AIRCRAFT COLOURS AND MARKINGS OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR ERA

Hansa-Brandenburg D.I
Series 28 and 65.5


The first biplane fighter for the LFT, the Brandenburg D.I was built in two variants by Phonix and Brandenburg. The original Series 65 aircraft were built by the German Brandenburg company, while Albatros' Austrian subsiduary, Phonix, built the Series 28 aircraft. Series 65.50-69 aircraft had the 160Hp Daimler, while the lightened 65.70-99 had a 150 hp Daimler. The Phonix company made a few revisions to the original design, the most apparent of which was the substitution of a 185hp Daimler. The most striking feature of the design was its unique strut arrangment which led to the name of 'Starstrutter', it was also known as the 'KD' (Kampf doppledecker - biplane fighter). In an attempt to improve the poor directional control, a larger fin and rudder were fitted to most aircraft, but still the type was hard to fly, and only a few exceptional pilots were to make any gains in the KD.

Armament consisted of a single Schwarlose machine gun in an enclosed 'baby coffin' mounted on the top wing. The 'baby coffin' was a self contained system with ammunition stored internally. A few KDs had two guns mounted, while at least two others had guns fixed directly to the top wing and fed by a belt stored within the aircraft's fuselage

Almost all KDs were plain finished, with varnished fuselages, CDL wings and tail surfaces and natural metal panels. The metal panels were frequently riffed to reduce the appearance of wear and grime to them. Initial German KDs had white fields to their crosses, while the Phonix built KD had the cross painted directly unto the surface with no white field. The tpical Austrian serials were applied to the side of the fuselage and personal marking were usually in black and white. Struts were poften wrapped in fabric as protection against splintering.

The first series 65 aircraft entered service in November 1916, with the type being withdrawn from service by Autumn 1917, and ordered out of frontline service in January 1918. A total of 122 KDs were built.

There is a fair amount of information on the KD available, with a monograph on the type by Karl Meindl and Walter Schroeder published by FMP in 1997 and a Datafile in 2006.


 


Generic top view

 


Hansa-Brandenburg D.I 65.74
-
Flik 4
February 1917
Source: Aircraft Archives v.1


Hansa-Brandenburg D.I 65.53
Oblt Godwin Brumowski
Flik 12
December 1916
Source: Air Aces of A-H Empire

 

 


Hansa-Brandenburg D.I 28.38
Ltn Benno Fiala von Fernbrugg
Flik 12
Autumn 1917
Source: Air Aces of A-H Empire

 


Hansa-Brandenburg D.I 28.02
Oblt Frank Linke-Crawford
Flik 12
April 1917
Source: FMP -Brandenburg D.I

 


Hansa-Brandenburg D.I 28.02
Oblt Frank Linke-Crawford
Flik 12
May 1917
Source: FMP -Brandenburg D.I

 


Hansa-Brandenburg D.I 28.30
Raoul Stojsavlijevic
Flik 16
August 1917
Source: Air Aces of AH Empire


Hansa-Brandenburg D.I 28.37
StabsFeldwebel Josef Kiss
Flik 24
Summer 1917
Source: Air Aces of AH Empire


Hansa-BrandenburgD.I 28.11
Off.Stv Karl Kaszala
Flik 41/J
May 1917
Source: FMP-Brandenburg D.I

 

 


Hansa-Brandenburg D.I
-
Flik 41/J
June 1917
Source: Air Aces of AH Empire

Hansa-Brandenburg D.I 28.40
Oblt Frank Linke-Crawford
Flik 41/J
June 1917
Source: Air Aces of AH Empire


Hansa-Brandenburg D.I 28.40?
Oblt Frank Linke-Crawford
Flik 41/J
Summer 1917
Source: FMP Brandenburg D.I

 

 


Hansa-Brandenburg D.I 28.15
Oblt Frank Linke-Crawford
Flik 41/J
Summer 1917
Source: Air Aces of AH Empire


Hansa-Brandenburg D.I 28.33
-
Flik 41/J
Summer 1917
Source: FMP Brandenburg D.I

 


Hansa-Brandenburg D.I 28.13
-
Flik 41/J
Summer 1917
Source: FMP Brandenburg D.I

 

 


Hansa-Brandenburg D.I 28.44
Oblt Frank Linke-Crawford
Flik 41/J
Summer 1917
Source: Air Aces of AH Empire


Hansa-Brandenburg D.I 28.40?
-
Flik 41/J
Summer 1917
Source: FMP Brandenburg D.I

 


Hansa-Brandenburg D.I 28.40?
-
Flik 41/J
Summer 1917
Source: FMP Brandenburg D.I

 

 


Hansa-Brandenburg D.I 28.05
-
Flik 41/J
August 1917
Source: C&C(GB) 18/4

 


Hansa-Brandenburg D.I 28.58
Feldwebel Johann Risztics
Flik 42/J
July 1917
Source: Air Aces of AH Empire