True color of MVR Fokker Dr1 425/17

[Taz]

Langdon, CW- From doing wood working, linseed oil takes a long time to dry and can still be tacky for quite a while. I believe the light blue was covered with a waterproofing varnish finish, and this accounted for the eventual slight green shift and also the glossy look. Beats me if there was linseed oil in varnish back then, though.

Taz
Terry Phillips

[RAGIII]

So now that the PRO Richthofen combat reports have been proven to have a valid source (Eliminating FAKES as an option) it seems we can move on to those other items mentioned earlier in this thread. Evidence has piled up in favor of the all red bird being 425/17, and as the translated reports indicate, evidence is there for 477/17 being painted in a smilar manner to 152/17 and 127/17. The streaked bird at Lechelle certainly fits this description. About those other items......... How about that Voss cowl
RAGIII

[Langdon]

RAGIII,

I'm not sure the descriptions were the same, when I recieve the copies I will let you know but certainly the aircraft we think is 477/17 is not painted in exactly the same manner as 152 and 161/17. The Voss cowl puzzle will never be solved unless new material is found, we don't even know if the original cowl was on the aircraft when it was shot down.

Langdon

[Dave_Watts]

RAG III,

Maybe someone has the combat reports for Voss, and it will have the description of his nose cowling right there in the report!



Actually, I'm guessing even if he did have a yellow rudder and/or yellow nose it would have been too insignificant to have mentioned.

Best,
Dave W.

Welcome back Taz!

Dan-San,

To get rid of that second accidental posting, go to the edit button of it and erase everything but as I recall six or seven characters, write something like, "accident, forgive me" or some such thing.

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Langdon:
Fok.Dr.I 161/17 was a machine that MvR borrowed from anothe unit in Jage Nr.1, it was never his reserve machine. He Flew it to Jasta 5 for to discuss the forth coming Operation Michael. I refer you to:THE FOKKER TRIPLANEby Alex Imrie, "Richthofen Triplanes"page 79. It was not painted like his reserve machines.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Dave Watts;
You forgot to mention the yellow upper wing, all the Jasta führern painted their upper wings the Jasta Color.
Blue Skies,
Dan

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Taz:
Welcome back Taz, I hope you had a nice vacation. Give my best to Jan.
Blue skies,
Dan

[Taz]

Dan-San, Dave,- Thanks for the welcome back. 161/17 was indeed a Jasta 11 aircraft, Dan-San. You may be thinking of MvR's last visit to Jasta 5 on 17 March when he was flying Jasta 6's Dr.I 525/17 accompanied by Ltn von Linsingen in Dr.I 163/17. 161/17 was flown by both MvR and by Ltn WvR, so it was a family chariot of sorts.

Dan-San- Thanks for the info that the varnish used on Dr.Is was linseed oil based. Having worked with the pure stuff a lot, I knew unadulterated it was way too sticky, but had no idea of the type varnish they used.

Taz
Terry Phillips

[Langdon]

Originally Posted by Dan_San_Abbott

Langdon:
Fok.Dr.I 161/17 was a machine that MvR borrowed from anothe unit in Jage Nr.1, it was never his reserve machine. He Flew it to Jasta 5 for to discuss the forth coming Operation Michael. I refer you to:THE FOKKER TRIPLANEby Alex Imrie, "Richthofen Triplanes"page 79. It was not painted like his reserve machines.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

Hello Dan-San,

Thanks for your reference to Imrie's book, I didn't see where it says it was never his reserve machine but it is possible given this is his only noted use of the aircraft. I quoted from Ferko's "Richthofen". His photos (3 views) show a dark coloured turtle deck, the over-painting starts in the same position as it does on 152/17, the rear fuselage, rudder and upper surface of the stabiliser are also overpainted in a colour that looks like it could be red, as well as struts and the cowling.

Ferko collection

[CWatson]

Originally Posted by Taz

Dan-San- Thanks for the info that the varnish used on Dr.Is was linseed oil based. Having worked with the pure stuff a lot, I knew unadulterated it was way too sticky, but had no idea of the type varnish they used.

A belated welcome back Taz,

I use BLO, boiled linseed oil,on my M1 Garand stocks and it does take sometime to dry. I think plain linseed oil stays tacky forever.

Taz you mentioned before you left that you were planning on posting the enlarged picture showing the werke number from under the wing of the plane believed to be 477/17, are you still planning on it? On the enlarged Lachelle photo Dan San sent you of the rear veiw of the same plane does the upper wing look factory streaked?


Thanks again,
CWatson