Fokker Dr.I
Type	Fighter
Manufacturer	Fokker-Flugzeugwerke
Designed by	Reinhold Platz
Maiden flight	July 1917
Primary user	Luftstreitkräfte
Number built	320

The Fokker Dr. I Dreidecker (triplane) was a World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz and built by the company led by Anthony Fokker. It became most famous as the plane flown by the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1800x1157, 340 KB) http://www. ... An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing, building, testing, selling, and maintaining aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, rockets, and/or spacecraft. ... Fokker 100 of British Midland Airways For the physicist and musician, see Adriaan Fokker. ... The Maiden flight of an aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1917: Events February No. ... The ▶(?) (German: air force, IPA: [luftvafə]) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... A triplane is a fixed-wing aircraft equipped with three sets of wings, each roughly the same size and mounted one above the other. ... Combatants Allied Powers: Russian Empire France British Empire Italy United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary German Empire Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Ferdinand Foch Herbert Henry Asquith Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Franz... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Anton Herman Gerard Anthony Fokker (April 6, 1890 – December 23, 1939), was born in Kediri (Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia) and became a Dutch aircraft manufacturer. ... Red Baron redirects here. ...

Development

Fokker Dr.I, serial 160/17, flown by Lt. Joseph Schulte of Jasta 14

Manfred von Richthofen's red triplane, serial 425/17

Replica of Werner Voss's Fokker F.I, serial 103/17. It is fitted with an authentic Le Rhône rotary engine

Triplanes of Jasta 26 at Erchin, France

In April 1917, the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) introduced the Sopwith Triplane. The Sopwith swiftly proved itself superior to the Albatros and Halberstadt scouts then in use by the German Air Service. In response, the Idflieg immediately solicited designs for new triplane scouts. No fewer than 11 German aircraft manufacturers, including Albatros, Pfalz, AEG, DFW, Schütte-Lanz, and Euler, responded with triplane prototypes. Most showed little promise, though limited production of the Pfalz Dr. I was undertaken. Image File history File links Fok. ... Image File history File links Fok. ... Image File history File links Fokker_Dr1_on_the_ground. ... Image File history File links Fokker_Dr1_on_the_ground. ... Red Baron redirects here. ... Image File history File links Fokker_eyes. ... Image File history File links Fokker_eyes. ... Werner Voss (April 13, 1897–September 23, 1917) was a World War I German fighter pilot and ace. ... Le Rhône 9C Gnome et Rhône was a major French aircraft engine manufacturer. ... Image File history File links Fordi. ... Image File history File links Fordi. ... Year 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... Personnel of No 1 Squadron RNAS in late 1914 The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of World War I, when it merged with the British Armys Royal Flying Corps (RFC) to form the Royal Air Force. ... The Sopwith Aviation Company was a British aircraft company that manufactured aeroplanes for the British Military in the first world war, most famously the Sopwith Camel. ... Sopwith Triplane Sopwith Triplane in the Aero Space Museum of Calgary. ... Albatros-Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturer that supplied the German airforces during World War I. The company was based in Johannisthal, Berlin, where it was founded in 1910. ... The Idflieg (Inspektion der Fliegertruppen - Inspectorate of Flying Troops) was the bureau of the German War Office that oversaw German military aviation prior to and during World War I. Categories: Stub ... A triplane is a fixed-wing aircraft equipped with three sets of wings, each roughly the same size and mounted one above the other. ... Pfalz Flugzeugwerke was a World War I German aircraft manufacturer, located at the Speyer airfield in Bavaria. ... AEG volt-metre designed by Peter Behrens AEG (Allgemeine Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft) (English Translation: General Electricity Company) was a German producer of electronics and electrical equipment. ...

The Fokker works responded with the V.3, a small rotary-powered triplane with a tubular-steel frame fuselage and thick cantilever wings. Initial tests revealed deficiencies in the V.3, particularly regarding control forces. Instead of submitting the V.3 for a type test, Fokker produced a revised prototype designated V.4. The most notable changes were horn-balanced ailerons and elevators, as well as longer-span wings. The V.4 also featured interplane struts, which were not necessary from a structural standpoint, but which minimized wing flexing.

Combat Debut

The V.4 proved superior to the triplane prototypes submitted by other manufacturers. After a type test, an immediate production order ensued. The V.4 prototype was intentionally destroyed in static structural tests. Two pre-production examples, designated F.I, were delivered in mid-August 1917. These were the only machines to receive the F.I designation. These aircraft, serials 102/17 and 103/17, were shipped to Jastas 11 and 10 for combat evaluation. They arrived on 28 August 1917, at Markebeeke in Belgium. Richthofen first flew 102/17 on 1 September 1917 and shot down two enemy aircraft in the next two days. He reported to the Kogenluft (Kommandierenden General der Luftstreitkräfte) that the F.I was highly satisfactory. The combat debut of the triplane was short-lived, however. Kurt Wolff, Staffelführer of Jasta 11, was shot down in 102/17 on 15 September, and Werner Voss, Staffelführer of Jasta 10, was killed in 103/17 on 23 September. August 28 is the 240th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (241st in leap years), with 125 days remaining. ... Year 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ... Werner Voss (April 13, 1897–September 23, 1917) was a World War I German fighter pilot and ace. ... September 23 is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years). ...

