Fokker Dr.I: Back in Black

Fokker Dr.I: Classic Black

Black profiles can be a challenge. Finding the right mid tone is important. You need to gain a bit of range through modeling with gradients. Once you're done, add the markings for that particular plane. The next step is building up layers of highlights to make the profile pop.

Working in monochrome is a great way to practice your luminosity skills. There are other benefits. You can create adjustment layers and alpha channels for masks. You can also colorize a monochrome layer.With practice you can layer patterns such as wood grain or complicated lozenge schemes.

Fokker Dr.I Jasta 7, Josef Jacobs s/n 470/17

This is one of the iconic black triplane for me. I love the simplicity of it. All the surfaces which would have been blue or the standard streaked paint were painted black.

Fokker Dr.I Jasta12, Aerodrome Toulis,1917

Jasta 12 used white cowlings and black tail-lanes. The wings are painted in the standard streaked upper surfaces and pale blue under-surfaces. The wing and landing gear struts are pale blue. Notable are the old style Iron Cross markings and the black rudder.

Fokker Dr.I Jasta12, Les Mesnils Airfield, June 1918

This is another plane from Jasta 12. The basic paint scheme is the same. The personal markings are different and the rudder is white. Please note, it bears the more modern Maltese Cross as ordered in the spring of 1918.

Fokker Dr.I Jasta19, Aerodrome Balatre, April 1918

The Jasta is indicated by the white cowling and yellow, black striped tail-plane. Once again the wings are painted in the streaked and blue scheme. The number "4" is repeated on the top of the fuselage near to the tail-plane. Notable is the lack of a cross on the fuselage and the black paint over the original Iron Cross to make the new Maltese Cross.

When Good Planes Go Bad

Fokker Dr.I Triplanes: When Good Planes Go Bad

Recently I had produced a lot of a Fokker triplane profiles. A recent count was 54 Dr.I profiles. I took break and worked on some new refined weapons, wing skids, high-light kit and assorted parts and While working adding newly finished parts upgrades to my Dr.I profiles based on an old but serviceable master file I noticed something was wrong. Not just wrong for one triplane, but for all of the current run of 54. I looked at the inverted V-strut and noticed it was on the wrong side of the machine guns. Finding the mistake does one thing, It lights a fire under me and gives me an excuse for a complete renovation . Here are a few of the new profiles from the Triplane Errata Project.

Fokker Dr.I Jasta 11 Manfred von Richthofen serial number 425/17 - 1918

This was the bird which started the dominoes falling. I have to confess I have put off doing the iconic red and white Triplane. So many people have done their own version. I was afraid of a swarm of cliches to start creeping into my collection. Someone talked me down off the edge and I added them for the sake of completion. In the end it was when I looked and saw what was wrong.

Fokker Dr.I Jasta 11 Lothar von Richthofen- 1917

Once I got the Red Barron sorted out and tucked away, I went looking for his next of kin. I've always liked his paint scheme better. Luckly I have my initial profile file to work from. Just add the new parts, tweak, save as a png to the drawings folder, save as thumbnail image resize, unsharpen mask, do some optimization to keep things snappy. To simplify I overwrite existing graphic with the new image so there is no need to change file calls in HTML. It helped sort out the steps to bare bones.

Fokker Dr.I JG.1 Jasta 11 1917

These are a couple of the new profiles from this week's crop. The easiest way to do this is working in batches. So far the count is a dozen in the can waiting to be turned into a pair of pngs. Baby steps, I'm still annoyd with the "I" struts. grrrrr. Ok that force me to to a refit sooner than later. Cheers I need a nap.

Fokker Dr.I Jasta14 Ltn. Hasso Wedel s/n 183/17 1917

Germany - 1918 Jasta 26 Fokker Dr.I

Fokker Triplanes of Jasta 26 - 1918

Back in June of 2011 I did a post on the famed German ace Bruno Lorzer: http://wwiaviation.blogspot.com/2011/06/german-ace-brunolorzer.html, however I neglected posting any of the other Fokker Dr.I assigned to Jasta 26. The nagging problem has been and still is one of identifying the pilots who were flying them. So with many apologies, here are some of the profiles. If anyone knows anything about the pilots, please let me know. I would be eternally grateful and I will sing your praises, online if not in the shower.

In all the examples shown here the upper wing surfaces are finished in the brownish streaked scheme used on the factory fuselage. The lower wing surfaces are painted in the standard pale blue (Methuen ~21/22A2). The wheel covers are painted in the standard factory finish.The use of the Maltese cross indicates the aircraft were in service in after the order to replace the Iron cross in the spring of 1918.

Fokker Dr.I Jasta 26 Pilot and Serial Number Unknown - 1918

Here we see the black and white striping painted over the basic factory streaked scheme. The black trefoil was a personal marking. The Maltese cross is thinner than the other examples.

