Foker Dr.I Photo

musec · 26 September 2013, 11:50 AM

Hello All,

Currently on rbay at 1x Foto Portrait++Fokker Dr.I Dreidecker++Kennung"DR.I 94/17"+Flugzeug+flieger!! | eBay is a photo of a Fokker Dr.I given as 94/17.So logically it must be either 494/17 or 594/17. Can anyone definively identify the full serial?

Regards,

Clint

SCMc · 26 September 2013, 05:24 PM

Clint,

Is there any reason it couldn't be 194/17? The space between the I and the 9 looks narrow, and it would be easier for a 1 to hide in the thin dark streak than any other digit.

If it is 194/17, it is one that does not have any photos listed at FokkerDR1.com.

Steve

Laserlloyd · 28 September 2013, 08:47 PM

There are some tells in the photo like the short cord axel wing that started to show up around 479\17. The rudder does not have the green strip on the lower portion which started to show up around 500\17. This would made a good case for being 494\17.

Now back to the short cord axel wing, the Dr.I was in it's finial delivery phase and in May 20 of 1918 was replaced with the new D. VII. Looking at the acceptance reports from March you can see that the D. VII was in full production. I believe that the D. VII axel wing replaced the standard Dr.I axel wing to help speed up production.

I have a better photo but for some reason I can't located it. If I do I will post it. I think it was Greg that said this the chalk on the wings which was common for work number for transportation was the pilots girl friends or wife's name.

Lloyd...

musec · 29 September 2013, 07:49 AM

Thank you both for the replies

Belated reply Steve, away from a PC for the weekend, so my apologies. Don't know why I believed it was a late machine. A fair point about the missing digit 1.

Lloyd, thanks very much for the investigative deductions. Very interesting reasoning and 494/17 seems reasonable. Would love to see the other photo if you can find it.

So this likely a Jasta 2 machine if 494/17?

Regards,

Clint

Laserlloyd · 29 September 2013, 09:32 AM

We know that 493\17 was delivered to JB. There are a lot of holes in my data for the later Dr.I's. There dose seem thou a patteren of two to three Dr.I 's being delivered to the same Jasta with consecutive military production numbers for the late Dr.I's.

The markings on the plane for the rudder and stabilizer don't match JB markings as it is still in its factory Fokker camo. Not being a color expert there is more of what seems to be a solid over paint on the fuselage. The cowling does seem darker like it was black that could be the beginning of JB markings.

Lloyd...