What was special about the keel of the Aviatik D.III?

Short answer

The keel was a feature of the Aviatik D.IV, not the D.III: on it the lower wing was mounted on a keel that projected from the fuselage. This ensured a gap between the wings large enough to avoid airflow interference. Only one D.IV was built.

Published: November 4, 2026 · Updated: November 4, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

What was special about the keel of the Aviatik D.III?

¿Qué tenía de especial la quilla del Aviatik D.III?Alan Wilson (CC BY SA), vía commons

The keel, a D.IV feature

On the Aviatik D.IV the lower wing was mounted on a keel that projected from the fuselage. This arrangement ensured that the gap between the wings was large enough to avoid airflow interference. Only one D.IV was built.

Structure and cockpit

The D.IV's forward fuselage was built from steel tube covered with plywood, as on the D.III. The wings, made of wood in a single bay between struts, were covered with doped fabric. Above the cockpit, the upper wing had a semicircular cutout to improve the pilot's upward view.

The D.III's dimensions

The D.III measured 8.47 m (27 ft 9 in) in length. Its wingspan was 9 m (29 ft 6 in) and its height 3.08 m (10 ft 1 in). The wing area was 21 m² (230 sq ft).