flying a Fokker Triplane

[Stan Sted]

A little bird has told me that Camel Pilot is also an expert on flying the Fokker Triplane and other First World War machines. Would he care to tell us (in great detail please) how they flew?

cheers

SS

[CamelPilot]

Yep, I can do that. I wrote an article that appeared in Aeroplane in October about flying the WW1 aircraft - with some nice pics. If someone can explain in the MOST simplest of terms how to put them onto a page I'll do that too.

I have web space, I have an FTP but I ain't got a clue how to bring them together! <img src="redface.gif" border="0">

[Feather #3]

CP,

Thoroughly enjoyed the article. I see what 'the powers that be' meant by experienced!!

Would you have a copyright problem re-publishing the article here? Don't mean to be a wet blanket, but may be one to watch.

G'day <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

[CamelPilot]

Thanks. I won't re-produce the article, I will simply expand on my Dr1 experience. Watch this space as they say.

[CamelPilot]

Hope you enjoy it and forgive my grammar and, perhaps, the mists of time causing a fade now and again.

Leisure Sport in 1977 bought or built the aircraft they planned to display, to promote the Thorpe Water Park in Surrey. The incredible talent of Viv Bellamy and his team at Lands End built four aircraft for LS. A Clerget Camel, which I have mentioned on another thread, and now part of the Brooklands museum. A Sopwith 1 ½ Strutter, now at the RAF Museum at Hendon and the meticulously researched Fokker Dr1 Triplane, (G-BEFR) which sadly crashed in July ’95 killing the new owner after LS sold or gave away the collection. The other was an Airco D.H.2 which went into private hands.

The Dr1, G-BEFR, was duly handed over to LS by Viv Bellamy at Lands End at Easter in 1977 so that we could use it to familiarise ourselves with it for the major display LS was putting on at White Waltham in May as part of the Silver Jublilee celebrations. 25 years ago!!!! Painted as the Red Baron’s personal aircraft it was absolutely perfect, and correct in every detail. It was powered by a Warner Scarab radial engine, which made it a little underpowered but not overly so. But in any case, since the aeroplane was inherently slow it made little difference

Introduction to this machine was incredible! There were no pilot’s notes, only those that Viv himself had written, but he had test flown it which at least gave us a few figures to work with! I was the second pilot to fly it so had the advantage of a few pointers from the first. However, I decided that my pencil and knee pad would be put to good effect before I ventured into anything. I felt that it was essential to get to understand the aeroplane before attempting anything that might bite. After all, it is, as you would expect, a little daunting to be mounting a machine that cost a fortune to make, and then be trusted to bring it back safely. Getting into the aircraft was relatively simple and certainly not as difficult as the Camel, which had a smaller and deeper cockpit than the Dr1, but I soon found that it was a case of getting used to it. The first thing that disturbs your thoughts is that there is little or nothing of a forward view. As if someone had drawn down a venetian blind. So, unlike other aeroplanes you have to adjust your head up or down over either side of the cockpit, it gives some increase in view but not much. Looking around the cockpit Viv had acquired various instruments that were either authentic or replicas made especially for the job. He even had German instructions with surreptitious English “sub-titles”. The airspeed indicator was in km/phr and mph. A long needle with a large hole prior to a sharp point. Turn and bank was simply a bubble in a quarter circle tube – at least in the mists of time I think it was, a compass and altimeter. One deviation from fact was the RPM gauge, although still looking ancient.

So having used the fuel priming pump a few times, six I seem to remember, it was now time to start the engine. This was always simple and at “contact” the engine fired up. The propeller was of wooden construction, a beautiful job and not particularly large, but it was very apparent as it was spinning at low RPM. With control and engine checks completed where the aeroplane was parked, it was simply a case of the handlers picking the tail up and pointing the Dr1 into wind. There were no flaps, no brakes, and a normal size rudder which Viv had decided would be adequate, although the original had been re-shaped into a larger one a bit later in it’s life. There was no tail wheel but there was a rather excellent example of a wood craftsman’s work with a very strong tail skid.

So with the ground guys holding on to the wings I opened the throttle until the Dr1 moved, and suddenly became aware of how quickly it gathered speed so I pushed the stick forward, not too much, and the tail lifted immediately. This reminded me of the movies taken at different airfields in France during WW1 when you see pilots climb in, start up and just open the throttle and go! It was just like that! Anyway, now, I could see where I was going!! At a little under 33 mph it was in the air and the wings were no longer a “venetian blind” but the centre wing still impeded a good view - but they were three perfect lifting devices – and did it lift! Climb speed with the throttle at ¾ open was 1200 feet per minute and 75 mph – in reality the Dr1 has climbed at 3000’ per minute to a maximum ceiling of 20,000’. I climbed over Lands End to 2500 feet to do some handling exercises and noted that rudder was essential. I then opened the throttle to near max RPM and the speed was settling down at around 101 mph, this is only 2mph off it’s design speed of 103 mph. So now for some turns, not forgetting to use rudder. I will soon find out how much! The ailerons were extremely positive and very light. Used with the rudder a well-balanced turn was not only possible but also very satisfying. Steep turns were of storybook stuff, very good indeed. It then occurred to me why it could out turn our British fighters?! Next the stall. Not much ever doing at Lands End so it was safe, but I had a look around. As I had been warned about a rather rapid wing drop, probably violent, I decided to use another 500’ and climbed to 3000’. It was just a question of pointing the nose up and waiting for the stall. The view ahead had virtually gone. I tightened my feet in the leather stirrups so that I was ready with the rudder and the stall occurred at just about 31 mph – then it happened! The left wing dropped quite sharply and I applied right rudder, which was pretty ineffective at first so I applied full rudder and the aeroplane straightened up as it started to descend. Stick forward and then at 40 mph pull the nose up, power on and all was well. Thought I would have a go at that again but this time I used ALL the available rudder, and it recovered a good deal more quickly. But clearly the re-vamped rudder that Viv had decided not to use would have been rather handy I fancy! I also realised that with a rotary engine there would be a rather different story to tell.

