Today at 'Stringbags' we bring you a groovy photo showing German test pilot Wilhelm Eickhoff in a Roland D.VIa at Hannover Langenhagen Flugplatz circa late 1917 or early 1918.
In January of 1918 the Germans held a fly-off competition to select a new scout/fighter aircraft for the Lufstreitkräfte. Though the winner of that competition was the Fokker D.VII, the runner-up, the Roland D.VI, was also ordered into production as insurance against possible problems with the Fokker... and approximately 350 Rolands were constructed. The type was somewhat unique in that the method of construction used to make its fuselage was essentially the same as that used in the construction of certain types of boats.
Here's a link to some photos showing the last surviving example of this interesting type...
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