Fokker Dr.I Jasta 26 Pilot and Serial Number Unknown - 1918

Here we see a another different stripe pattern. The cockpit section is not over-painted, however there is a white and black stripe just behind the brown painted cowling. The Maltese cross is thicker than the first example.

Fokker Dr.I Jasta 26 Pilot and Serial Number Unknown - 1918

This example has black and white stripes which start just forwrd of the cockpit. The cowling is painted black.

Fokker Dr.I Jasta 26 Pilot and Serial Number Unknown - 1918

The final example has a series of vertically stacked whte stripes just forward of the typical black and white stripes.

References

1. Over The Front Volume 5 No. 4
2. Nowarra, Heinz J. "Fokker Dr.I In Action" (Aircraft No. 98). Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 1990. ISBN 0-89747-229-2.
3. Colours and Markings of the First World War Jasta 26 http://www.fun-modellbau.de/ww1-datenbank/Germany/Jasta26.htm

Austria - 1917 Aviatik-Berg Dr.I

Julius von Berg's Triplane Attempt

I have been busy working on profiles and decided to tackle an Aviatik of different type. I think by now my readers know my opinion on triplanes. I think they look great, but for the most part were a waste of time and material. I know there were exceptions to the rule, however when it comes to the number of wings on an airplane I believe less is more. Very few triplane designs were equal to the designer's initial expectations. All in all chasing the dream of ab effective triplane was a fool's errand. However drawing them is too much fun to pass up an opportunity to bring them to life.

Aviatik-Berg (Aviatik) Dr.I sn-30.24- 1917

The Aviatik 30.24 (this designation indicating that it was the 24th experimental aircraft produced by O-UF Aviatik) single-seat fighter triplane designed by von Berg in May 1917. The Aviatik 30.24 employed a similar structure to that of the D.I and the fuselage similar. Based on a contract with Aviatik for four experimental fighter planes powered by 185/200 hp Daimler engines in Sept 1917. Flight testing of 30.24 on Oct 1917, the 185 hp powered 30.24 had inferior performance compared with a similar engined Aviatik D.I. The 200 hp Daimler also shows little improvement. The Triplane was referred to FLEK (FLiegerErsatzKompanie) 6 in Wiener Neustadt, where a variety of experimental radiators were installed to improve the pilots forward view on Aviatik fighters. 30.24 was accepted by LFT inspectors in Sep 1918. The remaining three prototypes (designations unknown), completed but disassembled, were accepted at the end of Oct 1918. The 30.24 was offered for sale to the Czechoslovakian government in April 1920.

References

1. Aviatik (Berg) 30.24 The Virtual Aircraft Museum retrieved from http://www.aviastar.org/air/austria/aviatik_30-24.php

Germany - 1917 Jasta 11 Fokker Dr.I

Some Fokker Dr.I Triplanes of Jasta 11

Recently I have been busy producing a lot of a Fokker aircraft profiles. I have reached 36 Dr.I and 24 D.VII with more on the way. I have been working on fleshing out different Jasta so I can set up articles on their history. Here are a few of the new profiles.

Fokker Dr.I Jasta 11 Manfred von Richthofen serial number 127/17 - 1917

Fokker Dr.I Jasta 11 Lothar von Richthofen- 1917

Fokker Dr.I Jasta 11 Eberhard Mohnicke serial number 155-17 - 1917

Fokker Dr.I Jasta 11 Ltn. Hans Weisse serial number 341-17 - 1917

Jasta 11

Jagdstaffel 11 (11_th Fighter Squadron) was founded on September 28, 1916 from elements of Keks 1, 2 and 3 and mobilized on October 11 as part of the German Air Service's expansion program. THe program created permanent specialised fighter squadrons, or "Jastas". Jasta 11 became the most successful fighter squadron in the German Air Service.

Jasta 11's first commander was Oberleutnant Rudolf Lang, from its mobilization at Brayelles, until January 14, 1917. Jasta 11's first months of operations were not distinguished.

It was not until the appointment of Manfred von Richthofen on January 16, 1917 as Commanding Officer that the unit became a legendary fighting force. Von Richthofen was already an able tactical pilot and ace during several months of service in Jasta 2 and became a highly effective unit commander who led his pilots by example. He already had 16 victories and was awarded the Pour le Merite just before he assumed his command of Jasta 11.

The unit was first based at Douai-Brayelles and then Roucourt for operations over the 6 Armee on the Arras front, the Jasta were equipped with various models of Albatros fighters. Between January 22, 1917 and the end of March the Jasta claimed some 36 victories. The beginning of the Battle of Arras in early April Jasta 11 logging 89 claims for aircraft out of a total of 298 made by all German fighter units for the month. This decimation of the Royal Flying Corps became termed "Bloody April".

