View source for DFW R.III

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{|{{Infobox Aircraft Begin
 |name=R.III
 |image=DFW_R.III.jpg
 |caption=
}}{{Infobox Aircraft Type
 |type=Bomber
 |manufacturer=[[Deutsche Flugzeug-Werke|DFW]]
 |designer=
 |first flight=
 |introduced=
 |retired=
 |status=Cancelled project
 |primary user=''[[Luftstreitkräfte]]''
}}
|}

The '''DFW R.III''' was a [[heavy bomber]] ({{lang|de|Riesenflugzeug}}) [[biplane]] aircraft to be built by the {{lang|de|[[Deutsche Flugzeug-Werke]]}} (DFW) during the [[First World War]] for the [[Imperial German Army]]'s ({{lang|de|Deutsches Heer}}) [[Imperial German Air Service]] ({{lang|de|Luftstreitkräfte}}). Design work had begun two months before the end of the war in November 1918, but was terminated at that time before construction began.

==Development==
The Inspectorate of Flying Troops ({{lang|de|[[Inspektion der Fliegertruppen]]}} ordered two improved versions of the company's preceding [[DFW R.II|R.II]] bomber on 3 September 1918. That aircraft's flying performance was mediocre and more power was thought to be the answer. More powerful engines were not available so the number of engines was doubled to eight {{convert|260|hp|lk=on|adj=on|sp=us}} [[Mercedes D.IVa]]s in the [[fuselage]]. Each was to be connected to a [[coaxial]] [[contra-rotating propeller]] in a [[push-pull configuration]] via a [[driveshaft]]. The propeller [[gearbox]]es were to be housed in a [[nacelle]] between the wings that also contained the fuel tanks. Another concept examined was use pairs of engines geared together to a single propeller, also in a push-pull arrangement. One or two auxiliary {{cvt|120|hp}} [[Mercedes D.II]] engines would drive [[supercharger]]s that could maintain the R.III's performance up to an altitude of {{cvt|5000|m}}.<ref name=h9/><ref name=h3>Herris, p. 243</ref> 

The pilots' cockpit was located under the trailing edge of the upper wing and the [[navigator]] had his own compartment forward of the wings. The aircraft was intended to be armed with eight machine guns in twin-gun mounts, fired by [[air gunner|gunners]] located in upper nose, lower nose, ventral and dorsal positions of the double-decker fuselage. The R.III was required to be able to lift {{cvt|2500|kg}} of bombs.<ref name=h9/><ref name=h3/>

==Specifications (as designed)==
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=The German Giants: German R-planes 1914–1918<ref name=h9>Haddow & Grosz, p. 99</ref>
|prime units?=met
<!--
        General characteristics
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|genhide=

|crew=7
|length m=25
|length ft=
|length in=
|length note=
|span m=53.5
|span ft=
|span in=
|span note=
|upper span m=
|upper span ft=
|upper span in=
|upper span note=
|mid span m=
|mid span ft=
|mid span in=
|mid span note=
|lower span m=
|lower span ft=
|lower span in=
|lower span note=
|height m=8.6
|height ft=
|height in=
|height note=
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=
|wing area note=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
|max takeoff weight lb=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=8
|eng1 name=[[Mercedes D.IVa]] 
|eng1 type=water-cooled [[straight-six engine|straight-six]] piston engines
|eng1 kw=<!-- prop engines -->
|eng1 hp=260<!-- prop engines -->
|eng1 note=
|power original=
|more power=

|eng2 number= 1 or 2
|eng2 name=[[Mercedes D.II]] 
|eng2 type=water-cooled straight-six piston engines
|eng2 kw=<!-- prop engines -->
|eng2 hp=120<!-- prop engines -->
|eng2 note=auxiliary engines to run [[supercharger]]s

|prop blade number=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop name=
|prop dia m=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia ft=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia in=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop note=

<!--
        Performance
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|perfhide=y
<!--
        Armament
-->
|guns= 8 × machine guns
|bombs= {{cvt|2500|kg}}
}}

==Citations==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book|last=Haddow|first=G.W.|first2=Peter M. |last2=Grosz|title=The German Giants: The German R-Planes 1914-1918|publisher=Putnam|location=London|year=1988|edition=3rd|isbn=0-85177-812-7|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book |last1=Herris |first1=Jack |title=DFW Aircraft of WWI: A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes |date=2017 |isbn=978-1-935881-54-4 |publisher=Aeronaut Books |location=n.p. |series=Great War Aviation Centennial Series|volume=29}}

==External links==
{{commons category|DFW R.III}}
* "[http://www.flightglobal.com/PDFArchive/View/1919/1919%20-%201272.html The German D.F.W. Commercial Four-Engined Biplane]" ''Flight'' 25 September 1919, vol. XI, no. 39, pp.&nbsp;1274–1278. The R.III is described and illustrated on [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1919/1919%20-%201274.html pp. 1276–1277].

{{DFW aircraft}}
{{Idflieg R-class designations}}

[[Category:DFW aircraft|R.III]]
[[Category:1910s German bomber aircraft]]