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E.III
Fokker E.III taking off
Type	Fighter
Manufacturer	Fokker
Designed by	Anthony Fokker
Maiden flight	1915
Primary user	Imperial German Army Air Service
Produced	1915-1916
Number built	249
Variants	Fokker E.I - Fokker E.II

The Fokker E.III was the main variant of the Dutch Fokker Eendekker fighter aircraft of the First World War. It was the first type to arrive in sufficient numbers to form small specialist fighter units, Kampfeinsitzer Kommandos (KEK) in early 1916 — previously Eindeckers were allocated singly to the front-line Feldflieger Abteilungen that carried out reconnaissance duties. On 10 August, 1916, the first German Jagdstaffeln (single-seat fighter squadrons) were formed, initially equipped with various early fighter types, including a few E.IIIs, which were by then outmoded and being replaced by more modern fighters. Standardisation in the Jagdstaffeln (and any real success) had to wait for the availability in numbers of the Albatros D.I and Albatros D.II in early 1917.

The E.III was basically an E.II fitted with larger, newly designed wings and it was a far greater success than the E.II. It retained the same 100 hp Oberursel U.I engine but had a larger 21.5 gal main fuel tank which increased the Eindecker's endurance to about 2½ hours; an hour more than the E.II. Most E.IIIs were armed with a single Spandau LMG 08 machine gun with 500 rounds of ammunition however after the failure of the twin-gun Fokker E.IV as a viable successor, some E.IIIs were fitted with twin guns.

Fokker production figures state that 249 E.IIIs were manufactured however a 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 entered service on the Western Front in December 1915 and was also supplied to the Kaiserliche Marine and to Austria-Hungary for service with the army and navy. Turkey was supplied with 22 E.IIIs, some of which were based at Beersheba in Palestine while others operated in Mesopotamia during the Siege of Kut-al-Amara.

• Austria-Hungary
• Germany
• Turkey

General characteristics

• Crew: one, pilot
• Length: 7.30 m (23 ft 11 in)
• Wingspan: 9.52 m (31 ft 3 in)
• Height: 2.89 m (9 ft 6 in)
• Empty weight: 500 kg (1,100 lb)
• Loaded weight: 635 kg (1,400 lb)
• Powerplant: 1× Oberursel U.I 9-cylinder air-cooled rotary engine, 100 hp (75 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 134 km/h (83 mph)
• Range: 220 mi (360 km)
• Service ceiling: 3,500 m (11,500 ft)
• Endurance : 2 hr 45 min

Armament

• 1 or 2 × 7.92 mm (0.31 in) Spandau LMG 08 machine guns

Related development

Fokker E.II - Fokker E.IV

Comparable aircraft

Morane-Saulnier Type N

Designation sequence

E.I - E.II - E.III - E.IV - E.V

Related lists

List of military aircraft of Germany

See also