Why Not Land Your Fokker Triplane in a Crosswind?

Crosswind about 60 deg. off port wing.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• WW1
• Fokker
• Dr.1
• Triplane
• DR.I
• landing
• airplane
• fighter

[xvoy2002]

Ì`m curious from a response from anyone from this club. Looking at this video it seems this plane i built from the original plans, including a rotary engine that actually rotates unlike modern rotary engines. Do clubs not update these planes to make them safer to fly, or do they just like flying the old ones for the thrill of it. Looks like a lot of fun.

[vintagepropnut]

@xvoy2002 We are dedicated to building/restoring the aircraft collection of the Pioneer Flight Museum. These are museum pieces not movie props.  We want visitors to experience the authentic sight, sound motion and, yes, even the smell of these old airplanes, many of which used castor oil lube. We do sneak in a few changes that are not so obvious, such as better adhesives and paints where the payoff in durability is large.

[MrOUTMAN99]

There is no cross wind. The windsock, it's hanging dead. Look at the controls and track on final & roll out...no crab and straight track! The pilot "wheel lands" fast - as the tail comes down, the p factor induces a swerve to the left. The massive wood prop, rotating engine, short nose...that's the result. A pilot unaware of the physics of P factor on landing. The only thing to do is go into the swerve with aileron and hope adverse yaw will help. Why never build toe in on a tail dragger.

[vintagepropnut]

@MrOUTMAN99 The day had variable, gusty winds which kept the Dr.1 grounded most of the morning. The wind can be heard in the camera microphone at the moment of landing. It is irrelevant that there was a lull minutes later as the Dr.1 taxied past the windsock. With the engine/prop essentially freewheeling when landing, no differential thrust is developed and hence no P factor. The short thick fuselage does however blank out the small rudder upon landing causing loss of rudder authority.

[vintagepropnut]

The LeRhone engines were mostly collected in the 20's and 30's when they were practically being given away by the Army. Now, of course, they are very valuable. Many were from Thomas Morse Scouts.

[SAMJK456]

The guns couldnt be timed WITH the propeler because this would mean that the guns could only be fired at the RPM they were timed at. Sycronising them meant that they could be fired wahtever the RMP. Pilots of ME-109s would often decrease their Propelers blade pitch and open the throttle as this gave them a higher RMP and a higher rate of fire from their machine guns. Done. Nice aeroplane. Love DR1's. Good to see its not in red too.

[ToreDL87]

@CSnakeV These planes werent made out of leather and wood, they were made out of canvas and wood, the first fighter aircraft with MG behind propeller was a Morane with metal plating on the propeller to deflect the bullets, not too long after the synhcronizer gear was invented. Not too many SMG`s were used in WW1, ammunition for those was scarce, they used MGs, German fighter pilots had parachutes as well, the British RFC did not as they believed the pilot would bail out from a unharmed aircraft.

[ebach1]

protect your ears guys :)

hearing loss is not fun

[aleks070777]

Rotary engine, cool replica

[4ucarlosmurphy]

The DR-1 is notorious for bad ground handling hence the "AXE HANDLES " on the bottom wing tips.

I usta fly a 1/4 scale Zeroli DR-1 with a US-41 gasser in it, it was the strangest flying R/C plane I ever flew and it cost me many a prop.

[BigWolfBoy50]

A large quantity of the French LeRhone engines were also built under contract in the US, many found there way on to air-boats, that is where the Golden Age Air Museum in Bethal got theirs for their full to scale DR1

[CSnakeV]

@morningstomper123 WW1 pilots had to fight with these planes, witch were bassically made of leather and wood, the MG was behind the propeller, so the bullets could hit the propellerm pilots didn`t had Parachutes, they could be shot down from earth (Yes, i Know that there may be special guns now that can shoot down a Jet, but biplanes could be shot down with Rifles and SMG`s) And In those days they werent computers that helped to aim against enemies like HeatSeekers and Jet pilots have parachutes

[morningstomper123]

@CSnakeV What makes you say that? A romantic view of days gone by? The secrets of flying these machines has not been lost with time. So, again, I ask you, what makes you think that WW1 pilots were, in general, superior to modern pilots? I suspect you will fail to produce a salient point.

[ejlister]

@xvoy2002 The pilot in the video has a business making WW1 replicas, and he does them as authentically as the customer wants. Original instruments, engine, cotton fabric, etc. This particular plane was built by museum volunteers and has some modern considerations (such as the fabric), but in other ways, is very accurate to the period (rotary engine, tailskid). There are very few original or authentic ww1 planes surviving, so any ww1 plane you see today is likely to have many modern options.