Time Period: World War I
Country of Origin: Germany
Type: Monoplane, Fighter Aircraft
Manufacturer: Fokker
Fokker Eindecker I Aircraft Overview
During World War I, the Fliegertruppe of the Deutsche Heer deployed the Fokker E.I as its first fighter aircraft. Midway through 1915, when it arrived at the front, the “Fokker Scourge” began, during which the E.I. and its successors gained some kind of air superiority over the Western Front.
Dutch engineer Anthony Fokker 🔗 created a line of German World War I monoplane single-seat fighter aircraft known as the Fokker Eindecker fighters. The first Eindecker (“Monoplane“), which was created in April 1915, was the first German fighter aircraft made specifically for combat. It was also the first aircraft to be equipped with synchronization gear, which allowed the pilot to fire a machine gun through the arc of the propeller without hitting the blades. From July 1915 through the beginning of 1916, the Eindecker provided the German Army’s Air Service 🔗 (then the Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches) with a certain level of air superiority. The “Fokker Scourge” was a time when Allied pilots referred to their inadequately armed aircraft as “Fokker Fodder.”
Operational History
The Fokker E.I made its combat debut in the summer of 1915 and quickly shifted the balance of power in the skies. Its introduction marked the beginning of the “Fokker Scourge,” a period during which German pilots flying the Eindecker dominated Allied aircraft, which were mostly unarmed or equipped with less effective forward-firing guns.
The aircraft was used primarily by German aces like Max Immelmann 🔗 and Oswald Boelcke 🔗, who became some of the first fighter aces in history using the E.I’s revolutionary technology. The effectiveness of the E.I prompted a rapid response from the Allies, who hurried to develop their own synchronized fighters to counter the Eindecker threat.
Limitations and Legacy
While the Fokker E.I was a revolutionary aircraft, it had its limitations. The aircraft was relatively slow and had mediocre maneuverability compared to later fighters. It was also difficult to fly, especially for inexperienced pilots, due to its rotary engine’s unique handling characteristics.
Despite these drawbacks, the E.I’s impact on aerial warfare was profound. It demonstrated the effectiveness of armed fighters in gaining air superiority and set the standard for future fighter aircraft. The Fokker E.I’s synchronization gear was a key technological milestone that spurred rapid advancements in fighter design on both sides of the conflict.
Fokker Eindecker I Specifications
- Crew: 1 pilot
- Length: 7.22 meters (23 feet 8 inches)
- Wingspan: 8.85 meters (29 feet 0 inches)
- Height: 2.9 meters (9 feet 6 inches)
- Wing Area: 15.9 square meters (171 square feet)
- Empty Weight: 360 kg (794 pounds)
- Gross Weight: 563 kg (1,241 pounds)
- Engine: 1 × Motorenfabrik Oberursel U.0, a 7-cylinder air-cooled rotary engine (a clone of the Gnome Lambda engine) producing 60 kW (80 hp)
- Propeller: 2-bladed fixed-pitch wooden propeller with a diameter ranging from 2.3 to 2.5 meters (7 feet 7 inches to 8 feet 2 inches)
Fokker Eindecker I Performance
- Maximum Speed: 130 km/h (81 mph, 70 knots)
- Cruise Speed: 110 km/h (68 mph, 59 knots)
- Range: 198 km (123 miles, 107 nautical miles)
- Service Ceiling: 3,000 meters (9,800 feet)
- Climb Time to Altitude: Reaches 2,000 meters (6,562 feet) in 20 minutes
Fokker Eindecker I Armament
- Guns: 1 × forward-firing 7.92 mm (0.312 in) Spandau lMG 08 machine gun (prototypes were equipped with one Parabellum MG14 M/G).
