Albatros German WWI Fighter | Curator on the Loose! 

Regardless performance characteristics, the Albatros D.V (& D.Va) along with the Pfalz D.III (& D.IIIa) were inarguably two of the most aesthetically handsome designs from The Great War period to my eyes.

It's amazing to think about how quickly we went from not knowing we could take to the air like this to the machines developed for WW1. Just a little over 10 years from first taking flight to a race for air superiority.

Here in my country Austria 🇦🇹 a man built the last Albatross version a few years ago but the old Austrian version with stronger wings. The original old Austrian version had a better and stronger engine. It was the Austrian Daimler engine. The new rebuilt plane now has a original unused engine from Germany and it flys very well. Greetings from Linz Austria 🇦🇹 Europe!

Thanks for talking to us like we're 6 year Olds!

I love the way Americans can explain things simply, enthusiastically and interestingly,, many of us Brits tend to be stuffy when doing stuff like this with no real enthusiasm to enthral an audience.

I’ve gone there 3 times and I still want to go again!!!

You forgot to add that D.Va differed from D.V in aileron control system - on D.V, the aileron linkage were put through the upper wing, but on D.Va this was reverted to the D.I, D.II and D.III original system throught the lower wing.

I built a model of the Albatross as it had some great colour schemes. I was always captivated by the stories of wing loss, as I remember on occasions this would be caused by a steep dive.

The V-brace, which reduced windage and air resistance, did not stabilize the lower wind in the same way that two separate fore and aft braces did. Thus the wing was subject to twist and break free from the lower end of the V-brace in hard maneuvers. That little additional brace from the forward wing edge up to the V-brace solved the issue for the most part.

I really like Matthew's enthusiasm in these presentations. No matter the plane he doesn't rubbish the design even though the plane isn't an American design. He'll highlight the good, the bad and indifferent aspects though............I've mailed a link to a friend with a funny title [as I'm going to with this one] , like meet my mate "Albert Ross"..... Linking into Matthew highlighting the wooden construction. Bear in mind 20 years later in the second world war. De Havilland introduce the Mosquito a plane where pretty well only metal parts were the engines and machine guns. They turned the Fuhrer's fat friend and colleague of the "Red Baron", Herman Goring green and blue with envy......

FYI the wing coming off problem was solved by the Pfalz company in the Pfalz D-III/IIIa. they put about a foot of space between the lower end of the struts with metal in between. It completely solved the problem of the lower wing flexing or twisting, and they were known for their exceptional dive performance.

Excellent tutorial..

Don't ever stop doing what you do Matthew always love your videos!

The Oeffag Austrian-Hungarian D 3 220 hp was supposedly the best albatross, with the wing issue dealt with from the beginning.

The C 2 observation Albatross was vicious in itself...a hair slower with a crew of 2, it mounted a Parabellum LMG for the observer...Pilots attacked enemy aircraft on ocasion using the Observer to cover the rear against suprises,...NOT one I'd e eager to go up against, myself...Everything I've read says the C 2's could hold their own..

In my country Austria a man built the same plane by himself! 🇦🇹😎👍

It's good to see that Commander Data from Independence Day found something to do after the whole alien invasion thing...

Brilliant!.......Ta!

The auxiliary brace on the interplane struts is a bit of a red herring. They can be found (and NOT found) on DIII's, DV's and DVa's. The easiest way to distinguish between the DV and the DVa is by the aileron control cable set up.

I preferred the Pfalz Diii but the Albatros was a good-looking plane, too.

THX for explaining all the beauties. 👌

Pretty good flair and showmanship. That's what we need in these videos. So many of these videos are some hotshot talking as fast as he can like we had to hear it. That just doesn't work. This is a true show presentation.

Please more Great War episodes!!! If ever I win the lottery I'm asking Peter Jackson's team to make me with a D.III or D.V. The trilogy of books on the air war by Peter Hart are second to none if you want a good in depth history and first hand accounts. Thanks for another great episode

Hi! I love these videos and i learned a lot form them. Thanks so much for doing them. I was wondering if you could do a video with the b29 at the museum. I have always been curious about the history of that b29 specifically and if you guys have any interest in restoring it to flying condition, making a third flyable b29.

