Fokker Dr.I Triplane (World Fighter Aircraft Collection)

The Fokker Dr.I triplane is the most famous German fighter of world war one, even though only 320 were ever built.   Its most renowned pilot was "The Red Baron" Manfred von Richthofen, the greatest ace of the war, who gained his last 20 victories in this type and then died in one.

The Fokker triplane was a reaction to the appearance of the Sopwith triplane, which was more maneuverable than German fighters flying at the start of 1917.   The Fokker also achieved great maneuverability, but it wasn't a fast aircraft and it was withdrawn from service in the middle of 1918.   Its early demise was hastened by several serious design flaws and production problems which lead to frequent crashes caused by the wings collapsing.   As well as the usual aerodynamic problems caused by rotary engines, it was also later learned that the airflow over the wings was very inefficient, the middle wing producing only 40% of the lift produced by the top wing, another factor leading to wing failures.