{"product_id":"spad-vii-vs-albatros-d-iii-1917-18-9781849084758","title":"Spad VII vs Albatros D III: 1917-18","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen originally conceived, the French SPAD VII and German Albatros D II represented steps away from an emphasis on maneuver in aerial combat in favor of speed and durability - factors that came into play in hit-and-run tactics. At the end of 1916, however, Albatros tried to have the best of both worlds by incorporating the sesquiplane wing of the nimble Nieuport 17 into its D III. The result combined the better downward view and maneuverability of the Nieuport with the power and twin machine guns of the Albatros D II, but at a high price - a disturbing tendency for the single-spar lower wing to fail in a dive. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhile Albatros (and the Austrian Oeffag firm, which built the fighter under license) sought to alleviate that weakness with various reinforcing measures, the Germans developed tactics to maximize the D III's strengths and minimize its shortcomings. At the same time, the French worked to improve the SPAD VII with more power and a more reliable cooling system before moving on to the twin-gunned SPAD XIII. While all that was going on, the Albatros D III became a mainstay of the German and Austro-Hungarian air services in frequent encounters with SPAD VIIs flown by French, Belgian, British, Italian and American airmen.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Osprey Publishing (UK)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/19\/2011\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781849084758\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 80\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.57lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.60h x 7.20w x 0.30d","brand":"Jon Guttman","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52181321285813,"sku":"9781849084758","price":19.55,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_45054b62-594d-446d-acd3-5f9f3dc11f9c.jpg?v=1768922687","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/spad-vii-vs-albatros-d-iii-1917-18-9781849084758","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}