Is the one at the museum air worthy?

I see you got my aircraft from the Champlain Fighter Aircraft Museum- I want it back! 🤣

Love this guy and his enthusiasm. . .but Jasta is pronounced "yah-sta," no "J" sound. The "Jagd" in Jagdstaffel (Jasta is short for Jagdstaffel) is German for hunt, which has no "j" sound.

Why is the dragon on this example missing the end of the tail? Most all other depictions of Flashar/von Hipple's aircraft I've seen have the tail ending in that lovely tree on the vertical stab.

Quick comment, it's pronounced "Yasta", not Jasta... Otherwise, great content, 5 stars! :)

How many of these did Snoopy shoot down?

Niuport 11 had a single spar in the lover wing and Albatros adopt that desing by making single steel tube spar to lover wing. Didint take torsional loads.

It was a Frenchman who invented a primitive mechanism for firing through the propeller. He proposed his system to senior French and British officers but they were too stuffy to embrace the change. The Frenchman Roland-Garros was finally shot down after a number of victories and Anthony Fokker (who designed the German aeroplanes) who put it into the Eindekker.

The Austrians used thicker ribs & spar flanges to strengthen the wings of their Albatros as well as rounding off the nose and removing the spinner. This increased aerodynamic & propeller efficency. So the Australia aircraft were faster and stronger. Though their schwarzlose machine guns were less reliable. Most polish Albatros were Austrian not german models.

ares games makes a 1/144 scale version of von hipples DVA for its "wings of glory" aerial combat game. a very addicting game if youre into aviation history i might add. most every time i "fly" von hipples mini i either set my opponent on fire, or i set myself on fire lol. damn fickle dragon!

Jasta is pronounced Yasta...and the D 5 and 5a were such crap the Red Baron repeatedly complained to the Inspector of the Flying Troops that they were totally outclassed by virtually every Allied Scout...

TALKS LIKE WE ARE 10 YEAR OLDS!!!!!!!!!!

Can u please use the metric system

530.

Albatross became Focke Wulf, Otto became Messerschmidt and Fokker became North American Aviation

Enjoyed. You need to advertise.

You're mispronouncing "Fokker". Its not pronounced "Folk-er" but "Fokker" with the "o" sounding the same way as in the word "dog".

Comments...( some) suck..some complimentary... good content..well explained which can be received as condescending...but I did not get that vibe....anyway..ww1 not my favorite era...but interesting.

The only original Albatros in existence is in the Australian War Museum in Canberra. Still looks amazing

We didn't call it the folker scourge guys.

Love the aircraft, but do you have to talk as if we are all 4 years old?

"Luckily"... I guess that depends on who you ask, lol.

It got, 2.89MPG right on lol. Compared to today's fighters, 0.4--0.8MPG on average lol.

The background music is such a pain pls no music

Beautiful machine. Pothead's annoying tho.

The narrator reeks of condescension. Try talking to adults. Some of his information is incorrect. Such as the DIII, DV and DVa, flying to wars end. He hasn't heard of the Amerika Programme, the addition of 40 Jastas to the German Air Force. The Albatross flew to wars end, because it was available. The braces to the front wing were retrofitted to ALL Albatross models. (DIII, DV, DVa) The main differance between the DV and DVa was aileron cable routing. I can go on. But, look it up for yourselves.

Never knew the german imperial army used NATO 7.92 rounds for their machine guns. Seriously who is this fool and how did he get his job?

The Iendecker was actually a POS! The ONLY thing it had going for it was the synchronized MG. It's climb rate was horrible. It stalled easily .. And it's turn rate sucked.

Is this for 10 year olds? I could watch it if he he was edited out...

Not probounced "jasta", it's pronounced like a y, or yasta.

The aeroplanes are very interesting, which unfortunately cannot be said of the over-excited and over-acting presenter. What a pity.

Until the end of WWII....the Germans were always cutting edge in design, performance, and beyond the pail thinking and technology. Thats why American brought all their scientists to America.

No we didn't, we called it the"FOKKER scourge"...