While looking through my D.VII photo files for the Knowlton photo I got to thinking that the D.VII was a pretty cool plane. So thought I'd pull a few more photos to share with you all. I haven't seen that many D.VIIs, so I'm not limiting this to flyers but am also including museum specimens. Roughly in chronological order:
1. The Smithsonian's original D.VII pictured in 1973 before the NASM was built. Painstakingly restored in its original colors and markings.
2. Fred Berg built D.VII replica N1918F in the 1960s. It is shown here at Oshkosh 1974. Hall-Scott M5A engine, said to be a copy of the Mercedes. This machine last flew in 1975 and today is with Jerry Yagen's collection, still in this fanciful paint scheme.
3. Cole Palen's D.VII replica, sometimes described as an original, was a staple of the early Rhinebeck shows. By 1979, when this photo was taken, it was pretty much retired. It used an original Mercedes and was painted in Willi Gabriel's markings. Subsequently this plane went to the NMUSAF where, after a complete rebuild in Texas ...
4. ... it went on display in Rudolf Start's colors. Photo is from 2003 or so.
5. The Champlin museum had this replica, N38038, dressed up in Rudolf Berthold's markings, here in 1988. I understand that it is now in the Seattle museum. I looked for it when I was there, but couldn't see much. I think I bumped into something in the darkness that could have been it.
6. Registered C-GWWI, the Great War Flying Museum's D.VII replica used to be in the all-white scheme of Hermann Goering. It is now repainted in Berthold's markings. Ranger engine.
7. C-GWWI leads the museum's Dr.I replica C-GFJK in a 1989 airshow.
8. In 1990, Byron Peterson had this replica D.VII under way at Bartlesville, OK.
9. A couple of years later, it looked gorgeous, now registered N1918P.
10. Looked nice in the air too. I don't know what pilot or unit the markings represent. Ranger engine.
11. Original D.VII at the Musee de l'Air, Le Bourget, late 1990s. The early aviation and WWI hall at Le Bourget has to be one of the most amazing rooms full of aviation artifacts in the world.
12. In 1993 the second Rhinebeck D.VII was completed. N70814 is shown here in 1995.
13. Beautiful airplane that sounded terrific with its original Mercedes engine.
14. I never figured out whether the fuselage motif of the villagers hunting the giant rabbit is authentic. Sure was fun though.
15. By 2005 the plane had been re-covered and the fuselage was now gray with this devilish design.
16. Still just as much fun to see in action. I understand that this airplane has just been through another restoration and has returned to the air in the past month or so.
17. Cavanaugh's D.VII replica N1258 is in Ernst Udet's colors.
18. When I last visited Pensacola in 2006, I was surprised by the nice WWI collection they had added since the old days. Their replica is in Gabriel's markings just like the old Rhinebeck machine.
Hope you've enjoyed these. Post yours!
August