With speeds logged in the brain box I decided I would try few aeros. I had no idea how much speed I would want for a loop but I reckoned if I gave it 80 mph it would perhaps be enough. I pulled up into the loop and was amazed at the speed at which it completed it. Think I’ll do that again! This time at 90 mph, it still went round quickly but was a much better shaped loop. I tried a barrel roll and this proved to be quite difficult. I tried a slow roll and this was a disaster because it fell out of the last quarter. This pointed to entry speed, so I entered both at about 85 mph. Still it was no good. Now I was wondering about the maximum manouvering speed but decided on 97 mph and it was just about perfect. I performed two barrel rolls and three slow rolls and felt pleased that I had cracked it. I reckoned that the wings were blanking the small rudder, with three wings I guess it was bound to happen. Anyway, I had been up for nearly 50 minutes and I thought I had better do a couple of circuits before landing, which proved to be as normal as they can be. But first I had a bit of fun by doing two low passes over the airfield – one as slow as I could get it using what little head-wind there was. It handled very well, much better than the Camel, and certain things one knew about from WW1 came suddenly into perspective.

I noted that the ground handlers were getting ready to ‘receive’ me and set myself up for the approach. This had to be into wind. Indeed, it was almost critical that it should be - so that any gust would not, hopefully, give me a taste of a ground loop, which might result in breaking that beautifully crafted tail skid. I set the approach right in line with the wind sock with a speed of 45 mph, it felt good, and the descent was easy to control with the straight forward throttle. After I crossed the threshold and started the flare I had a very keen eye on the speed. This decayed quite quickly now but I settled it at 33 mph and down came the ‘venetian blind’ again! Head over each side, using rudder to keep straight but then all rudder authority was lost, NOW the guys were just about in the right place to grab the wings to stop any tendency to turn. They held on while I taxied back to our dispersal where I shut down and just sat there for a while, thinking what a lucky man I was to be flying a WW1 fighter, then empathising with the pilots of that era - in my own way, with my own thoughts, feeling what they must have felt but with a very different view and, no doubt, with the truly frightening prospects of a very limited life. It was indeed a pleasure to use this aircraft for fun. How that would have related in a war is quite a different story. I handed over my figures to another pilot and after re-fuelling he was away.

I later flew the Dr1 against the Camel, and although they both had the same engines the Dr1 was better in many respects. It DID out-turn the Camel every time, but the Dr1 could not for example gather speed as fast as the Camel. All the turns in the “dogfight” were done at about 50 - 70 mph. This slow speed allowed you to turn on a sixpence and to either get “shot down” or get yourself into a good position to do the same to the other guy - but you had to be careful of a spin. Spins were actually easy to recover from but you did need height otherwise there may not be enough room before you hit the deck. That may, or may not, be a question to ponder. However, I did speak to a WW1 Camel pilot in ’77 at our White Waltham display and he assured me that it was pilot against pilot and not aircraft against aircraft. His nick-name was “Jabbo” – a delight to talk to and very anecdotal. He always came with us on our displays around the country when he could.

It is sad to relate that history proved to be right when 3 of the 10 flying aircraft we had crashed and killed all three pilots.

The Germans lost over 400 pilots in training accidents alone in WW1. The British lost something like 450 pilots in similar circumstances.

Well, there it is. This time the Dr1. A delightful aeroplane to fly and I was privileged to have been chosen to fly it and the others. Perhaps I might talk about the Spad and the Albatros D va later.

If someone spots any known mistakes please forgive me. It was 25 years ago!

[ 09 January 2002: Message edited by: CamelPilot ]</p>

[aerostar2]

Delightful CP, thank you.

Would a Dr1 in wartime service be significantly heavier - armament, different materials etc., than the one you flew?

Garry

[CamelPilot]

Thanks aerostar2.

Perhaps I should have made it clearer. The weight of 'FR' was identical to the wartime Dr1's.
It was also fitted with replica guns which were acetylene 'fired'. And to continue it's authenticity it had an aerfoil between the wheels.

[DOC.400]

Well, THANKYOU, CP!! With a morning in 'the office' and no chance of flying today, quick pre-work perusal of Pprune and reading of you slipping 'the surly bonds of earth' in a DR1, this has just set me up for the day -I read it twice to let it sink in!!


Caio
DOC

[Kermit 180]

Brilliant stuff, having read the Biggles books, I always wondered what it would be like to fly such an aircraft. There was one here for some years, but I havent seen it for a long time. I think it had a Continental rotary in it, so not as authentic as your one. Still a delight to watch at airshows.

Kermie

[Stan Sted]

CP

Wonderful stuff!! Got any more? Tell us more about the mock dog fights.

We are all sitting comfortably..

cheers

SS

[TomPierce]

Now that's what I call nostalgia. Lovely. <img src="cool.gif" border="0">