Roland D II

The D.I was in essence the C.II two-seater scaled down as a single-seat fighter. The type was nicknamed Haifisch (shark) for its deep fuselage with the slightly swept upper wing attached directly to it. The D.I first flew in July 1916, and was produced in small numbers. The definitive version was the D.II, which retained the same 119 kW (160 hp) Mercedes D.III engine but featured a number of drag-reducing revisions as well as a modified empennage. The D.II began to enter service early in 1917, and was complemented by the D.IIa with a more powerful engine. The D.II and D.IIa were not popular in service, pilots complaining about lack of vision and heavy controls. The D.III introduced a revised and shallower fuselage over which the upper-wing centre section was supported on cabane struts, but only a few were built. The single D.V prototype had a more refined fuselage structure. (source: The International Encyclopedia of Aircraft, Oriole Publishing, 1991)