On July 26, 1917, Jasta 11 became part of Jagdgeschwader 1 - a collection of four Jastas into one administrative and highly mobile tactical force. Richthofen was promoted to command JG I. It became known as "Richthofen's Flying Circus" because it mimicked a circus's logistics by using dedicated railway trains to transport it to forward airfields, and because of its vividly painted aircraft.

In September 1917, Jasta 11 would be equipped with Fokker Dr.I triplanes. It would operate these until April–May 1918, when it received the Fokker D.VIIs it would use until war's end.

Manfred von Richthofen remained Jasta commander until June 26, 1917, when his deputy, Leutnant Karl Allmenroeder took over. Following the latter's death the next day, former Jasta 11 pilot Leutnant Kurt Wolff took over after his transfer back from Jasta 29. After Wolff was wounded in September, Oberlt. Wilhelm Reinhard took charge until Wolff returned. Soon after Wolff was killed in action on September 15, Lothar von Richthofen took command. Jasta 11 would then have a bewildering succession of other temporary commanding officers, especially when Lothar was frequently away from the front recovering from wounds. Oberleutnant Erich Rüdiger von Wedel was the last Staffelführer, from September 1918 until the end of the war. The Jasta was demobilised at Darmstadt on November 16, 1918.

Jasta 11 eventually became the highest scoring German Jasta of World War I, with 350 claims. The first was scored on 23 January 1917, the 100th on 23 April, the 200th on August 17, the 250th on April 2, 1918, and the 300th on June 28, 1918. (By comparison, the British 56 Squadron claimed 427.)

It numbered no fewer than twenty aces among its ranks, and "graduated" pilots to command numerous other Jastas in the German Air force. In return it suffered 17 pilots killed, 2 POW, and 2 killed in flying accidents. Its loss rate was thus less than one-tenth of its opponents, although it also suffered 19 wounded in action.

Reference

1. Jagdstaffel 11. (2011, May 3). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 08:20, July 19, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jagdstaffel_11&oldid=427294574
2. http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/richthofen2.php
3. http://www.pourlemerite.org/
4. Above the Lines Franks, Bailey & Guest , (grub street, 1993)
5. http://www.theaerodrome.com/services/germany/jasta/jasta11.php
6. Greg VanWyngarden, Harry Dempsey. Richthofen's Circus: Jagdgeschwader Nr 1. Osprey Publishing, 2004. ISBN 1-84176-726-3, 9781841767260.

Britain - 1917 Bristol Braemar

Triplane madness extended beyond fighter development. Several experimental bombers were built during the Great War attempting to create a heavy bomber as effective as the Caproni Ca.42. The Austrians did not have a monopoly on insane contraptions. To make matters worse for the British there were proposals for building a steam powered version of the Braemar called the Tramp. When looking at some of the strange designs which were built during the war it seems the race for air superiority was won by the nation which made the next to the last mistake. To quote a famous line from Fawlty Towers “However did they win the war?”

An Experimental Triplane Heavy Bomber

The Bristol Braemar was a British heavy bomber aircraft developed at the end of the First World War for the Royal Air Force. Only two prototypes were constructed.

The prototype Braemar was developed in response to the establishment of the Independent Air Force in October 1917, as a bomber capable of the long-range bombing of Berlin if necessary. A large triplane, it had internal stowage for up to six 250 lb (110 kg) bombs.

The initial design featured a unique engine installation with a central engine room housing all four engines. The engines were to be geared in pairs and power taken from the engines to the four propellers by power shafts. This design was abandoned early in development, and both the completed Braemars had a conventional engine installation, with the engines in inline tandem pairs, driving pusher and tractor propellers. However, the engine-room design was resurrected later in the Braemar's development life, for the proposed steam-powered Tramp.

The first prototype Braemar flew on August 13th 1917, with four Siddeley Puma engines of 230 hp (170 kW) each. The prototype showed generally good performance with a top speed of 106 mph (171 km/h), but there were complaints from the test pilots about the view from the cockpit and the controls, and so the next aircraft produced was an improved version designated Braemar Mk.II. The Mk.II had considerably more power, in its four Liberty L-12 engines of 400 hp (300 kW), which gave it an improved speed of 125 mph (201 km/h).

The Braemar never entered service with the RAF, and the two prototypes were the only Braemars built. The Braemar design was subsequently developed as the Pullman passenger aircraft.

References

1. Bristol Braemar. (2010, November 10). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 06:38, March 8, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bristol_Braemar&oldid=395872431
2. Barnes C.H. (1964). Bristol Aircraft Since 1910. Putnam & Company Ltd. ISBN 0-370-00015-3

Austria - 1917 Lloyd 40.08 Luftkreuzer

Those Crazy Austrian Odd Birds and Why We Love Them

Sometimes you see something which tickles your humor gland. For me it usually is one of the bizarre designs by an Austrian madcap designer.

