Building Albatros D III

Austrian Koloman Mayrhofer builds Albatros D III OEFFAG series 253.

The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service (Luftstreitkräfte) and the Austro-Hungarian Air Service (Luftfahrtruppen) during the First World War. The D.III was flown by many top German aces, including Manfred von Richthofen, Ernst Udet, Erich Löwenhardt, Kurt Wolff, and Karl Emil Schaeffer. It was the preemininent fighter during the period of German aerial dominance known as "Bloody April" 1917.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatros...

Here are some additional notes from the builder:

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i am working on two albatros D III OEFFAG series 253.
the second one is in its final assembling state.it is a cooperation with a german enthusiast.

austro daimler engines 225 hp for the series 253 albatros are extremly rare. only five examples are known to exist worldwide.
engine one is on loan from the town museum in wiener neustadt and is currently installed in the 253.01 . this engine is a zero hour example and complete in every aspect so it is listed as national heritage and therefore is not allowed to be run. the plane is built to airworthy standards so it is a potential flyer.this engine was very valuable during the building and the museum had given it to me for several years so in return the complete aircraft is now on show in the museum. until mid of 2009.

engine two is on loan from a private company which is the successor of austro daimler. basicly a zero hour engine built in oktober 1918 so too late for going to war.
unfortunatly this engine had sufferd from the attention of thives and other not favorable circumstances over 80 years but we managed to restore it and it is now running at the bench to our full satisfaction.

the first testruns installed in the plane can be expected within a few month.
it is our goal to fly this plane eventually,so please be a bit patient .

may i say a few personal words here.
i am happy that my work is inspiring others and i can only say it is immensly satisfying to start with a piece of paper and finally you have this plane in front of you.
to go through a project like this over so many years is an extraordinary expierience and certainly you know more about yourself after it.
it can get pretty lonesome in the workshop and one is learning that frustration can come in many ways but any way it was and still is worth any single hour.and yes i am still related to the same wife .

cheers
koloman mayrhofer