Delivery of production machines, designated Dr.I, commenced in October. These aircraft were identical to the F.I except for the addition of wingtip skids. All aircraft were delivered to squadrons within Richthofen's Jagdgeschwader 1. Compared to the Albatros and Pfalz fighters it replaced, the Dr.I offered remarkable maneuverability and initial rate of climb rate. The ailerons were light but not very effective. The rudder and elevator controls were light and powerful. Rapid turns, especially to the right, were facilitated by the triplane's marked directional instability. Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1) was formed in the World War I, and was a composite fighter group made up of four Jastas or squadrons on June 24, 1917 with Baron Manfred von Richtofen as commander. ...

The Dr.I also demonstrated significant drawbacks. The triplane's instability made it a poor gun platform. More importantly, it was considerably slower than contemporary Allied fighters in level flight and in a dive. Due to the low-compression Oberursel UR.II, a clone of the Le Rhône 9J rotary engine, performance fell off dramatically at high altitudes. As the war continued, the lack of castor oil made rotary operation more difficult. The poor quality of German ersatz lubricant, known as "Voltol," resulted in many engine failures, particularly during the summer of 1918. Motorenfabrik Oberursel A.G. was a German manufacturer of automobile, locomotive and aircraft engines. ... Le Rhône 9C Gnome et Rhône was a major French aircraft engine manufacturer. ... Ersatz is a German name (literal meaning: substitute) for products, especially chemical compounds and provisions developed in wartimes when shortage of certain goods was imminent. ...

Furthermore, the Dr.I proved tricky to land and prone to ground looping, as evidenced by the wooden skids mounted on the lower wingtips. The cockpit was cramped, and the proximity of the gun butts to the cockpit, combined with poor crash padding, left the pilot vulnerable to serious head injury in the event of a crash landing. In aviation, a ground loop refers to the rapid circular rotation of an aircraft in the horizontal plane whilst on the ground. ...

Wing failures

In late October 1917, Leutnants Heinrich Gontermann and Günther Pastor were killed when their triplanes broke up in flight. The remaining triplanes were immediately grounded pending an inquiry. Idflieg convened a Sturzkommission (crash commission) which concluded that poor construction and lack of waterproofing caused the wing ribs to disintegrate and the ailerons to break away. Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned rank in many armed forces. ... In an aircraft, ribs are forming elements of the structure of a wing, especially in traditional construction. ...

In response to the crash investigation, Fokker improved quality control on the production line, particularly varnishing of the wing spars and ribs, to keep moisture from destroying the wing. Fokker also strengthened the rib structures and the attachment of the auxiliary spars to the ribs. Existing triplanes were modified at Fokker's expense. Idflieg authorized the triplane's return to service in late November 1917, and production resumed in early December. Despite corrective measures, the triplane continued to suffer from wing failures. On 18 March 1918, Lothar von Richthofen was seriously injured in a crash landing after the upper wing of his Dr.I collapsed in flight. Postwar research revealed that poor workmanship was not the only cause of the triplane's structural failures. In 1929, National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) investigations found that the upper wing carried a higher lift gradient than the lower wing--at high speeds it could be 2.55 times as much. In an aircraft, the spar is the main structural member of the wing, running lengthways across the span of the wing, at right angles (or thereabouts) to the fuselage. ... Lothar von Richthofen (right) with elder brother Manfred Lothar-Siegfried Freiherr von Richthofen (27 September 1894 – 4 July 1922) was a German First World War fighter ace credited with 40 victories during the war. ... 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... NACA official seal The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was a U.S. federal agency founded on March 3, 1915 to undertake, promote, and institutionalize aeronautical research. ...

The triplane's problems destroyed any prospect of large-scale orders. Production eventually ended in May 1918, by which time only 320 had been manufactured. As the Fokker D.VII entered widespread service in June and July, surviving triplanes were withdrawn from frontline use and distributed to training and home defense units. Many training aircraft were reengined with the 100 hp Goebel Goe.II. Year 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Fokker D.VII Fokker D.VII Fokker D.VII preserved in the Deutsches Museum The Fokker D.VII was a late World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz at the Fokker company. ...

Postwar

Very few triplanes survived the Armistice. Serial 528/17 was retained as a testbed by the Deutschen Versuchsanstalt für Luftfahrt (German Aviation Research Institute) at Adlershof. After being used in the filming of two movies, 528/17 is believed to have crashed sometime in the late 1930's. Serial 152/17, in which Manfred von Richthofen scored three kills, became the centerpiece of Germany's new aviation museum in Berlin. During World War II, it was evacuated to Poland for safekeeping. Its subsequent fate is unknown, but 152/17 is presumed to have been destroyed near the end of the war. Today, no original example of the Dr.I survives. Berlin is the capital city and one of the sixteen states of the Federal Republic of Germany. ...

