Dr.1 403/17

[flygilmore]

Hello, I have a couple of questions on 403/17. First, was the rudder painted olive or black? Also, did the cowling have any "face" (eyes etc.) painted on? Thanks for your help.

[flygilmore]

Here is a pic I found-don't know if it is the correct scheme. It looks as if the rudder is olive but I cannot tell what color the back half of the fuse is????

[Kirk R. Lowry]

Bonjour!

Well, we do know that the Fokker Dr.Is that were flown by Jasta 6 had cowls painted black. I suspect that 403/17 had a rudder painted black ... the audacious reasoning being because the aircraft would look better with a black cowl and a black rudder than with a black cowl and an olive rudder. No, not a detailed analysis of tone reproduction on film, but, I wonder if the black paint applied over the white rudder would appear to be less dense than the black paint applied to the olive cowl which would explain the difference in, at least, one photograph, between the shade of the cowl and rudder.

Greg VanWyngarden has indicated that either colour may be correct in Fokker Dr.I Jagdstaffeln (though in the previously published Fokker Dr I Aces of World War 1 the profile painted of the aircraft flown by Janzen does sport a black rudder). Really, you should be waiting for either Greg VanWyngarden or Terry Phillips to reply to this enquiry. That said, it is doubtful if a definitive answer can be given ... as for the eyebrow like lines ... why not, for the markings do appear to be applied.

Are you building a model? If so, why not apply the paint the way you wish? You can find at least one source to us as support whatever is decided!

Salut!
Kirk

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Kirk R. Lowry:
I receieved an E-mail flygilmore, which I just answered, I thought the cowlings were black, but in reviewing all the photos the Osprey No.40, Fokker Dr I Aces of World War 1, FOKKER DR.I Jagdstaffeln, Fokker DR.I Special,
I am not that sure, some definetly are not, some could be, I don't believe the cowling on Fok.DR.I 403/17 that is illustrated in photo 6/6 in FOKKER DR.I Jagdstaffeln, was painted black. Greg does not say it was black either in his caption for photos 6/6, and 6/7.
Blue skies,
Dan-San