It makes me think of a bad joke. "An Austrian aircraft designer walks into the Luftfahrtruppen office with a brick which has 8 wings pasted on it. The clerk asks 'What it is?'; The designer says 'It is a revolutionary new fighter aircraft design.' The clerk looks at it again and says 'Wunderbar! We need 200 of them! How quickly can you get it into production'?"

Forget about functionality, forget about aerodynamics and some cases forget about it actually flying at all. These planes are more sculpture than aircraft. Rube Goldberg must be smiling somewhere.

I had been hunting down information on this bird and luck was with me. I want to thank Lord K. from Dieselpunk for the missing pieces to the puzzle. I was able to find a rough line drawing photos, and a dodgy color drawing to guide me in making this profile.

Lloyd 40.08 Luftkreuzer - 1917

The Lloyd Luftkreuzer was a very bizzare and unsuccessful triplane bomber which was first proposed in 1916. It was plagued with design flaws which were never solved to the degree that never let it leave the ground. It never made it past the prototype stage of development.

The prototype Lloyd Luftkreuzer was based on the requirement of LFT (Luftfahrtruppen) to develop a modern and powerful bomber powered by three engines. In August of 1915 LFT approached two companies, Lloyd and Oeffag Phönix who were awarded funding to construct two prototype triplane heavy bombers. The machine should be driven by one powerful engine in the main hull and two engines in smaller side mounted boom style fuselage. The next requirement was the ability to carry a 200 kg bomb load and endurance of at least 6 hours. Defensive armament would provided by four machine guns, two of the guns should be mounted on the main fuselage and the other two guns would be mounted in the side hulls.

In January of 1916, Ungarische Lloyd Flugzeug und Motorenfabrik AG was supplied with the first drawings and specifications for two triplane bombers called Luftkreuzer I (type I, LK), designation was changed to the Lloyd 40.08 and the Luftkreuzer II (type II, LV) was renamed the 40.10 Lloyd. The name "Luftkreuzer" means Sky Cruiser.

Lloyd 40.08 Luftkreuzer

The aircraft was a triplane with unequal span wings. The upper wing had a span of 23.26 meters and a width of 2.40 m. The middle wing was 22.38 m long and 2.20 meters wide. The lower wing span was 16.84 meters and 2.00 meters wide. The middle wing was mounted to the bottom of the booms and center fuselage. The upper and lower wings were connected by struts and bracing. The gap between the two upper wings was 2.10 meters and the two bottom gap was 1.75 meters. The total wing area was 110 square meters. Below the main body between the upper and lower wings was an enclosed gondola, apparently the bombardier rode in this position

The forward section of the central fuselage had a large enclosed cabin for two gunners. The design provided an excellent field of vision in all directions. In the rear section of the main hull there was a engine compartment for the 12 cylinder 300 hp Daimler water cooled engine, driving a wooden two-blade pusher propeller.

The gun stations were also equipped with a spotlight. The side hulls were built from modified Lloyd C. II fuselage. Both were fitted with a six-cylinder water cooled inline Daimler engine producing160 hp each. Both ot the two blade wooden propellers revolved in the same direction.

The machine was completed on June 8, 1916 and was ready for engine testing at the airport in Aszód. The aircraft was found to be very nose-heavy and the center of gravity was too high. During ground tests prototype suffered some minor damage when it nosed over and flipped. This prompted a redesign of the chassis and the addition of a third wheel under the nose to keep it from toppling nose first into the ground. After the redesign the prototype was ready for its test flight in October of 1916,. Oberleutnant Antal Lany-Lanczendorfer was the test pilot for the flight. The flight seems to be unsuccessful because there is no evidence that the aircraft actually got airborne. In early November Flars (Fliegerarsenal) considered reducing the bomb load in order to reduce the total take-off weight. Development continued at a snail''s pace. In December Flars recommended the installation of additional chassis rails. These were added to the main undercarriage.

In March 1917 Lloyd applied for a revision of the airplane, but the application was rejected and the work came to a halt. The Lloyd 40.08 airframe placed in storage until January of 1918 when it was ordered to be transported to aircraft cemetery in Cheb.

References

1. Knights of the Air Made in Hungary http://www.dieselpunks.org/profiles/blogs/knights-of-the-air-made-in
2. Lloyd 40.08 Valka Cz http://en.valka.cz/viewtopic.php/t/66002
3. Grosz, Peter, The Austro-Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War One. Flying Machines Press, 2002, ISBN 1-891268-05-8

German Ace Bruno Lorzer

Pilot Profile and his Aircraft

Today I am trying something different. As my profile archive grows I find myself drawing a series of aircraft flown by a particular pilot. I thought it would be interesting to trace a pilot's career through the planes he flew.

Today I will write about Bruno Loerzer (22 January 1891 - 23 August 1960) he was an officer in the German Luftstreitkräfte during World War I and Luftwaffe during World War II.

