German aircraft of World War I
21 photos of eight types of fighter or scout. Some are preserved originals, some are replicas.
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Fokker E.III 210/16, Science Museum, London, 26 April 2013. This is the only original Eindecker to survive. It was captured after its pilot mistakenly landed behind British lines in April 1916. The aircraft flew comparative trials against various Royal Flying Corps types. By this time, the Airco DH. 2 and Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2, along with the French Nieuport 11, had entered service. They out-classed the Eindecker; the 'Fokker scourge' was finished.
![Replica Fokker E.III [417/15], Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum, Germany, 21 March 2013. The Fokker Eindecker (= monoplane) dominated air warfare from summer 1915 until early 1916, a period known to Allied pilots as the 'Fokker scourge.' The Eindecker was the first purpose-built German fighter, and the first fighter in which the pilot aimed his gun by aiming his aircraft. This was achieved by the use of interrrupter gear which allowed its machine gun to fire through the propellor arc without hitting the propellor blades. 249 E IIIs were built. German ace Boelcke scored 19 of his 40 victories in an Eindecker, and Immelmann all his 15.](https://photos.smugmug.com/Aviation-Germany/German-aircraft-of-World-War-I/i-SfZ4XQ6/0/528969ec/Ti/F3_2013-03-21_0826nc11inw-Ti.jpg)
![Fokker DR.I [204/17?], Speyer Technik Museum, Germany, 19 March 2013. According to the museum, this is an original aircraft, which flew with Jasta 2 (Jagd Staffel = Fighter squadron 2). But other sources say that no original Dr.1s survive.](https://photos.smugmug.com/Aviation-Germany/German-aircraft-of-World-War-I/i-gj9DRjM/0/e5a26a8c/Ti/F6_2013-03-19_1140nc11inw-Ti.jpg)
