Two replica aircraft dogfight as if over the trenches of World War I - the Great War. One German, one British Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Aircraft Factory was a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. Although the first examples reached the Western Front before the Sopwith Camel and it had a much better overall performance, problems with its Hispano-Suiza engine, particularly the geared-output H-S 8B-powered versions, meant that there was a chronic shortage of until well into 1918 and fewer squadrons were equipped with the type than with the Sopwith fighter. Together with the Camel, the was instrumental in regaining allied air superiority in mid-1917 and maintaining it for the rest of the war, ensuring there was no repetition of "Bloody April" 1917 when losses in the Royal Flying Corps were much heavier than in the Luftstreitkräfte. The Fokker was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft. The Armistice ending the war specifically required Germany to surrender all to the Allies at the conclusion of aircraft saw continued widespread service with many other countries in the years after World War I. The entered squadron service with Jasta 10 in early May 1918. When the Fokker appeared on the Western Front in April 1918, Allied pilots at first underestimated the new fighter because of its squarish, ungainly appearance, but quickly revised their view. The type quickly proved to have many important advantages over the Albatros and Pfalz scouts. Unlike the Albatros scouts, the could dive without any fear of structural failure. The was also noted for its high maneuverability and ability to climb at high angles of attack, its remarkably docile stall, and its reluctance to spin. Many modern reproductions have been built. This one (along with the Se5a) are in Hood, Masterton, New Zealand
Size: 3740px × 2478px
Location: Hood Aerodrome, Masterton, New Zealand
Photo credit: © Avpics / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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