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WWI Planes, 2004

This photo shows the Bristol F2b Fighter with the distinctive feature of the rear-facing gunner. It was used as a fighter and light bomber from 1917 to 1932.

Other World War 1 era aircraft included replicas of the famous Fokker Dr. 1 Triplane and Sopwith Camel, which were joined by another, less well known aircraft of the era, the Avro 504K. The Camel and Triplane were the most famous fighters used in World War 1. The Avro was originally a light bomber but it wasn't very successful and was relegated to use as a trainer.

These old aircraft were replicas, of course, because no original examples still exist and the construction methods and glues used don't make them particularly long lasting anyway. The Fokker Dr.1, Camel, and F2b are from the Omaka Fighter Collection, and can be seen at Classic Fighters 2005.

The Fokker Triplane wasn't a particularly successful aircraft. It was only produced for about a year from mid 1917, and only 230 were built. However, it became famous because of its association with Manfred von Richthofen.

Amongst its flaws was difficult ground handling, and the tendency for the wings to fall off at high speeds!

This is the little Fokker Triplane sitting in the parking area after its flight. You can see how it was so maneuverable, with its short, light body and serious lift created by the area of the three wings.

The top speed of the replica (which was built to original specifications but has some safety enhancements, such as brakes) is only 165 kph and climb rate is 1000 feet/minute. The 220 hp radial engine runs on white spirit.

Here is the Sopwith Camel being cleaned up and serviced by its maintenance team, after its flight. The old engine leaks out a lot of oil during operation and the wheels were absolutely covered with it, so a major clean up and polish was necessary.