Fokker DR1 Pilots (1 Viewer)

[1st Rifle Brigade]

Hi all,

I finally decided to buy one of the Fokker DR1 planes after having them on my ever expanding wants list for many months, years even. I also bought one of the stands to display it flying in all its glory only to find that the pilot I would love to have in the cockpit is now long retired. So, my cry for help would be if Mr. Jenkins would re-issue and bring back these two great pilot figures. (ACE-GP). I hope that there are some more of you that would agree.

Happy flying!

Mark

 

[ivanmoe]

Hi Mark,

The new German pilots are nice, and arguably more complex in sculpting than the first set. However, they are also somewhat more expensive. That said, they are readily available for sale many places. Hey, though, which Fokker did you buy???

 

[1st Rifle Brigade]

I went for the "optical illusion" DR1. Ernst Udet's mount. I also sided with the wife who liked the black and white stripes.

The new German pilots like good, but I particularly liked the earlier ones. The new British pilots look good also, especially the one with the crazed look on his face.

Do you know if the British pilots fit the German planes and vice versa?

Mark

 

[ivanmoe]

I went for the "optical illusion" DR1. Ernst Udet's mount. I also sided with the wife who liked the black and white stripes.

Excellent choice; really like Lo!

Do you know if the British pilots fit the German planes and vice versa?

They are absolutely interchangeable. I only draw the line with the Ed Mannock looking figure; he's Brits only. Inserting the half-figures can be a little weird with the Camel, BTW, as access to the cockpit is restricted by the overhanging wing. My other concern with the pilots is that I sometimes forget that one is parked in the cockpit, only to have it fall out when the plane is cocked too far, this way or that. Great recipe, there, for a blackened toenail!:redface2:

 

[lancer]

I went for the "optical illusion" DR1. Ernst Udet's mount. I also sided with the wife who liked the black and white stripes.

The new German pilots like good, but I particularly liked the earlier ones. The new British pilots look good also, especially the one with the crazed look on his face.

Do you know if the British pilots fit the German planes and vice versa?

Mark

Good choice on the Udet tripe. It is a very striking paint job and just draws the eye to it. As I've said before, John has made some inspired choices with his triplane livery. They all look great. Welcome to JJD WW1 aviation. One of us...One of us...:wink2: -- Al

 

[1st Rifle Brigade]

Thank you Ivanmoe and Lancer for the warm welcome and input.

I like the British pilot in "the Duelists" set, but it would be great to have a pilot firing a Hebel flare or Very pistol from the cockpit. Just like in the recent Red Baron movie, when the German pilot fires the flare at the observation balloon.

Or, leaning over the side dropping a Cooper bomb.

Now, an observation balloon would be a great addition!!!

Mark

 

[lancer]

I like the idea of the pilot firing the flare gun. It was the standard signal method for flight leaders on both sides. -- Al

 

[Hoverbug]

Please - nothing inspired by the Red Baron movie as that was pure Hollywood. Trying to take out a balloon with a Very pistol would be suicidal. Balloon busting was incredibly difficult as they were fixed points with abundant anti-aircraft fire directed at the obvious angles of approach. Even if the pistol was effective, just getting into position to make it work would require ignoring the antiaircraft fire which was a sure way to die.

Thank you Ivanmoe and Lancer for the warm welcome and input.

I like the British pilot in "the Duelists" set, but it would be great to have a pilot firing a Hebel flare or Very pistol from the cockpit. Just like in the recent Red Baron movie, when the German pilot fires the flare at the observation balloon.

Or, leaning over the side dropping a Cooper bomb.

Now, an observation balloon would be a great addition!!!

Mark

 

[ivanmoe]

Even if the pistol was effective, just getting into position to make it work would require ignoring the antiaircraft fire which was a sure way to die.

Frank Luke shot down fourteen balloons, I believe. However, he stuck to bullets. Who held the record for downing gas-bags, anyway?^&confuse

 

[lancer]

Frank Luke shot down fourteen balloons, I believe. However, he stuck to bullets. Who held the record for downing gas-bags, anyway?^&confuse

First World War's leading balloon buster was Willy Coppens of Belgium. 35 of his confirmed 37 victories were balloons. He was followed by Jean Bourjade of France with 27 balloons, all of his victories. Fritz Roth led Germany with 20 balloons in his 28 victories. Of the 73 pilots in WW1 who had 5 or more confirmed balloon kills, 26 were French, 24 German, 15 were Commonwealth, and the others were US, Austrian, and Coppens of Belgium. -- Al

 

[ivanmoe]

First World War's leading balloon buster was Willy Coppens of Belgium. 35 of his confirmed 37 victories were balloons. He was followed by Jean Bourjade of France with 27 balloons, all of his victories. Fritz Roth led Germany with 20 balloons in his 28 victories. Of the 73 pilots in WW1 who had 5 or more confirmed balloon kills, 26 were French, 24 German, 15 were Commonwealth, and the others were US, Austrian, and Coppens of Belgium. -- Al

Hi Al,

Can you tell us how common the use of Le Prieur rockets against observation balloons was?

The rockets would appear to be a more practical approach of attack than a flare gun!{eek3}

 

[lancer]

Hi Al,

Can you tell us how common the use of Le Prieur rockets against observation balloons was?

The rockets would appear to be a more practical approach of attack than a flare gun!{eek3}

Moe, I doubt flare guns were used to attack balloons, at least not very often as the difficulties are obvious. As for the Le Prieur rockets, they were first used in action on May 22, 1916. The French launched assaults against 8 balloons in the Verdun sector. This first use was a success as 6 of the 8 balloons were destroyed. In general, the rockets were notoriously inaccurate, tending to go in every direction but where they were aimed. A much higher rate of success was achieved with incendiary ammunition which was responsible for the rockets being phased out of use in 1918. The range of the rockets was a very short, at about 125 yards, and the firing system worked in a delay fashion, meaning the rockets didn't all fire at once, which necessitated the pilot keeping the plane on a steady course at the target. Hardly a healthy practice considering the AA defenses around the balloons. I have read that the rockets might have destroyed up to 50 balloons over the life of their service use. -- Al