Fokker Dr.I Triplane  Luftstreitkrafte JG 1 Flying Circus, The Red Baron, 1918

Wings of The Great War  1/72 - WW12001

Richthofen was slow to learn to fly, crashed on his first solo flight, and eventually mastered the plane by sheer force of will. A Prussian, the son of a Junker family, Richthofen was imbued with the usual ideas of a young nobleman. He flew spectacularly in his series of all-red planes that became an excellent pilot and gunner. But while many pilots flew with a kind of innocent courage that had its special magnificence, Richthofen flew with his brain and put his abilities to use. Analyzing every problem in aerial combat, he reduced the chances to a minimum. After his 57th victory, on July 6, 1917, Richthofen was shot in the head and nearly killed. It took less than a month before he was in the air again, but never like before. Now he knew that death could reach him as well as the others. Richthofen's "circus", or Jagdgeschwader, consisted of four staffels of five aircraft each. They moved back and forth along the lines, where the fighting was most intense. One of the reasons Richthofen survived so long was his ability to protect himself while he attacked. He was an excellent teacher and young pilots showing exceptional skill and courage were sent to his team to gain experience. After each battle, Richthofen would gather his officers for a conference and discussion of tactics. He would blame pilots who are too aggressive or too willing to pull away. He was not so much appreciated as admired. When he was around, the parties were never wild, as the pilots felt compelled in his presence. Richthofen died in action on April 21, 1918, at the hands of Captain Roy Brown of the Royal Air Force. Brown flew a Sopwith Camel, Richthofen a Fokker triplane. Richthofen, all eyes on another camel he was about to slaughter, never knew what was happening to him. When his plane came to rest near the Allied trenches in the Somme valley, he was dead from a single bullet. The next day Richthofen was buried with full military honours.

Fokker Dr.I Triplane

Designed as a response to the highly maneuverable Sopwith Triplane, the Fokker Dr.I first flew in 1917 and was one of the most successful and recognizable combat aircraft of World War I, whose fame is due largely to German World War I ace Manfred von Richthofen - the iconic "Red Baron". Its light weight, small size and three wings made it a very maneuverable and deadly aircraft in the hands of an expert pilot, but one that was not forgiving to less experienced pilots. The fixed crankshaft, common on aircraft of the time, allowed the entire engine to rotate with the propeller, creating strong gyroscopic forces that negatively affected aircraft handling under power .

The Wings of The Great War range features affordable, ready-to-use, resin WW1 aircraft models. Each model is handcrafted and painted and features a unique swivel stand that allows the model to be displayed in a variety of different attitudes.

Wings of The Great War display aircraft have the following features:

• Cast resin construction requires no assembly.
• Fixed and non-rotating propellers and impellers.
• Pivoting display base for displaying the aircraft "in flight".