Albatros D.III Bruno Loerzer Jasta 26 - 1916

Born in Berlin, Loerzer was a prewar army officer who learned to fly in 1914. Hermann Göring flew as Loerzer's observer until mid-1915. Transferring to fighters, Loerzer flew with two Jagdstaffeln in 1916 before joining "Jasta" 26 in January 1917. By then he had scored two victories over French aircraft. His tally reached 20 at the end of October and he received the Pour le Mérite in February 1918.

Albatros D.V Bruno Loerzer Jasta 26 - 1917

The same month, he took command of the newly formed Jagdgeschwader III, the third of Germany's famed "flying circuses." His aces included his brother Fritz, who claimed 11 kills. Leading Jasta 26 and three other squadrons, Loerzer proved a successful wing commander.

Fokker Dr.I Bruno Loerzer Jagdgeschwader III - 1917

Equipped with the new BMW-engined Fokker D.VII, JG III cut a wide swath through Allied formations in the summer of 1918, and his own score mounted steadily. He achieved his last ten victories in September when he reached his final score of 44. Shortly before the armistice, he was promoted to Hauptmann (captain).

Fokker D.VII Bruno Loerzer Jagdgeschwader III - 1918

Germany - 1917 AEG D.I and Dr.I

AEG Experimental Aircraft - 1917

Building experimental aircraft has always a gamble. What looked good on the drawing board could be a death trap in the air. AEG had designed the efficient G- class bomber which served well in the war. Spurred on by their success the company designed a fighter for testing. The results of the experiment was less than spectacular.

The Crash-Prone AEG D.I

AEG AEG D.I - 1917

The AEG D.I was a biplane fighter built in 1917 by Allgemeine Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft (AEG). Three prototypes were ordered for the Luftstreitkräfte, but after the first two aircraft were involved in serious crashes, development was cancelled. A triplane version was built as the Dr.I. The second and third prototypes differed little except in minor details.

The D.I was powered by a Mercedes D.IIIa 6-cylinder, liquid-cooled inline engine, producing 158 hp (118 kW). The armament was twin forward-firing 0.312 in (7.92 mm) LMG 08/15 machine guns mounted on the deck.

Variants

• A.E.G. D.I - 1917 prototype single seat bi-plane fighter.
• A.E.G. Dr.I - 1917 prototype single seat tri-plane fighter.

Aircraft numbers

• AEG D.I - first prototype serial number not known.
• AEG D.I - second prototype serial number D4401/17.
• AEG D.I - third prototype serial number D5002/17
• AEG Dr.I - prototype serial number not known

The Unsuccessful AEG Dr.I Tripane

AEG Dr.I - 1917

The AEG Dr.I was a triplane fighter of World War I, built by Allgemeine Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft in 1917 during Germany's period of experimentation of the triplane concept. The design was based on the equaly unuccessful AEG D.I.

The Dr.I was powered by a Mercedes D.IIIa 6-cylinder, liquid-cooled inline engine, producing 158 hp (118 kW). The armament was twin forward-firing 0.312 in (7.92 mm) LMG 08/15 machine guns mounted on the deck.

Only a single prototype was built and its poor performance meant there was no further production of this model.

The Final Word

Life by Murphy

Is there a law when you have a technical issue it is in the middle of a 4 day weekend? My connection has been dodgy at best and even more so last night. A call to my internet provider consisted of a lively dialog with a phone bot and an extended not always intelligible conversation with off-shore tech support located in India. I followed their instructions and made changes as asked, after I made them repeat them several times and read it back to them. When I tried to log on I got an error message that my modem was malfunctioning. As I was uninstalling and reinstalling my modem I get a call from the call station supervisor. She was equally unintelligible, the gist of the conversation was she did not care about the issue, she was just attempting to play "cover my ass". (aka: CYA). Needless to say my volume level escalated to the "room shaking bellow" range. The point of this rant is to say I have not been able to read and comment on as many blogs as I would have wanted.

I want to give Francis of The Angry Lurker fame a shout out and send a get well soon message. We all miss you mate.

References

1. AEG D.I. (2010, December 15). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 03:14, February 27, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=AEG_D.I&oldid=402605916
2. AEG Dr.I. (2010, August 23). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 04:45, February 27, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=AEG_Dr.I&oldid=380535853
3. AEG D.I 1917 The Virtual Aircraft Museum. Retrieved 03:10, February 27, 2011, from http://www.aviastar.org/air/germany/aeg_d-1.php
4. AEG Dr I 1917 The Virtual Aircraft Museum Retrieved 04:40, February 27, 2011, from http://www.aviastar.org/air/germany/aeg_dr-1.php
5. AEG Dr I 1917 The Virtual Aviation Museum Retrieved 04:50, February 27, 2011, from http://www.luftfahrtmuseum.com/htmi/itf/aegdr1.htm
6. Gray, Peter and Thetford, Owen. German Aircraft of the First World War. London: Putnam, 2nd Ed. 1970.
7. Gray, Peter and Thetford, Owen. German Aircraft of the First World War. London:Putnam, 1962.

