Originally Posted by UNGN

The Flyzone Plane isn't modeled after the real "Red Baron" plane, but instead is modeled after a real replica "Red Baron" at the Hanover Aviation musuem.

The Deutch Museum in Munich has a more acurate paint scheme on their "Red Baron" replica, but it still has a white tail and no Iron Crosses.

From what I've seen, Von Richtofen flew several different DR Is with different markings on each. I think the Flyzone plane does represent a plane he flew.

Dr.1 425/17 had a red rudder initially but it had a white rudder when Richthofen was shot down in it. Apparently it was repainted or replaced at some point, most likely when the German cross style changed.

Randy

Originally Posted by Angelo

From what I've seen, Von Richtofen flew several different DR Is with different markings on each. I think the Flyzone plane does represent a plane he flew.

All DR.1's had a Serial Number. The Most Famous one was 425/17.

The real 425/17 was never painted like the Flyzone plane.

The 425/17 Replica at the Laatzen-Hannover Luftahrt Museum is painted EXACTLY like the flyzone plane, but is inaccurate for any plane that Von Richtofen actually flew, including Serial Number 425/17.

Originally Posted by UNGN

The Prop pulls straight off. Hold the shaft with needle nosed pliers while pulling on the prop.

The Flyzone Plane isn't modeled after the real "Red Baron" plane, but instead is modeled after a real replica "Red Baron" at the Hanover Aviation musuem.

The Deutch Museum in Munich has a more acurate paint scheme on their "Red Baron" replica, but it still has a white tail and no Iron Crosses.

Thanks for the how-to on the prop removal.

Interesting on the two replicas, I wonder if either are actual flying replicas or just mock-ups? I did't know either existed, especially the Hanover plane that this and other Dr.1's are based on. The Munich replica seems also to be painted a more accurate dark blood red, which the plane in the movie The Red Baron was also painted a much darker red that this Flyzone and other models are painted (like the Hanover replica).

Manfred von Richthofen was a flamboyant man, but not a fool; he wanted to make a statement to his enemy pilots painting his plane Red instead of a hard to see camo, but I doubt he was that arrogant to use a "firetruck" red that acted like a flare instead of a darker red that all of us that fly RC knows looks black at any distance to the human eye.

Now if it were me in WWI in Richthofen's unit, I'd paint my plane all matt white, every surface. It would have blended into a bright sky, the sun for longer on an attack, you couldn't tell the top from the side or the bottom. In Nam the UH-1H's / P's and AH-1B's / E's I flew (20th SOS) were painted green or jungle camo; idiotic since we were targets in the air, not sitting on the ground. I would have been busted down to peeling potatoes if I had painted them to the flat light grey I wanted to.

I have two other balsa Dr.1 ARF's (Electrifly and Wattage) that are also exactly the same copy of the Hanover replica. The Wattage is an SOB to rolling take off, it wants to "flip / ground loop" like the real plane reportedly did, no matter how much right/down thrust I put on the motor!

None of the manufacturers that make these RC planes seems reference the source of their "clone". Funny that they all picked the least accurate replica.

I stumbled upon the Hanover museum on a business trip to Hanover with a few hours to kill. Their plane looks like a real, flying replica of a DR1 with a proper rotary engine.

The White nosed/White Stripe version of the plane seems to to come from the 1960's/1970's visions of what the red baron's plane looked like.

The Deutsche Museum replica in Munich looks like it was made model/diorama builders and not by actual airplane builders. It was supposedly built in 1957 and is definite not a working airplane, but the model builder at the Deutsche museum are world class artists/craftsmen, so it does look very realistic.

I found this on an WW1 flight sim forum. These are all von Richtofen's Dr1s. Lots to chose from for just his mounts. To get technical, 102/17 is actually not a Dr1, but a Fokker F1.

Originally Posted by Lucky Dog

I found this on an WW1 flight sim forum. These are all von Richtofen's Dr1s. Lots to chose from for just his mounts. To get technical, 102/17 is actually not a Dr1, but a Fokker F1.

I'm skeptical, why would von Richtofen needed to have had 7 Dr.1 planes and all different ? I read his story years ago and the bio said he only crashed 2 Dr.1 planes (one was depicted in the movie The Red Baron). According to the story, he painted the plane, the dark all red, after this crash when he met the Canadian flyer that became a friend. Also, he only flew the Dr.1 for a very short time, as it was reported he grew to dislike it and preferred the D-VII and the D-III Albatros.

