Fokker Dr I in Action
Fokker Dr I in Action (Aircraft 98) By Heinz J. Nowarra
Publisher: Squadron/Signal Publications Inc. 1989 | 50 Pages | ISBN: 0897472292 | PDF | 19 MB
Publisher: Squadron/Signal Publications Inc. 1989 | 50 Pages | ISBN: 0897472292 | PDF | 19 MB
On 15 July 1917 Manfred von Richthofen, commander of Jagdgeschwacler, recovering sufficiently from his head injury received in an early combat, left the hospital, together with LT Kurt Wolff, and returned to his unit. During his talks with the pilots of Jastas 4,6, 10 and 11 he said, "You will soon be receiving new Fokker triplanes. They climb like monkeys and maneuver like devils." This was the first time many of the pilots had heard of the radical new fighter that they would soon be flying — the Fokker Dr. I. Prior to this time the German Army Air Service was flying aircraft built primarily by Albatros. Albatros. which had its great success with the Albatros D. I and D. II during 1916, had experienced trouble in producing a new development of these single seat fighters. Thelen and Schubert, who were responsible for design and construction of Albatros fighters, had created the D. Ill as the German answer to the French Nieuport 11 and 17. The aircraft, however, suffered from structural weakness which caused a number of fatal accidents in front line service.