was the main variant of the Eindecker (literally meaning "one wing") fighter aircraft of World War I. It entered service on the Western Front in December 1915 and was also supplied to Austria-Hungary and Turkey.
Design and development
The E.III was basically an E.II fitted with larger, newly designed wings that had a slightly narrower chord of 1.80 meters ( in), compared to 1.88 meters (74 in) on the earlier Eindeckers, going back to Fokker's original M.5 monoplane aircraft. The E.III retained the same 75 kW (100 hp) Oberursel U.I engine, and therefore also used the larger-diameter "horseshoe" pattern cowling that also mandated the inclusion of the E.II's soffit-like extensions to the sides of the upper nose sheet metalwork, but had a larger 81 L (21.5 gal) drum-shaped main fuel tank just behind the cockpit, which increased the Eindeckers endurance to about hours, an hour more than the E.II. Most E.IIIs were armed with a single 7.92 mm (.312 in) Spandau LMG 08 machine gun with 500 rounds of ammunition; however, after the failure of the twin-gun Fokker E.IV as a viable successor, some E.IIIs were fitted with twin guns.
Fokker production figures state that 249 E.IIIs were manufactured; however, a number of the 49 E.IIs were upgraded to E.III standard when they were returned to Fokker's Schwerin factory for repairs.
Operational history
The E.III was the first type to arrive in sufficient numbers to form small specialist fighter units, Kampfeinsitzer Kommandos (KEK) in early 1916. Previously, Eindeckers had been allocated singly, just as the E.I and E.II had been, to the front-line Feldflieger Abteilungen that carried out reconnaissance duties. On 10 August 1916, the first German Jagdstaffeln (single-seat fighter squadrons) were formed, initially equipped with various early fighter types, including a few E.IIIs, which were by then outmoded and being replaced by more modern fighters. Standardisation in the Jagdstaffeln (and any real success) had to wait for the availability in numbers of the Albatros D.I and Albatros D.II in early 1917.
Turkish E.IIIs were based at Beersheba in Palestine while others operated in Mesopotamia during the Siege of Kut-al-Amara.
Surviving aircraft
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Fokker_E.III_Eindecker_(210-16)_(19036419251).jpg" caption="''Eindecker'' ''210/16'', in the Science Museum, London (2015)"] ::
The only known surviving original Eindecker, bearing IdFlieg serial number 210/16, was brought down in the Somme area in 1916 by the British and then evaluated by the War Office until it was transferred to the London Science Museum in 1918. It is currently on display fully assembled, but with its fabric covering removed to illustrate its internal construction.
Operators
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Fokker_E.III_-_Machova.jpg" caption="Fokker E.III replica"] ::
;Austria-Hungary
- Kaiserliche und Königliche Luftfahrtruppen
- Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine ;
- Bulgarian Air Force ;German Empire
- Luftstreitkräfte
- Kaiserliche Marine
- Marine-Fliegerabteilung ;Ottoman Empire
- Ottoman aviation squadrons were supplied with 22 E.III aircraft.
Specifications (E.III)
|ref=German Aircraft of the First World War |prime units?=met met(ric) first for all others. You MUST choose a format, or no specifications will show -- General characteristics
|genhide=
|crew=1 |capacity= |length m=7.2 |length ft= |length in= |length note= |span m=9.52 |span ft= |span in= |span note= |upper span m= |upper span ft= |upper span in= |upper span note= |mid span m= |mid span ft= |mid span in= |mid span note= |lower span m= |lower span ft= |lower span in= |lower span note= |swept m= |swept ft= |swept in= |swept note= |dia m= |dia ft= |dia in= |dia note= |width m= |width ft= |width in= |width note= |height m=2.4 |height ft= |height in= |height note= |wing area sqm=16 |wing area sqft= |wing area note= |swept area sqm= |swept area sqft= |swept area note= |volume m3= |volume ft3= |volume note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil= |empty weight kg=399 |empty weight lb= |empty weight note= |gross weight kg=610 |gross weight lb= |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight kg= |max takeoff weight lb= |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity= |lift kg= |lift lb= |lift note= |more general= Powerplant
|eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=Oberursel U.I |eng1 type=9-cyl. rotary engine |eng1 kw= |eng1 hp=100 |eng1 shp= |eng1 kn= |eng1 lbf= |eng1 note= |power original= |thrust original= |eng1 kn-ab= |eng1 lbf-ab=
|eng2 number= |eng2 name= |eng2 type= |eng2 kw= |eng2 hp= |eng2 shp= |eng2 kn= |eng2 lbf= |eng2 note= |eng2 kn-ab= |eng2 lbf-ab=
|eng3 number= |eng3 name= |eng3 type= |eng3 kw= |eng3 hp= |eng3 shp= |eng3 kn= |eng3 lbf= |eng3 note= |eng3 kn-ab= |eng3 lbf-ab= |more power=
|prop blade number= |prop name= |prop dia m= |prop dia ft= |prop dia in= |prop dia note=
|rot number= |rot dia m= |rot dia ft= |rot dia in= |rot area sqm= |rot area sqft= |rot area note= Performance
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=140 |max speed mph= |max speed kts= |max speed note= |max speed mach= |cruise speed kmh= |cruise speed mph= |cruise speed kts= |cruise speed note= |stall speed kmh= |stall speed mph= |stall speed kts= |stall speed note= |never exceed speed kmh= |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed kts= |never exceed speed note= |minimum control speed kmh= |minimum control speed mph= |minimum control speed kts= |minimum control speed note= |range km= |range miles= |range nmi= |range note= |combat range km= |combat range miles= |combat range nmi= |combat range note= |ferry range km= |ferry range miles= |ferry range nmi= |ferry range note= |endurance=1.5 hours |ceiling m= |ceiling ft=11,810 |ceiling note= |g limits= |roll rate= |glide ratio= |climb rate ms=3.3 |climb rate ftmin= |climb rate note= |time to altitude=
- 1,000 m in 5 minutes
- 3,000 m in 30 minutes |sink rate ms= |sink rate ftmin= |sink rate note= |lift to drag= |wing loading kg/m2= |wing loading lb/sqft= |wing loading note= |disk loading kg/m2= |disk loading lb/sqft= |disk loading note= |fuel consumption kg/km= |fuel consumption lb/mi= |power/mass= |thrust/weight=
|more performance= Armament
|guns=1 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) LMG 08/15 machine gun offset to starboard, synchronised to fire through the propeller. |bombs= |rockets= |missiles= |hardpoints= |hardpoint capacity= |hardpoint rockets= |hardpoint missiles= |hardpoint bombs= |hardpoint other=
|avionics=
References
Bibliography
References
- "Science Museum Group Collection".
- Gray, Peter. (1970). "German Aircraft of the First World War". Putnam & Company Ltd..
- Winchester, 12
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