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The Austro-Hungarian branch of the German Aviatik Company was established in 1914 and produced German designs under license in the early years of World War I. In 1917, the firm's chief engineer, Julius von Berg, designed the two-seat C.I observation aircraft and the single-seat D.I fighter. The D.I, often known as the "Berg Scout," was the first Austrian-designed fighter plane ever built. It entered service in May 1917, and by the end of the war, 677 D.I aircraft had been produced, built by Aviatik and five other manufacturers. The D.I represented over 40% of fighters in use by the Austro-Hungarian Air Force in the last year of the war.
The D.I suffered early difficulties before proving itself to be a competent aircraft. Early D.I aircraft incorporated two side-radiators, which were found to be inadequate; over time, several large, car-style designs were installed in the nose to improve cooling. Gun synchronization, which allowed firing through the propeller arc, also proved problematic. Early D.Is had a top wing-mounted gun that was difficult to aim while maneuvering in combat. Another odd design quirk was the use of a control wheel for pilot input; this was soon replaced with a more conventional fighter stick. Upgraded D.1s also incorporated strengthened structural components that had been implemented to address wing problems with its sister-type C.I.
The D.I ultimately found favor with most pilots. Its fuselage was constructed narrow and deep, with the pilot sitting high in the seat with good visibility in most directions. It had excellent flying characteristics and superior climb performance. In its final configuration, D.I armament consisted of two Schwarzlose machine guns with improved interrupter gear, thus resolving the synchronization issues of firing through the propeller arc.
The Museum’s D.I is an extremely rare original. The aircraft was purchased in Europe by Art Williams in 1976. Following considerable research, Williams discovered he had acquired an extremely rare aircraft license-built by Thöne and Fiala in Vienna. These aircraft flew primarily as photo-reconnaissance fighters with Fliegerkompagnien (Flik) 31/P on the South Tyrol front in mid-1918. After the war, the aircraft was apparently rebuilt in a two-seat civil configuration to avoid confiscation by the victorious Allies. It appears to have been owned by Julius von Berg himself, and at one time had been part of the Berg estate.
The subsequent restoration focused on recreating, as accurately as possible, the original 1918 configuration. Berg's Scout was eventually painted in markings that represented the noted Austro-Hungarian fighter aces Frank Linke-Crawford (27 victories), Julius Arigi (32 victories), and Bela Macourek (5 victories). Doug Champlin acquired the aircraft in 1978 and completed its restoration in Arizona, including reproduction of a new brass radiator for the exceptionally rare Austro-Daimler engine. The aircraft also includes two Schwarzlose machine guns.
The Austro-Hungarian branch of the German Aviatik Company was established in 1914 and produced German designs under license in the early years of World War I. In 1917, the firm's chief engineer, Julius von Berg, designed the two-seat C.I observation aircraft and the single-seat D.I fighter. The D.I, often known as the "Berg Scout," was the first Austrian-designed fighter plane ever built. It entered service in May 1917, and by the end of the war, 677 D.I aircraft had been produced, built by Aviatik and five other manufacturers. The D.I represented over 40% of fighters in use by the Austro-Hungarian Air Force in the last year of the war.
The D.I suffered early difficulties before proving itself to be a competent aircraft. Early D.I aircraft incorporated two side-radiators, which were found to be inadequate; over time, several large, car-style designs were installed in the nose to improve cooling. Gun synchronization, which allowed firing through the propeller arc, also proved problematic. Early D.Is had a top wing-mounted gun that was difficult to aim while maneuvering in combat. Another odd design quirk was the use of a control wheel for pilot input; this was soon replaced with a more conventional fighter stick. Upgraded D.1s also incorporated strengthened structural components that had been implemented to address wing problems with its sister-type C.I.
The D.I ultimately found favor with most pilots. Its fuselage was constructed narrow and deep, with the pilot sitting high in the seat with good visibility in most directions. It had excellent flying characteristics and superior climb performance. In its final configuration, D.I armament consisted of two Schwarzlose machine guns with improved interrupter gear, thus resolving the synchronization issues of firing through the propeller arc.
The Museum’s D.I is an extremely rare original. The aircraft was purchased in Europe by Art Williams in 1976. Following considerable research, Williams discovered he had acquired an extremely rare aircraft license-built by Thöne and Fiala in Vienna. These aircraft flew primarily as photo-reconnaissance fighters with Fliegerkompagnien (Flik) 31/P on the South Tyrol front in mid-1918. After the war, the aircraft was apparently rebuilt in a two-seat civil configuration to avoid confiscation by the victorious Allies. It appears to have been owned by Julius von Berg himself, and at one time had been part of the Berg estate.
The subsequent restoration focused on recreating, as accurately as possible, the original 1918 configuration. Berg's Scout was eventually painted in markings that represented the noted Austro-Hungarian fighter aces Frank Linke-Crawford (27 victories), Julius Arigi (32 victories), and Bela Macourek (5 victories). Doug Champlin acquired the aircraft in 1978 and completed its restoration in Arizona, including reproduction of a new brass radiator for the exceptionally rare Austro-Daimler engine. The aircraft also includes two Schwarzlose machine guns.
