LFG Roland D.XV

LFG Roland D.XV
	LFG Roland D.XV first prototype
Role	Single seat fighter aircraft
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	LFG Roland (Luft-Fahrzeug-Gesellschaft)
First flight	April–May 1918
Number built	4 (2 of each different types of this designation)

The LFG Roland D.XV was a

flying wires

. Two later aircraft, also called LFG Roland D.XV, were completely different designs with slab sided fuselages.

Design and development

The first D.XV version

The D.XV was the last LFG design to use the Klinkerrumpfe (

ailerons.^[1]^[2] Both had a flush mounted radiator similar to those used in the Albatros D.V

fighters mounted within the upper wing ahead of the pilot.

Initially both prototypes of the D.XV were powered by 160 hp (119 kW)

conventional undercarriage had wheels on a single axle, mounted to the fuselage by V-struts.^[1]^[2]

The first prototype flew before the end of April 1918 but came back to the factory for modifications the following month. The second flew that June. In September the Idflieg, who had originally requested three D.XVs, called for further alterations in response to their flight testing. The company responded with two examples of a completely different design, which retained the D.XV designation.^[1]^{[note 1]}

The redesigned D.XV

The third prototype of the D.XV had a completely different fuselage and

cabane structure was built up of four tubular steel vees which angled out from the fuselage to connect both upper and lower longerons to the upper wing spars. Overhung ailerons were used on the upper wing only.^[1]^[2] The fin carried a rounded, balanced rudder smoothly profiled with it, which bottomed well above the elevator. The undercarriage was similar to that of the first D.XVs.^[1]^[2]

The third D.XV first flew in late October 1918 powered by a 185 hp (138 kW) BMW IIIa and the similarly designed fourth flew slightly later with a 200 hp (149 kW) version of that engine.^[1] Apart from the engines the two aircraft differed only in the shape of the sheetmetal around the cowling.

The development of these aircraft ended with the

Armistice in November 1918.^[1]

Specifications (first prototype)

Data from Green & Swanborough p.339 [1]

General characteristics

Crew: One
Wingspan: 8.64 m (28 ft 4 in)
Wing area: 23.80 m² (256.2 sq ft)
Empty weight: 730 kg (1,609 lb)
Gross weight: 910 kg (2,006 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Mercedes D.IIIa 6 cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine, 120 kW (160 hp)
Propellers: 2-bladed

Armament

Guns: 2 ×
LMG 08/15 (Spandau) machine guns

Notes

^ Some authors, e.g. Green and Swanborough p.339 refer to D.XV (I) and D.XV (II) or D.XV/I and D.XV/II but Gray and Thetford p.viii warn that "Such 'designations' are in danger of being accepted, quite mistakenly, as being official."

References

^
ISBN 1-85833-777-1
.

^
ISBN 0-85177-809-7
.

Bibliography

Abbott, Dan S. & Grosz, Peter M. (1977). "The Benighted Rolands". Air Enthusiast (3): 38–48.
ISSN 0143-5450
.

[n1-3] Some authors, e.g. Green and Swanborough p.339 refer to D.XV (I) and D.XV (II) or D.XV/I and D.XV/II but Gray and Thetford p.viii warn that "Such 'designations' are in danger of being accepted, quite mistakenly, as being official."

[G&S-1] 
ISBN 1-85833-777-1
.

[G&Th-2] 
ISBN 0-85177-809-7
.

[1]

[2]

[note 1]

v t e Luft-Fahrzeug-Gesellschaft (LFG-Roland) aircraft
Pre-WW1 and WW1	Pfeil/Arrow C.I C.II C.III C.V C.VIII D.I D.II D.III D.IV D.V D.VI D.VII D.VIII D.IX D.XIII D.XIV D.XV D.XVI D.XVII Dr.I E.I G.I W (1) W (2) WD
Post WWI	V 1 V 2 V 3 Susanna V 8 Bärbel V 13 V 18 Sassnitz V 19 V 20 Arkona V 26 V 36 V 39 V 40 V 42 V 44 V 52 V 58 V 59 V 60 V 61 V 101 Jasmund V 130 Strela Phönix