Britain - 1916 Sopwith Triplane

The Beginning of Triplane Madness

Since I have written much on Triplane Madness I thought it was time to cover the airplane which started the whole thing. When it was first flown it seemed to be an unassuming but very pilot friendly aircraft. Nobody knew it would be the spark to set off the race for efficient triplanes which would consume so much time and energy on what turned out to be a dead-end street.

Sopwith Triplane - 1916

The Sopwith Triplane was used in combat by the Royal Naval Air Service. The stack of three wings reduced wingspan and increased wing area making it handle and climb better than biplanes. Visibility from the cockpit was outstanding but it was slower and less heavily armed than it's German opponents.

The Sopwith Triplane was a British single seat fighter aircraft designed and manufactured by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War. Pilots nicknamed it the Tripehound or simply the Tripe. The Triplane became operational with the Royal Naval Air Service in early 1917 and was immediately successful. The Triplane was nevertheless built in comparatively small numbers and was withdrawn from active service as Sopwith Camels arrived in the latter half of 1917. Surviving aircraft continued to serve as operational trainers until the end of the war.

The Triplane began as a private venture by the Sopwith Aviation Company. The fuselage and empennage closely mirrored those of the earlier Pup, but chief engineer Herbert Smith gave the new aircraft three narrow-chord wings to provide the pilot with an improved field of view. Ailerons were fitted to all three wings. By using the variable incidence tailplane, the aircraft could be trimmed to fly hands-off. The introduction of a smaller 8 ft span tailplane in February 1917 improved elevator response.

The Triplane was initially powered by the Clerget 9Z nine-cylinder rotary engine, but most production examples were fitted with the 130 hp Clerget 9B rotary. At least one Triplane was tested with a Le Rhône rotary engine, but this did not provide a significant improvement in performance.

Austria - 1917 Hansa-Brandenburg L.16

More Austrian Triplane Madness

Hansa-Brandenburg L.16 - 1917

I have been working on this particular profile on and off for a while. But today I thought it was time to quit procrastinating and get busy.

The Hansa-Brandenburg L.16 was a single-seat equi-span fighter, developed by Hansa-Brandenburg for the Austro-Hungarian K.u.k. Luftfahrttruppen. It had a distinctive triplane configuration with aerofoil-section I-type interplane bracing struts. The L.16 was powered by a 185 hp (138 kW) Austro-Daimler six-cylinder water-cooled engine. The proposed armament for the L.16 consisted of two synchronized Schwarzlose machine guns. Various coolant radiator arrangements were evaluated on the single prototype built. Evaluation flights proved the fighter did not perform well enough to warrant series production. The development of this design was abandoned.

Painted Warbirds 1915-1918

A Splash of Color For Easter

I am feeling festive and colorful today, so my choices will be just as bright. Today's theme is a mixed bag of aviation eye candy. The only reason I chose them is they were colorful and fairly new. I tried to refrain from posting the canned history for the planes I have posted before.

Estonian DFW CV 1917

The Estonians captured several abandoned aircraft. this is one of them. It sported the original German camouflage pattern. The subject was a good change of pace for me. I had done several versions of the DFW C.V in German schemes. This example allowed me to do a version without the fairing over the engine.

The D.V and its related designs were used as a multi-role combat aircraft, for reconnaissance, observation, bombing by Germany and Austro-Hungary during World War I. They were also used by the Ottoman Empire in Palestine. In the hands of a skilled pilot it could outmaneuver most allied fighters of the period. It remained in service until early 1918 though 600 were still in use by the Armistice of 11 November 1918. Most were scrapped according to Versailles Treaty in 1919.

Fokker D.VII Willi Gabriel Jasta 11 - 1918

Yes, I know it is another Fokker D.VII, but I have always liked this paint scheme. I had an obsessive moment a couple days ago and I had to knock out this profile. The interplay between the bright solid color sections and the streaked under painting is satisfying.

Fokker Dr.I - Rudolph Klimtke Jasta 27 - 1917

If I have said it once I have said it a thousand times, I hate repeating myself. However in this case I will make an exception. I had procrastinated for a long time on this profile. I was lazy and it took me a while to draw up the anchor. I could have posted a brighter colored Dr.I but this one has been less covered by other profilers.

Nieuport 11 "Bébé" (baby) - 1915

Another very cheery paint scheme on this Nieuport 11. Bold tricolor stripes and wheels. What's not to like? So many examples are plain varnished linen. I was glad I saw an example of this long ago and made my own version.

