Pfalz E.I

Pfalz Flugzeugwerke GmbH was established in Speyer in the then Kingdom of Bavaria in 1913 by Alfred Eversbusch, his brother Ernst and several other investors. The first types to be produced by the new company were licence-built Otto biplanes, but production rights for Morane Saulnier monoplanes were bought before the Great War, namely the Type L parasol-wing two-seat monoplane and Type H mid wing single seater. The latter was built as the Pfalz E.I, fitted with an 80HP Oberursel U0 engine. These aircraft were, in the first place, delivered to Bavarian units. At first without armament and were used as fast scout planes, later after being equipped with machine gun armament with synchronization gear, they became, along with the Fokker E.I, the first true fighter planes of the German military. The armament of one LMG 08/15 machine gun was mounted on the right side of the front fuselage and the machines were used to escort and protect reconnaissance aircraft both on the Eastern and Western Front and smaller number of them also saw service in Palestina. The greatest number of the Pfalz fighter plane was used operationally during April 1916, later their numbers decreased and the Pfalz E.I were either replaced by a more modern E.I type or by much more successful Fokker E.II and E.III fighter planes.