The Pearson Air Museum at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Vancouver, Washington, looks at the history of aviation at Pearson Field which began as a military air field. One of the planes exhibited in this small museum is a replica Fokker Dr. 1 triplane which was flown by the German Air Force during World War I.
The Fokker Dr.I (for Dreidecker, meaning triplane) made its World War I combat appearance in the spring of 1918. It had been inspired by the British Sopwith triplane. Preproduction Fokker Triplanes were tested in combat in 1917 and were felt to be superior to the Sopwith triplanes.
The Fokker Dr. 1 has a top speed of 99 mph (some sources indicate 110 mph) and was powered by a 110 hp Oberursel Ur.II 9-cylinder air-cooled rotary piston engine. It has a range of about 190 miles and a ceiling of about 20,000 feet.
Only three Fokker triplanes are known to have survived the war. One of these was used in the filming of two movies and is believed to have crashed in the 1930s. One was displayed in a Berlin museum and was destroyed during World War II bombing. Replicas are fairly common.
Note: These photographs were taken on October 10, 2024
More airplanes
Pearson Air Museum: Replica 1914 French Voisin bomber (photo diary)
Pearson Air Museum: World War I DH-4 Liberty (photo diary)
Pearson Air Museum: A replica of the Curtiss Pusher (photo diary)
Air Force Museum: World War I airplanes (photo diary)
Museum of Flight: World War I German airplanes (photo diary)
Museum of Flight: World War I Sopwith airplanes (photo diary)
Museum of Flight: World War I French, British, and American airplanes (photo diary)
Evergreen Aviation: Biplanes (photo diary)