The small Nieuport 11 biplane was affectionately known as the "Bébé" (baby). Originally designed for racing, this light plane was fast and extremely maneuverable. Its only major problem was in the design of its wing struts. In a steep dive, the struts allowed the wings to twist, sometimes with disastrous results. Used by the British and French to counter the Fokker E.III, the Nieuport 11 was disadvantaged by its lack of a synchronized machine gun.

Belgian Hanriot H.D.1 - 1916

This is another favorite of mine. I like the silver and blue paint scheme and the white origami bird insignia. Top it off with the Belgian colors on the rudder and it is a pleasing combination of colors.

The Hanriot HD.1 was a French World War I single seat fighter. Rejected for service with French squadrons in favor of the SPAD S.7, the type was supplied to the Belgians and the Italians who used it very successfully.

Italy 1914-1918 Caproni Bombers

Gianni Caproni's Heavy Hitters

The Italian designer Gianni Caproni produced arguably the most influential bombers of the war. They were the standard others were measured by. They were powerful, versatile, reliable and structurally tough.

Italian Heavy Bomber Development

Italian Bombers - 1918

Caproni Ca.3 - 1914

The Caproni three-engined Italian heavy bomber of World War and the post-war era. The Caproni Ca.3 was the definitive version of the series of aircraft that began with the Caproni Ca.1 in 1914. The production version, equipped with three 100 hp fixed in-line Fiat A 10 engines entered service in the summer of 1915, and it was the most effective bomber of any air force, except for the Russian Sikorsky.Ilya Mourometz.

Italian Bombers - 1918

Caproni Ca.4 - 1918

Caproni Ca.4 Series was patterned along the lines of the Caproni Ca.3 series of biplane bombers, the larger triplanes of the Ca.4 series were designed to be more effective in combat. Sometimes armed with up to eight machine guns, these cumbersome bombers were capable of accurately delivering large payloads of bombs to distant enemy targets. Although mainly used at night, they took part in daylight raids towards the end of the war. Of thirty-two Ca.42s manufactured in 1918, six of them were used by the Royal Naval Air Service.

Caproni Ca.5 - 1918

The Caproni Ca.5 was an Italian heavy bomber of the World War I and post-war era. It was the final version of the series of aircraft that began with the Caproni Ca.1 in 1914.

By late in World War I, developments in aircraft technology made older bomber designs unable to penetrate targets defended by modern fighters. Caproni's response to this problem was to significantly uprate the power on the existing Ca.3 design, with some versions of the Ca.5 eventually carrying engines with nearly five times the total power that the first Ca.1 had.

Triplane Madness During 1917

A Trio of Failed Triplanes

German Empire - 1917

Albatros Dr.I - 1917

The profile started life about a year ago as a line drawing of an Albatros DVa. I used a couple of photographs to guide me when I added the wings and struts. I also saw another color profile of the Dr.I which matched my best guess on the finish.

The Albatros Dr.I is one of those planes that should have been good but wasn't. During the First World War, aviation was in its infancy and a number of interesting designs were flown, but never accepted for service. The Albatros Dr.I was one of those designs.

After the appearance of the Sopwith Triplane, manufacturers in Germany were requested to give thought to the triplane format. Built to try to improve climb performance, the Albatros Dr I had a DVa fuselage and power plant, serial D 1573/17 with wings of equal cord and span. All three wings had ailerons connected by vertical steel struts.

British Commonwealth - 1917

Blackburn Triplane - 1917

The first time I saw the Blackburn Triplane was over a year ago in a small color picture. It got me started looking for references to do a better job of it. I fund some photos and a line drawing for guidance. This current version is a year old and it is ripe for a replacement.

The Triplane was the third unsuccessful attempt at an anti-Zeppelin fighter that involved Blackburn. The first was Blackburn's own Twin Blackburn and the second the AD Scout, Blackburn building two of the four machines of this type to an Air Department of the Admiralty design. In 1916, the Scout's designer, Harris Booth moved to Blackburn where he created a heavily-revised aircraft, the Triplane.

The layout of both Scout and Triplane was determined largely by the Admiralty requirement to carry a quick-firing, recoilless Davis gun that used 2 lb (1 kg) shells. At the time, there was no way of synchronizing such a weapon with the propeller, or of mounting it elsewhere than the fuselage, so a pusher configuration was necessary, the pilot sitting in a nacelle with the gun in its nose.

United States of America - 1917

Curtiss Model S-3 - 1917

Sometimes I get in too big of a hurry. That was the case with this profile. I had the line drawings, I had the photographs, I just did not have the patience to nail it. There are a lot of parts which need refinement. The process is a matter of creating te new, and reinventing the old.

The Model S was Curtiss' first attempt at a fast and maneuverable single-seat fighter. The first variant, S-1, had disappointing performance. In March 1917, new wings were attached to the S-1 fuselage and the project was redesignated S-2. In 1917, the S-3 became the first triplane in service in the United States. In 1918 and 1919, Curtiss experimented with seaplane versions of the S-3, designated S-4 and S-5. The S-6 was intended to be an improved S-3, but performance was poor and of the 12 ordered by the USASC, only 1 was delivered.

