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425/17 was not streaked?
Langdon:
Sorry if dodged your question. There is a very large piece from the left side of the fuselage that Alan inspected, on it under the red was Fok.DR.I 425/17. And the style of the lettering is diffenately Fokker Flugzeugwerke. I have his report on this piece and I don't know if this is the piece that he idenified as not having any streaked camouflage. On my piece of fabric only had clear dope, 2 coats and one coat of very dark red. I have difficulty a production aircraft would go through Army in house inspection and final inspection and test flown in natural doped fabric. without any notation on the acceptance documents explaning it will go to MvR. It arrives at the Front in February 1918, while he is flying DR.I 114/17, DR.I 152/17, DR.I 127/17 and Dr.I 477/17. An yet there is no mention of this machines in his combat reports, his letters to Mama. From that I can only conclude that he did not fly this machine until 19 April 1918 or maybe a day or so before that, however that is supposition. There is no evidence anywhere, any statements from his pilots about this machine until his combat report of 19 April 1918. You cannot prove he has ever flown it before 19 April !918 and neither can I or anyone else. My personal opinion is the fuselage was recovered. Most likely at the Army Flugpark 2. Why is there no record of anyone not flying 425/17 until MvR scores a victory on 19 April 1918, It had to be somewhere for some reason, my opinion is maybe in transit it was damaged in shipment and sat at AFP2 four 3 months. Maybe it was painted red at AFP 2 for MvR??? He had alot of Horse Power! Maybe........?
Blue skies,
Dan-San
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