ORA Red Fokker Triplane

baldeagle · 22 May 2007, 01:41 PM

From Bill Winter, son of the builder of the old Warner powered Triplane at ORA:

Baldeagle, I came upon this website looking for any pictures of my father's Fokker DR1. There aren't many, but it appears you got to fly his airplane at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome. His was the one that was destroyed by Heater Heatley. I will send you some photos of it before Cole Palen purchased it. Were the remains bought by someone? Anyways nice talking to you and I hope you can enjoy the photos. Auf Wiedersehen!
Bill

Anybody got pictures?

Bill, there may be some photos of it on this thread: Cole Palen's Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome
but there's a lot to look through-

SL DIII · 22 May 2007, 10:09 PM

Hi Andrew,
Here are a bunch of photos that I shot between 1984 and 1987 of the red Triplane that you used to fly in the shows at Rhinebeck. This was around the time we first met.

Last time I saw what was left of the Triplane, it was in Cole's barn, hanging from the ceiling...this was back in 2002.

Best regards,
Tom Polapink

more to follow...

SL DIII · 22 May 2007, 10:11 PM

Here are a few more...

Tom Polapink

SL DIII · 22 May 2007, 10:13 PM

...and more...

That was always a thrill when you used to fly out of the tress like that!

Tom Polapink

SL DIII · 22 May 2007, 10:19 PM

...and here are the last two that I can find at the moment:

For those who don't know, that's Andrew with his hand on the on the middle wing.

You can see where the power lines ripped through the leading edges of all three wings. As I understand it, those lines probably helped to save Heatley's llife as they broke the fall.

Andrew...please let Bill know I posted the pictures here.

Best regards,
Tom Polapink

AAC Cadet Leader · 22 May 2007, 10:22 PM

wow! super photos, tom! and that one flying out of or through the trees is incredible!!!

baldeagle · 22 May 2007, 10:47 PM

Thanks Tom, great stuff-

and I used to have hair...

Bill Winter · 23 May 2007, 01:18 PM

thanks guys for the great pictures of my dad's triplane. They are pretty exciting photos. I'm sure my dad will be thrilled to see them. I'll see if I can download them to him. Thanks, again it is much appreciated.
Sincerely, Bill

BobGhee · 23 May 2007, 05:17 PM

Hi SLDIII.....thanks for the great Warner Triplane photos! Haven't seen this
many in one place! Cole must've been very pleased to bring this machine into the show lineup. N3221 had certainly been flown long and hard, and was looking old , with the dark gray-green upper surfaces , around 1986.
How many HP was that Warner radial ??

SL DIII · 23 May 2007, 11:51 PM

Hi AAC, Andrew, Bill and Bob,.
Glad you liked the pictures. I found a few more, so here they are. These are probably just about all the pictures I shot of this aircraft. I recall seeing a nice air to air photo or two on file at the Aerodrome.

Bill, if you can’t download them, please let me know and I’ll be happy to email them direct to you, or I can snail-mail you a CD.

Bob, I don't know how many HP the Warner was, but I'm sure Andrew does.

Best regards,
Tom Polapink