Udets DR VII

Can any body send me a good view of Udets foker dr 7. I need a good profile. I m going to build desk model. I want to be has accurate as possible.



Thanks for your time

OKROOKIE(Larry Bates )

What in the world is a DR VII ???

Corection foker DVII

Hi Larry,

First of all, you'd better clarify what kind of aircraft you intend to model. I presume instead of a "DR VII" you mean a Fokker D.VII, which was a biplane fighter introduced about May 1918. The Dr.I was a triplane (Dr=Dreidecker, three wings; D generally stood for Doppeldecker, a biplane). Udet flew both; I know of at least three different Triplanes he flew (one in Jasta 11, two in Jasta 4) and several different D.VIIs (all as CO of Jasta 4).

I would imagine that you would prefer to do the D.VII everyone thinks of as "Udet's D.VII", which is usually depicted with a red fuselage and tailplane, red (?) and white diagonal stripes on the top wing, with "LO !" on the fuselage in white. There is only one photo of this aircraft that I'm aware of, and it shows Udet standing in front of the tailplane. Unfortunately, he blocks most of the aircraft from view. However, you can see that the tailplane had a white chevron on it, and the words "Du doch nicht !!" on the elevators.The latter message has been the subject of considerable discussion on this site; the short translation is something like "Certainly not you !!", and it was intended as a taunt to any Allied pilot who might get on Udet's tail. The ironic thing is, Udet did not fly this a/c for long, and was shot down in it on 29 June 1918, by an alert gunner in a French Breguet 14. Udet barely escaped with his life in a hazardous parachute jump.

In my opinion, this aircraft still presents questions concerning its actual appearance. Some have suggested that the stripes on the top wing were actually black and white, not red. There is a very good discussion and profile rendering of this plane by Dave Roberts in "Fokker D.VII Anthology 2", from Albatros Productions (however, Dave leaves the final conclusion about colors to the reader).I imagine you can locate some of the more typical color views of this aircraft by doing a search on the web; you might try Gaston Graf's excellent Jasta Boelcke website at www.jastaboelcke.com/de, I think. Try the links on this website. You might also contact Dan-San Abbott for more info.

I don't like to blow my own horn, but if you're interested in Udet's other D.VII's, you might try my booklet on "von Richthofen's Flying Circus", also from Albatros Productions,1995.

I hope that was of some interest.

Greg

Actualy in my research for my book about Udet I found personnal accounts from his journal that the colors were indeed red and white. There is a great depiction of his aircraft at http://www.jastaboelcke.de/index2.htm under the art section. All you will need to do your model is there, there is a profile from the side and also from the top in full color.

Greg, that article in the DVII anthology is wildly inaccurate. Partly because he was working with only that single photograph (more info is known now), but some of his conclusions are pretty questionable (he thought the fuselage top stripe was a book under Udet's arm??).

DDN was an early Fokker-built DVII, serial number unknown. The markings were red and white, with the top wing stripes continuing to the undersurface. The lower wings were standard 4-color lozenge. White chevron on tail, along with "Du Doch Nicht!!". Struts were red, wheels red.

I've spent about 150 hours modeling and rendering this aircraft over the last couple months (prints will be available soon for those interested). Thanks to Dan-San's exceptional knowledge and kind help, it's as accurate as possible.

Bob Pearson has a colour profile in side and top view of DDU on the internet. I don't have the address handy but you can find him through Internet Modeler. His drawing is based on Dan Abbott's work.
If I may comment, read all you can especially Albatros Productions Fokker D.VII volume 1 and 2.
Volume 2 carries an article on DDU. The article by Dave Roberts is well worth reading. Regardless of what all have said in the past nobody knows for sure how it was painted. Also listen to Dan and Greg, they are both very knowlegable about aircraft of this era. Weight all the evidence and then make up your own mind.
As to DDU manufacturer, the Jasta 4 war diary says they received a batch of Fokker D.VII built by O.A.W. on June 13 1918. Don't take my word. Check with the Ed Ferko Collection,I believe it is kept at the University of Texas.

Marlon Schultz

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Marlon:
Ltn Ernst Udet's Du doch nicht!! was a Fokker built Fok. D.VII. I have in my collection a 3.4 right -front side view of this specific machine. Absolutely no doubt about it. Jasta 4 did recieve Fok. D.VII(OAW) in the low 2000 range. Ltn. Bender was issued Fok.D.7(OAW) 2063/18 and Udet took D.2078/18, but this was not Du doch nicht!!
Blue skies,
Dan-San Abbott

Dan:
I hope you will consider an article in say "Over the Front" about Du Doch Nicht!. I personally would love to see the photo you have,
and as you know with myself being a model builder and amateur historian I am all for the true facts.

Marlon Schultz