The Fastest Fighter in WWI

I have read at various places that either the Spad XIII or the SE5a were the fastest fighter of that period.

Anyone have any opinions?

[Elfen]

The Spad is the faster plane, though its flight characteristics were least to be desired (high stall speed, thin wings with low lift, etc...). The SE5a was a more forgiving aircraft, though some pilots hated it.

Stats on the Spad XIII
http://www.theaerodrome.com/aircraft...spad_xiii.html

Stats on the SE5a
http://www.theaerodrome.com/aircraft...n/raf_se5.html

[Brad]

Originally Posted by Elfen

The Spad is the faster plane, though its flight characteristics were least to be desired (high stall speed, thin wings with low lift, etc...). The SE5a was a more forgiving aircraft, though some pilots hated it.

Stats on the Spad XIII
http://www.theaerodrome.com/aircraft...spad_xiii.html

Stats on the SE5a
http://www.theaerodrome.com/aircraft...n/raf_se5.html

The Germans had one almost as fast... in 1915!

The Junkers JII (EI was the military designation I THINK, might have been EII)

Brad

[Tedders]

The Savoia-Verduzio-Ansaldo (SVA)5 was rather quick: 143 mh when everything worked right (as can be said for all the machines of that period). This was at sea-level. But the endurance! Four hours!!

Fly laughing!
Tedders

Hard to answer that question as, speed is not absolute, it is contextual to the altitude it is rated at, in addition to any reporting errors or measuring instrument innacuracies.

For example, the Bristol M1c did 130 mph in 1916, at sea level. However, speed fell off rapidly at higher altitude due to the rotary engine.

F=MA

[Vin]

Monoplanes should have the edge as is illustrated by the Bristol M1c being capable of 130 mph in 1916-1917. The surprise, even having regard to the difference in engine power, is the D V111 which was not only a monoplane but considerably lighter than the D V11 yet slower. l

[Southside Bucky]

Originally Posted by Brad

The Germans had one almost as fast... in 1915!

The Junkers JII (EI was the military designation I THINK, might have been EII)

Brad

The British had one (and only one) in June 1914!

The SE4. Top speed: 135mph...Fastest plane in the world at the time!

Regards.

Bucky.

No surprise the D VIII was a slug. It didn't get a powerplant even worth mentioning. You can't go fast w/o horsepower. It's all about power to weight baby, more wings need more power but less power kills any wing configuration.

F=MA

[Taz]

F=MA- The D.VII with the BMW engine had 185 hp at sea level and 260 hp at altitude and was more than a match for any allied fighter. The thick wing profile Fokker learned from Junkers generated more lift and less drag than contemporary thin winged designs. The lack of bracing wires also gave it an advantage in drag. That is a few of the reasons why the D.VII ended up with more victories than any other WW-I figher and why it was the only aircraft required to be turned in in totality after the war. The overcompressed Mercedes engined models did just fine, also, for the same reasons.

Taz
Terry Phillips

D VIII as in D "8", Taz. That girl got a similar rotary salad spinner to the DR.1., a little out of touch by 1918, I'd say.

F=MA