Fokker Dr.1 Triplane (Replica)

Early Flight / WWI

Donated by Hobart C. Sorrell via the Experiment Aircraft Association

Located: Flight Innovation Center, Main Gallery

Inspired by the sight of the Sopwith Triplane, Fokker-Flugzeugwerke built the Dr.1 as a WWI fighter. The Dr stands for Dreidecker—German for triplane. Pilots flew this single seat fighter mostly during the spring of 1918. Only 320 were built, for the Dr. 1 proved largely outdated from its first aerial combat.

Pursuit planes evolved quickly during WWI. The Fokker Triplane served as Germany’s response to the Sopwith Triplane. Triplanes had notoriously short wings that allowed them to be quite maneuverable. A fighter plane would sacrifice speed for climb and maneuverability. The Fokker Triplane was inherently unstable in all axes, which in the right hands made it a formidable opponent in a dog fight.

Built in 1982, our 3/4 scale Dr. 1 reproduction was Sorrell Aviation’s first design. This cherry red beauty with its curved McCauley prop came to the Air Zoo from Hobart C. Sorrell via the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) in 2003.

Did You Know?

• The Fokker Triplane was a fighter aircraft used in World War I by the German Army Air Service.
• It became renowned as the type of aircraft in which Manfred von Richthofen, who was known as the Red Baron, gained his last 19 victories.