Fokker's chief designer,
Reinhold Platz, had been working on a series of experimental V-series aircraft,
starting in 1916. The aircraft were notable for the use of
cantilever wings.
Hugo Junkers and
his aviation firm had originated the idea in 1915 with the first practical all-metal aircraft, the
Junkers J 1 monoplane, nicknamed
Blechesel (Sheet Metal Donkey or Tin Donkey). The wings were thick, with a rounded leading edge. The shape of the wings'
airfoil gave greater lift, with its relatively "blunt" leading edge (as seen in cross-section) giving it more docile
stalling behavior than the thin wings commonly in use. Late in 1917, Fokker built the experimental
V 11 biplane, fitted with the standard
Mercedes D.IIIa engine. In January 1918,
Idflieg held a fighter competition at
Adlershof. For the first time, front line pilots participated in the evaluation and selection of new fighters. Fokker submitted the V 11 along with several other prototypes.
Manfred von Richthofen flew the V 11 and found it tricky, unpleasant and directionally unstable in a dive. Platz lengthened the rear fuselage by one structural bay and added a triangular fin in front of the rudder. Richthofen tested the modified V 11 and praised it as the best aircraft of the competition. It offered excellent performance from the outdated Mercedes engine, yet was safe and easy to fly. Richthofen's recommendation virtually decided the competition, but he was not alone in recommending it. Fokker immediately received a provisional order for 400 production aircraft, which were named
D.VII by
Idflieg. Fokker's factory was not up to the task of meeting all D.VII production orders and
Idflieg directed
Albatros and
AEG to build the D.VII under license, though AEG did not ultimately produce any aircraft. Because the Fokker factory did not use detailed plans as part of its production process, Fokker simply sent a D.VII
airframe for Albatros to copy. Albatros paid Fokker a five percent royalty for every D.VII it built under license. Albatros Flugzeugwerke and its subsidiary, Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke (OAW), built the D.VII at factories in
Johannisthal [Fokker D.VII (Alb)] and
Schneidemühl [Fokker D.VII (OAW)] respectively. Aircraft markings included the type designation and factory suffix, immediately before the individual serial number. Some parts were not interchangeable between aircraft produced at different factories, even between Albatros and OAW. Each manufacturer tended to differ in both nose paint styles and the patterning and layout of their engine compartment cooling
louvers on the sides of the nose. OAW produced examples were delivered with distinctive mauve and green splotches on the cowling. All D.VIIs were produced with either the five-color
Fünffarbiger or less often, the four-color
Vierfarbiger lozenge camouflage covering, except for early Fokker-produced D.VIIs, which had a streaked green fuselage. Factory camouflage finishes were often overpainted with colorful paint schemes or insignia for the
Jasta or for a pilot. In September 1918, eight D.VIIs were delivered to Bulgaria. Late in 1918, the
Austro-Hungarian company
Magyar Általános Gépgyár (
MÁG, Hungarian General Machine Company) commenced licensed production of the D.VII with
Austro-Daimler engines. Production continued after the end of the war, with as many as 50 aircraft completed.
Powerplants The earliest production D.VIIs were equipped with 170–180 hp Mercedes D.IIIa. Production quickly switched to the intended standard engine, the higher-compression 134 kW (180–200 hp)
Mercedes D.IIIaü. Some early production D.VIIs delivered with the Mercedes D.IIIa were later re-engined with the D.IIIaü. By mid-1918, some D.VIIs received the "overcompressed" 138 kW (185 hp)
BMW IIIa, the first product of the
BMW firm. The BMW IIIa followed the
SOHC,
straight-six configuration of the Mercedes D.III but incorporated several improvements. Increased displacement, higher compression and an altitude-adjusting carburettor produced a marked increase in speed and climb rate at high altitude. Because the BMW IIIa was overcompressed, using full throttle at altitudes below risked premature detonation in the cylinders and damage to the engine. At low altitudes, full throttle could produce up to 179 kW (240 hp) for a short time. Fokker-built aircraft with the new BMW engine were called D.VII(F), the suffix "F" standing for
Max Friz, the engine designer. BMW-engined aircraft entered service with
Jasta 11 in late June 1918. Pilots clamored for the D.VII(F), of which about 750 were built. Production of the BMW IIIa was limited and the D.VII continued to be produced with the 134 kW (180 hp) Mercedes D.IIIaü until the end of the war. D.VIIs flew with different propeller designs from different manufacturers. Despite the variations there is no indication these propellers gave disparate performance. Axial, Wolff, Wotan, and Heine propellers have been noted. ==Operational history==