Lowenhardt's D7

[Tim Plunkett]

Due to the unblieviable sucess of my "LO" thread, I am now asking all the experts about the color and markings of Lowenhardt's D7.

[Kilian]

Löwenhardts D.VII

Unbesiegt

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Tim Plunkett:
Oblt. Loewenhardt had at least two Fok.D.VII machines and most likely four or five from May to August 1918. His first machine was a Fokker built D.VII with streakeg camouflage on the fuselage and delivered with the iron crosses which were modified to the crude balken cross. The secondknown machine was also a Fokker built Fok.D.VIIF from the production batch of serial numbers D.4250/18 to D.4299/18 with only the forward side cowling with three louvers and the magneto doors on both sides, aft oft of the side panel. The top cowls with six louvers with the exhaust pipe exiting above the side cowl at the rear of the louvered top cowl.
The Latin crosses were full chord 1600mm and the arms 200mm wide with white borders 50mm wide on the upper wing. The crosses were centered on the 10th rib.
The lower wing cross was full chord, 1200mm x 150wide arms with 40mm white borders and located on 8th rib.
The fuselage crosses were 550 mm high and wide with 130mm wide arms, with 35 mm white borders. The fuselage cross was positioed 350mm foward of the tip of the leading edge of the stabilizer and centered on the side of the fuselage.
The rudder cross was 600mm x 100m. the center-line of the vertical arm was 100mm aft of the leading edge of the rudder tube. The horizontal center-line was 475mm below the top of the rudder.
All the cowlings, cabane and under-carriage struts and axle wing were painted dark green Methuen 26F8. The interplane and stabilizer struts were painted light grey, 1C1 as delivered.
Loewenhardt's D.VII had chrome yellow fuselage, wheel covers, tailplane, forward half of the fin, axle wing and all struts. The upper and lower wings were covered with 4 color printed fabric, dark pattern on the upper surfaces and the light pattern on the lower surfaces. The rib tapes would be mtching cut strips of the printed fabric. The serial number would be inthe D.4260/18 to D.4270/18 range of numbers. Ltn. Aloys Heldmann had Fok.D.VIIF4264/18. This description is based on a description of Oblt.Loewnhardt's Fok.D.VIIF by a member of Jasta 10 at the time of Oblt. Loewenhardt's death and pictures of Heldmann's D.VIIF. The wings were NOT painted yellow.
Blue sklies,
Dan-San

[Tim Plunkett]

Thanks guys for the info. Got the painting just the other day in the mail. Thanks Dan for the detailed info. I am partial to the yellow plane. It also seems that there is less controversy on the exact markings. It is a three way tie right now as to how I will paint the plane. This may seem odd to some as I am only about 1/3 finished, but I like to plan ahead.

[passat54]

Tim,

pilot reports are rare, as I have learned from WWI AERO Feb.1988, so I was very pleased to read about your experiences with your Fokker Tripe. What's your opinion of the lowest speed, an original Tripe with a dead rotary is able for a simple maneuvre?
Frank Tallman reported at 45mph "with a rather wobbly feel and blanking out the tail plane almost completely so the controls are almost completely ineffective." He used an 165 hp Warner.
Sorry, English is not my language.

Regards,
Rudol

[Tim Plunkett]

I knew Frank when I lived in California flying out of Fla-Bob airport near Riverside. Jim Appleby was there at the time. Both were great guys and great pilots. It is hard to say how slow it will fly. At a high angle of attack the airspeed indicator has much error. Mine reads about 45mph but I am sure we are going slower. You loss flight control effectiveness. The rudder goes first, then the ailerons and the elevator gets real sloppy. The plane begins to torque even at idle. With the engine out of course there would be none. At high angles the drag goes out of sight and you begin to fall out of the sky. There is no real stall it just starts to fall and as the nose comes down it starts to fly right away. The Camel does about the same, but I would say that the Dr is more controllable in this condition. I would not say that the plane is ever out of control. In the hands of a pilot who has experience in the Dr these conditions can be used to your advantage in a fight. I does not fly like a modern airplane. The controls are not balanced. It is unstable in roll and yaw and too stable in pitch. One thing a Dr pilot never does is to let go of the controls. Which makes reading a map interesting.

[passat54]

Tim,

many thanks for this first hand account. I hope you will find time for your publication about flying a Camel and or a Tripe, a lot of people will be interested to learn.

Regards,
Rudol