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Hauksbee

Looking for an all-red Albatros...

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This ground has probably been crossed many times (but I've been away for a while) and I've got the itch to fly an Albatros against the DH2 and see what happens. Maybe fly enough single combats in both planes and collect enough FRAPS clips to put together a 'von Richtofen vs Hawker' movie. I looked up von Richtofen's D.II in the skins and it wasn't red. I looked at D-III's and his D.V. The D.V had a red fuselage, but green wings. Did he ever fly an all red plane? I know from past threads here that even his Dr.I had some green panels. Is the all-red plane simply a legend?

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The last Fokker Triplane (No. 425/17) which he died in, was all in red.

None of his D.II was red or had red painted parts yet.

His Albatros D.III had a red fuselage and tailplane, but camo coloured wings.

His Albatros D.V No. 1177/17 was overall red.

His Albatros D.V Numbers 4693/17 and 2059/17 were all red, with the exception of the wings.

(He sometimes used an Albatros C.IX two-seater for travelling, which was overall red).

 

Source:

ACE PROFILES 3 - MANFRED VON RICHTHOFEN

The Aircraft, Myths and Accomplishments of 'The Red Baron'

by James F. Miller*

 

* our forum's JFM

Edited by Olham

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The last Fokker Triplane (No. 425/17) which he died in, was all in red.

 

His Albatros D.V No. 1177/17 was overall red.

Thanks, Olham. The D.V with the red fuselage and green wings in the skins threw me off. (Didn't have time to look yesterday, but, is the all-red one in there?) It's the Dr.1 that has me scratching my head. I'm sure the subject came up in one of the threads on this Forum and it was shown that the Dr.1 had some olive green. I must be mis-remembering.

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Didn't have time to look yesterday, but, is the all-red one in there?

Yep, it's there.

 

It's the Dr.1 that has me scratching my head.

I'm sure the subject came up in one of the threads on this Forum and it was shown that the Dr.1 had some olive green.

I must be mis-remembering.

What is often overlooked is the fact, that a combat flyer had flown more than one aircraft of a type.

Manfred von Richthofen had been flying several Fokker Dr.1, before he died.

The first was in early September - that one seems to have been painted light blue, with streaks of Fokker green on

upper surfaces and fuselage sides. This was Fokker's standard paint sheme for the Dr.1.

After wing failures on several Dr.1 in late September / early October (Heinrich Gontermann died in such an accident)

the craft was withdrawn from the front, and von Richthofen used the Albatros D.V again.

 

JFM's book shows a green craft (Fok. Dr.I 152/17) with red upper wing surface, red cowling, wheel covers, fuselage back and tailplane for mid-March;

and a more or less standard green one (Fok. Dr.I 127/17) for late March 1918 (maybe his second/replacement craft).

This second craft was then also painted like the first, end of March.

Fokker 477/17 was painted like that again (late March/early April).

And finally Fok. Dr.I 425/17 was painted all red.

This was first still flying with the Tatzenkreuz.

In April 1918 it was overpainted with the Balkenkreuz, and also received a white rudder.

This was the version he finally died in, and which became so famous for that reason.

Edited by Olham

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Tatzenkreuz? Balkenkreuz?

 

What are these Olham please?

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The "Tatzenkreuz" (paw cross?) was the earlier, curved cross (some call it "Iron Cross", after the medal).

The "Balkenkreuz" was the later, square type (bar cross?) cross, which they introduced in April 1918.

Edited by Olham

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This was the version he finally died in, and which became so famous for that reason.

That explains it. Thanks.

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Ah, good find, Hasse Wind! Wiki has it all!

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I am sure I have stumbled across an all red Halberstadt probably a DII shown as being flown by MVR in the last 6 months (sorry ca't remember any info other than I was flying a sopwith pup or 1 1/2 strutter which would put it as late 1916).

 

If anyone can confirm this I would be interested in knowing the date.

Edited by Rugbyfan1972

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Rugbyfan, Jasta 11 had the Halberstadt in early 1917, before they would get the Albatros.

But Manfred von Richthofen's craft was mostly painted with green-brown camouflage

like the others. It is a reddish-brown - perhaps that's what you saw?

In OFF he has a red spinner and red wheel covers.

Even his Albatros D.II was not red.

Or you may have seen the Albatros D.III, which he flew in April 1917?

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I read recently that MvR flew a Halb D.II after his initial bad wing experience with the brand new (prototype?) Alb D.III at the beginning of 1917. This was with Jasta 11. Seems strange that he (of all people) couldn't get hold of an Alb D.II for that period while the Albatros designers tried to fix the D.III problem.

 

In the famous Hawker v MvR duel, the latter was still with Jasta 2 (November 1916), flying an Alb D.II - and certainly not an all-red one.

 

Good luck with your video idea, Hauksbee - sounds great!!

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Seems strange that he (of all people) couldn't get hold of an Alb D.II for that period while the Albatros designers tried to fix the D.III problem.

In the famous Hawker v MvR duel, the latter was still with Jasta 2 (November 1916), flying an Alb D.II - and certainly not an all-red one.

Yes, that made me wonder too.

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