Variants

• V3 - Initial prototype
• V4 - First production prototype
• V5 - Fitted with a Goebel Goe.III engine
• V6 - Larger version, with a Mercedes D.II engine
• V7 - Fitted with a Siemens-Halske Sh.III engine
• V8 - Five-winged (triplane set near nose, biplane set aft of cockpit) variant of the V6
• V10 - Fitted with an Oberursel UR.III engine

The Mercedes D.II was a 6-cylinder, liquid cooled inline aircraft engine built by Daimler during the early stages of World War I. Producing about 110 to 120 hp, it was at the low-end of the power range of contemporary engines, and was generally outperformed by rotaries who... Siemens-Schuckert (or Siemens-Schuckertwerke) was a German electrical engineering company which temporarily also was engaged in aircraft construction. ... Motorenfabrik Oberursel A.G. was a German manufacturer of automobile, locomotive and aircraft engines. ...

Operators

• Germany

Specifications (Dr. I)

Data from The Great Book of Fighters^[1], and Quest for Performance^[2] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (645x1023, 4 KB) Summary 3 view Silhouette of a fokker triplane, made by myself in MS Paint. ...

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 18 ft 11 in (5.77 m)
• Wingspan: 23 ft 7 in (7.20 m)
• Height: 9 ft 8 in (2.95 m)
• Wing area: 201 ft² (18.70 m²)
• Empty weight: 895 lb (406 kg)
• Loaded weight: 1,292 lb (586 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Oberursel UR.II 9-cylinder rotary engine, 110 hp (82 kW)
• Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0323

• Drag area: 6.69 ft² (0.62 m)
• Aspect ratio: 4.04

Performance

• Maximum speed: 115 mph (185 km/h)
• Stall speed: 45 mph (72 km/h)
• Range: 185 mi (300 km)
• Service ceiling: 20,000 ft (6,095 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,130 ft/min (5.7 m/s)

• Lift-to-drag ratio: 8.0

Armament

• 2x 7.92 mm Spandau MG 08/15 machine guns.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Fokker Dr1

The metre, or meter (U.S.), is a measure of length. ... The distance AB is the wing span of this Aer Lingus Airbus A320. ... A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ... The U.S. National Prototype Kilogram, which currently serves as the primary standard for measuring mass in the U.S. It was assigned to the United States in 1889 and is periodically recertified and traceable to the primary international standard, The Kilogram, held at the Bureau International des Poids et... Motorenfabrik Oberursel A.G. was a German manufacturer of automobile, locomotive and aircraft engines. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... In aerodynamics, the zero-lift drag coefficient is a dimensionless parameter which relates an aircrafts zero-lift drag force to its size, speed, and flying altitude. ... In aerodynamics, the zero-lift drag coefficient is a dimensionless parameter which relates an aircrafts zero-lift drag force to its size, speed, and flying altitude. ... The low aspect ratio wing of a Piper PA-28 Cherokee In aerodynamics, the aspect ratio is an airplanes wings span divided by its standard mean chord (SMC). ... VNO of an aircraft is the V speed which refers to the velocity of normal operation. ... Kilometre per hour (American spelling: kilometer per hour) is a unit of both speed (scalar) and velocity (vector). ... Stall speed is an aerodynamic term. ... The maximal total range is the distance an aircraft can fly between takeoff and landing as limited by its fuel capacity. ... In aeronautics, the service ceiling is the maximum density altitude where the best rate of climb airspeed will produce a 100 feet per minute climb(twin engine) and 50 feet(single engine) at maximum weight while in a clean configuration with maximum continuous power. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... In aerodynamics, the lift-to-drag ratio, or L/D ratio (ell-over-dee, as opposed to ell-dee), is the amount of lift generated by a wing, compared to the drag it creates by moving through the air. ... MG08 with optical sight. ... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Wikimedia Commons logo by Reid Beels The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ...

Notes

1. ^ Green, W; Swanborough, G (2001). The Great Book of Fighters. MBI Publishing. ISBN 0-7603-1194-3. 
2. ^ Loftin, LK, Jr. Quest for performance: The evolution of modern aircraft. NASA SP-468. Retrieved on 2006-04-22.

For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... April 22 is the 112th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (113th in leap years). ...

References

• Weyl, A.R. Fokker: The Creative Years. 1988, ISBN: 0-851778-17-8

Related content

Comparable aircraft

• Sopwith Triplane
• Sopwith Camel

  Sopwith Triplane Sopwith Triplane in the Aero Space Museum of Calgary. ... The Sopwith Camel Scout was a British World War I single-seat fighter aircraft that was famous for its maneuverability. ...