Private Fokker E.III Eindecker

Additional Information:

The Fokker E.III was the primary variant of the Eindecker (“one deck”) fighter aircraft of World War I. The aircraft entered service on the German Western Front in December of 1915 and was also supplied to Austria-Hungary and to Turkey.

The E.III was a modified E.II model with larger, newly designed wings compared to the earlier Eindeckers, going back to Fokker’s original M.5 monoplane aircraft. The E.III retained the same 100 hp Oberursel U.I engine, had a larger 21.5 gallon drum-shaped main fuel tank just behind the cockpit, which increased the Eindecker’s endurance to about 2-1⁄2 hours, an hour more than the E.II. The aircraft was armed with a single .312 inch Spandau LMG 08 machine gun with 500 rounds of ammunition but some E.IIIs were fitted with twin guns.

Fokker produced 249 E.IIIs however a large number of the 49 E.IIs were upgraded to E.III standard when they were returned to Fokker’s Schwerin factory for repairs.

The E.III was on static display and flew in a mock-dog fight with a Nieuport 17 and a Sopwith Pup during the 1964 Armed Forces Day display at Kirtland AFB.