© 2022. All rights reserved.
1917 Fokker Dr.1 (replica)
{{ galleryProps.activeIndex + 1 }}/6
Description
The striking red triplane is probably the most famous and recognizable airplane in military history. But the iconic aircraft found in Peanuts comic strips, Red Baron pizza boxes, songs and other pop culture products was really a mediocre airplane produced for a short period of time and in small numbers.
In 1917, German fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen, better known as the Red Baron, complained that British airplanes were superior to the German ones. Manufacturer Anthony Fokker and…
The striking red triplane is probably the most famous and recognizable airplane in military history. But the iconic aircraft found in Peanuts comic strips, Red Baron pizza boxes, songs and other pop culture products was really a mediocre airplane produced for a short period of time and in small numbers.
In 1917, German fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen, better known as the Red Baron, complained that British airplanes were superior to the German ones. Manufacturer Anthony Fokker and his chief designer, Reinhold Platz, took the opportunity to create a radically different airplane. The end product was the Dr.1, a small plane with three stubby wings and an airfoil on the landing gear to help provide lift. While the three-wing layout is memorable, the more important aspect was internal bracing that eliminated the need for external wires or posts to strengthen the wings. This reduced drag on the airplane and increased its speed.
Improved aerodynamics was necessary because the plane was powered by an outdated 110hp rotary engine. The engine limited the Dr.1 to a top speed of 103mph and it could only reach 20,000 feet in the air when the French-built SPAD XIII biplane flew at 130mph and reached 22,000 feet. The clockwise spinning of the rotary engine meant the airplane always wanted to pull to the right.
To complicate the Dr.1’s operations even more, the Fokker factory workers did not assemble the airplanes properly. Particularly problematic was that the ailerons, which help the plane turn, were prone to break in midair, making the triplane uncontrollable. In 1917 and 1918, Germany also lacked adequate supplies of the castor oil needed to keep the engine from overheating. The substitute they created wasn’t as good and resulted in many engine failures, particularly during the hot summer.
For all its problems, the Fokker Dr.1 became famous because the best German pilots, like Richthofen, were very successful capitalizing on its few strengths. At lower altitudes a Dr.1 pilot could use its small size and lower weight to outmaneuver bigger, heavier Allied planes. Allied pilots even warned each other to avoid low altitude dogfights with the triplane because German pilots could easily get behind Allied planes and shoot them down.
Almost as soon as the Dr.1 appeared in the skies of Europe, it was being replaced by newer designs, including Fokker’s more traditional biplane, the D.VII. Faster and easier to fly than the Dr.1, over 1,000 D.VIIs were built in the closing months of the war. By comparison, only 320 versions of the triplane were built, and none survive today.
This replica of the Fokker Dr.1 was built in the 1970s by Ken Cianchette, one of the museum’s founding trustees. While the aircraft dimensions are true to the original design, the engine is different. Instead of the 110 hp rotary engine, Cianchette used a 165 hp radial engine, which makes the replica easier to fly and maintain than an original Dr.1.
Year:
1974
Model:
Dr.1
Creator:
Ken Cianchette
Donated By:
Ken Cianchette
Style:
Triplane
Exterior Color:
Burgundy
Interior Color:
Black