e Aviatik (Berg) D.I was the first indigenous fighter aircraft built in Austro-Hungary. Oberingenieur Julius von Berg (hence the name "Berg"), appointed as head designer at the Aviatik company, designed the first prototype late 1916. Work on the prototype began in August 1916, while the first flight of the Aviatik (Berg) DI prototype, marked 30.14, took place at 16th October 1916 at Aspern, unfortunately killing the test pilot.
Further modifications were made, and three more prototypes of the Aviatik D.I were manufactured, labeled 30.19 (for tests on the ground), 30.20 (for tests in flight) and 30.21 (as a reserve airframe). Tests of the modified aircrafts were positive and the first unit to receive the first serial batch of the Aviatik D.I was Fluggeschwader I (FLG I, later to be renamed to Flik 101G) on the Divacca airfield (Italy).
In many respects, the D.I was allegedly a good combat aircraft compared to its contemporaries. It was a reasonably fast aircraft, possessing excellent flying characteristics and maneuverability, and could reach higher altitudes than most of its adversaries.
Despite those desirable features, the new Aviatik fighter wasn't greeted with enthusiasm when it entered service in autumn 1917, as the type also had some serious defects which didn't endear it to its pilots.The D.I had a roomy and comfortable cockpit but the forward field of vision was so poor that the pilot had to lean out of the cockpit to aim the guns.The early aircraft had structural deficiencies and their machine guns were installed beyond the reach of the pilot. So if they jammed, there was nothing the pilot could do about it. While the original Aviatik D.I design was sound, the Series 115 aircraft license-produced by the Lohner firm at Wien-Floridsdorf were notorious for failures along the wing trailing edges during high speed maneuvers. Lohner had deviated from Aviatik specifications by employing thinner, lighter wing ribs. These problems were later rectified with the strengthening of the airframe and the repositioning of the guns. The engines tended to overheat far too easily. To alleviate the cooling problems, operational units tended to fly their aircraft without the engine's top panels.
The Austro-Hungarian aviation units used the D.I widely until the end of the First World War on Eastern, Italian and Balkan fronts, mainly as an escort for reconnaissance aircraft but also as fighters, even though most of the fighter units preferred the Albatros D.III for air superiority. The D.I represented over 40% of fighters in use by the Austro-Hungarian Air Force in the last year of the war.
Some 677 units, comprised of 16 different production versions, were delivered by October 1918. The 138 series which this model represents was 43% of the total production.
The Aviatik (Berg) DI was manufactured under license by a number of subcontractors.
Aviatik built the 38, 138, 238 and 338 series
Lohner built the 115 and 315 series
LLoyd manufactured the 48, 248 and 348 series.
MAG built the 84 and 92 series
Thone & Fiala manufactured the 101 and 201 series
WKF built the 184, 284 and 384 series.
The major differences between the series were the various power of its Austro-Daimler engines, structural modifications, gun modifications and radiator modifications.
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The model, textures. panel and air files are by Captain Kurt. The pilot figures were developed from Wolfi's freeware Japanese pilot .fsc source file. The prop spinning texture is by Kelticheart.
Gauges are by Martin Klein with texture change outs by Captain Kurt, .
Further modifications were made, and three more prototypes of the Aviatik D.I were manufactured, labeled 30.19 (for tests on the ground), 30.20 (for tests in flight) and 30.21 (as a reserve airframe). Tests of the modified aircrafts were positive and the first unit to receive the first serial batch of the Aviatik D.I was Fluggeschwader I (FLG I, later to be renamed to Flik 101G) on the Divacca airfield (Italy).
In many respects, the D.I was allegedly a good combat aircraft compared to its contemporaries. It was a reasonably fast aircraft, possessing excellent flying characteristics and maneuverability, and could reach higher altitudes than most of its adversaries.
Despite those desirable features, the new Aviatik fighter wasn't greeted with enthusiasm when it entered service in autumn 1917, as the type also had some serious defects which didn't endear it to its pilots.The D.I had a roomy and comfortable cockpit but the forward field of vision was so poor that the pilot had to lean out of the cockpit to aim the guns.The early aircraft had structural deficiencies and their machine guns were installed beyond the reach of the pilot. So if they jammed, there was nothing the pilot could do about it. While the original Aviatik D.I design was sound, the Series 115 aircraft license-produced by the Lohner firm at Wien-Floridsdorf were notorious for failures along the wing trailing edges during high speed maneuvers. Lohner had deviated from Aviatik specifications by employing thinner, lighter wing ribs. These problems were later rectified with the strengthening of the airframe and the repositioning of the guns. The engines tended to overheat far too easily. To alleviate the cooling problems, operational units tended to fly their aircraft without the engine's top panels.
The Austro-Hungarian aviation units used the D.I widely until the end of the First World War on Eastern, Italian and Balkan fronts, mainly as an escort for reconnaissance aircraft but also as fighters, even though most of the fighter units preferred the Albatros D.III for air superiority. The D.I represented over 40% of fighters in use by the Austro-Hungarian Air Force in the last year of the war.
Some 677 units, comprised of 16 different production versions, were delivered by October 1918. The 138 series which this model represents was 43% of the total production.
The Aviatik (Berg) DI was manufactured under license by a number of subcontractors.
Aviatik built the 38, 138, 238 and 338 series
Lohner built the 115 and 315 series
LLoyd manufactured the 48, 248 and 348 series.
MAG built the 84 and 92 series
Thone & Fiala manufactured the 101 and 201 series
WKF built the 184, 284 and 384 series.
The major differences between the series were the various power of its Austro-Daimler engines, structural modifications, gun modifications and radiator modifications.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The model, textures. panel and air files are by Captain Kurt. The pilot figures were developed from Wolfi's freeware Japanese pilot .fsc source file. The prop spinning texture is by Kelticheart.
Gauges are by Martin Klein with texture change outs by Captain Kurt, .