Germany - 1918 Albatros Dr.II

The Best Laid Plans of Albatros and Men...

Being blessed with hindsight I know it it was a doomed airplane. However the Albatros Dr.II had great lines, and was a rare warbird. Needless to say I had to draw one of my own. When I said that some planes looked "right" in a previous post I did not mean that looking right meant it was a guarantee for a successful design.

The Triplane craze which swept up all nations producing military aircraft in a often unsuccessful line of research. Some of the new crop of triplanes were new purpose built designs; However, most of the effort went into an attempt to add another wing to existing aircraft. For the most part the exercise wasted time, money and production resources better spent elsewhere.

After the success both the Sopwith Triplane and the Fokker Dr.1, many manufacturers in Germany turned their eye towards the design their own version of the triplane format. These experiments were an attempt to improve climb performance. Albatros Flugzeugwerke failed in their first attempt in September of 1917, when they designed the flawed Albatros Dr.1 which was built on the DVa airframe and power plant. The Albatros Dr.II was their last attempt to create a viable triplane.

The Albatros Dr.II was a German prototype single-seat fighter triplane, the sole example of which flew in the spring of 1918. It was similar in many respects to the D.X biplane, employing amongst other features the same 145 kW (195 hp) Benz Bz.IIIbo V-8 liquid cooled piston engine and twin 0.312 in (7.92 mm) machine guns.

References

1. From Wikipedia Albatros Dr.II, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatros_Dr.II"
2. Gray, Peter and Thetford, Owen. "German Aircraft of the First World War". London:Putnam, 1962, p.240.
3. Green, W. & Swanborough, G. (1994). "The Complete Book of Fighters". London: Salamander Books. ISBN 1-85833-777-1

Three More Fokker Dr.I Profiles

Fokker Dr.I Done Three Ways

Fokker Dr.I - Jasta 4

Fokker Dr.I - Jasta 17

Fokker Dr.I - Jasta 32

Yes I Can Get a Wee Bit Obsessive!

Well in my last post I did say I would post more Fokker Dr.I profiles as I finished them. How was I to know that I would get obsessive, go into Mad Scientist Mode and churn out three more examples yesterday. I think I have got it out of my system for a bit, and I can move on to projects that have been patiently waiting for me to finish. I promise you, I will not post anymore Fokker Dr.I profiles in the near future.

Germany - 1917 Fokker Dr.I

A New Series of an Old Subject

Fokker Dr.I - 1917

I was feeling a bit frustrated with my previous profiles of the Fokker Triplane. I decided to give into the urge for a new batch of of profiles. I decided to not make new images of the same examples, but have a go at all the triplanes I had not had time to do. (NO, I'm not making an all red one, it would feel like a cliche.) Here is one of the new profiles This example flew in Jasta 4. I will post some of the better examples from time to time.

The Fokker DR.I triplane was built after the successful Sopwith Triplane. While the Fokker DR.I not as fast as many contemporary biplanes, the Dreidecker could easily out-climb any opponent. Small, lightweight and highly maneuverable, it offered good upward visibility and lacked the traditional bracing wires that could be shot away during combat. This combination of features made it an outstanding plane in a dogfight.

References

1. "Fokker_Dr-I", From Wikipedia "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fokker_Dr.I"
2. Franks, Norman. "Sopwith Triplane Aces of World War I" (Aircraft of the Aces No. 62). Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2004, p. 9, p. 21. ISBN 1-84176-728-X.
3. Franks, Norman and Greg VanWyngarden. "Fokker Dr.I Aces of World War I" (Aircraft of The Aces No. 40). Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2001, p. 22, pp. 25-27, p. 55, p. 83. ISBN 1-84176-223-7.
4. Gray, Peter and Owen Thetford. "German Aircraft of the First World War". London: Putnam, 1962, p. 100. ISBN 0-93385-271-1
5. Leaman, Paul. "Fokker Dr.I Triplane: A World War One Legend". Hersham, Surrey, UK: Classic Publications, 2003, pp. 30, 32, p. 34, p. 53, p. 69, p. 95-96, p. 181, p. 222. ISBN 1-90322-328-8.
6. Nowarra, Heinz J. "Fokker Dr.I In Action" (Aircraft No. 98). Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 1990, p. 12, p. 47. ISBN 0-89747-229-2.
7. Van Wyngarden, Greg. "Richthofen's Flying Circus: Jagdgeschwader Nr I" (Aviation Elite Units No. 16). Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2004, p. 75. ISBN 1-84176-726-3.
8. Weyl, A.R. "Fokker: The Creative Years". London: Putnam, 1965, p. 226, p. 228-229, pp. 231-236, pp. 238-239, pp. 244-246, p. 410. ISBN 0-85177-817-8.