CORGI 1/48:    AA38308

Fokker Dr.I Triplane

Luftstreitkrafte JG 1 Flying Circus, 425/17, Manfred von Richthofen, Cappy Aerodrome, France, April 21st 1918

Designed to meet the highly maneuverable Sopwith Triplane, the Fokker Dr.I was used for the first time in 1917 and was one of the most successful and recognizable fighter jets of the First World War. "Red Baron". The lightness, small size and three wings made the aircraft very manageable and deadly in the hands of an expert pilot but very ruthless less experienced pilots. Common for the aircraft of that time, a fixed configuration of crankshaft allowed the entire engine to turn with the propeller, which created strong gyroscopic forces that hindered the handling of the aircraft.

Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen, also known as the Red Baron, was a fighter pilot of the German Air Force during the First World War. Originally a rider, Richthofen was transferred to the air service in 1915, becoming one of the first members of the Jagdstaffel 2 fighter squadron in 1916. He quickly distinguished himself as a fighter pilot and in 1917 became the leader of the Jasta 11 Jagdgeschwader 1, better known as "The Flying Circus" or "Richthofen's Circus" because of the bright colors of his planes, and perhaps also because of the way the unit was transferred from an itinerant circus zone, and frequently settling in tents on improvised aerodromes. In 1918, Richthofen was considered a national hero in Germany and respected by his enemies. Richthofen was shot and killed near Vaux-sur-Somme on April 21, 1918. Aspects of his career, particularly the circumstances of his death, were extensively discussed and debated. He remains one of the best known fighter pilots of all time and has been the subject of numerous books, films and other media.