Here from the Wikipedia bio -

"On 23 November 1916, Richthofen downed his most famous adversary, British ace Major Lanoe Hawker VC, described by Richthofen himself as "the British Boelcke".[19] The victory came while Richthofen was flying an Albatros D.II and Hawker was flying a D.H.2. After a long dogfight, Hawker was killed by a bullet in the head as he attempted to escape back to his own lines.[20] After this combat, Richthofen was convinced he needed a fighter aircraft with more agility, even at a loss of speed. He switched to the Albatros D.III in January 1917, scoring two victories before suffering an inflight crack in the spar of the aircraft's lower wing on 24 January. Richthofen reverted to the Albatros D.II or Halberstadt D.II for the next five weeks. On 6 March, his aircraft was shot through the petrol tank by Edwin Benbow, and Richthofen force landed without injury. Richthofen then scored a victory in the Albatros D.II on 9 March, but since his Albatros D.III was grounded for the rest of the month, Richthofen switched again to a Halberstadt D.II.[21]

He returned to his Albatros D.III on 2 April 1917 and scored 22 victories in it before switching to the Albatros D.V in late June.[22] From late July, following his discharge from hospital, Richthofen flew the celebrated Fokker Dr.I triplane, the distinctive three-winged aircraft with which he is most commonly associated, although he did not use the type exclusively until after it was reissued with strengthened wings in November[23]. Despite the popular link between Richthofen and the Fokker Dr. I, only 19 of his 80 kills were made in this type.[24] It was his Albatros D.III Serial No. 789/16 that was first painted bright red, in late January 1917, and in which he first earned his name and reputation.[25]

Richthofen championed the development of the Fokker D.VII with suggestions to overcome the deficiencies of the then current German fighter aircraft.[26] However, he never had an opportunity to fly it in combat as he was killed just days before it entered service."

Hi makeitworst,
To begin with, don't take much of what you saw in the Red Baron movie as historic fact. Nor is Wikipedia always accurate or complete (although I do refer to it often as well)

The Baron flew a Dr1 from Sept. 3, 1917 (well the F1 102/17) through his death in 425/17 March 21, 1918. There were some structural problems with the Dr1 late in 1917, and while they were grounded, he went back to primarily an Albatros (DV) for a short while (chances are he did fly Albatros DIIIs and DV off and on as well while flying the Dr1). He loved the Dr1's maneuverability and climb rate, but no doubt that (had he lived) he'd been flying primarily the Fokker DVII in combat.

Otherwise, Osprey Publications "Richthofens's Circus - Jagdgeschwader Nr 1 lists 5 different DR1s and the F1 as being flown by Von Richthofen at one time or another. The only on in the profiles shown that was not listed is 141.17. Why so many different ones? Because he could I guess.

Cheers,
Mike

One of my favorite quotes - "Wikipedia is the triumph of democracy over truth."

For the benefit of UK flyers the Flyzone UM Fokker is finally available in the UK.

This is the best price I've found http://www.stevewebb.co.uk/index.php?srch=flyzone

Originally Posted by Roger Lombard

For the benefit of UK flyers the Flyzone UM Fokker is finally available in the UK.

This is the best price I've found http://www.stevewebb.co.uk/index.php?srch=flyzone

Thanks mate! My dad is bursting at the seams to get hold of one of these triplanes! He was trying to get a friend to bring one back from the states! I guess i will have to have one myself to join the flying circus!!

Originally Posted by makeitworst

I'm skeptical, why would von Richtofen needed to have had 7 Dr.1 planes and all different ? ."

Apparently there were at least 8, perhaps 11. 4 of which he scored kills flying. And true, he scored most of his kills flying a/c other than a Dr1.

This is from Lloyd Leichentritt who is a respected Dr1 researcher.


Fokker Dr.I 102/17
Fokker Dr.I 106/17 Reserve plane (reference not confirmed)
Fokker Dr.I 114/17 Emergency Landing to assist Lothar
Fokker Dr.I 124/17 Reference only not confirmed
Fokker Dr.I 127/17 MvR - victories # 71, 74, 76
Fokker Dr.I 141/17 Adlershof on Nov. 2/5/1917 for type test by MvR, Survived the war, sent to USA at McCook Field
Fokker Dr.I 152/17 MvR - victories # 64, 65, 66 (note-one of the few surviving planes)
Fokker Dr.I 161/17 MvR's Curier Plane (used to visit Jasta 6)
Fokker Dr.I 177/17 Referenced but could be a miss print for 477/17
Fokker Dr.I 425/17 MvR - victories# 79,80
Fokker Dr.I 477/17 MvR - victories # 67,68,69,70,72,73,75,77,78
FYI, No original Dr1s surrived today. Only one survived (152/17 perhaps) much past the the war, and it was destroyed in the Allied bombing of Berlin in WWII.

Anyway, enough history, lets see some mode mods folks!

I really like this little plane!!! Ibought another bone stock one cause I like it so much. Even like the noise the gearbox makes!

However on my battle scarred one ihave a bent shaft among other things so thoughti would throw in a mustang gearbox.

What prop is everyone using on this?

Crawler

I put the PZ P-51 motor & gearbox in mine (see page 1 &2) I also changed the prop and use the P-51 Prop cut down about a 1/4 " works great. I pretty much use this prop on all my WWI birds.

I just use a std fingernail clipper put the prop in to the pin of the clipper and cut that sets the amout cut on each side of the prop. I then just sand it to a nice sharp edge and balance if necessary.

Pete

Pete,

That is genius! I was worried about how I cut a prop down. That is doable!

Thanks for the reply. I'll keep you posted!


-Dave