The Inside Loop - 2015/02
World War I aviation
I think you can tell a lot about a person by his or her office. In my case, I have two offices: one at work and one at home. Today I am writing from my home office, and suspended directly over my head is a 1/6-scale Sopwith Pup from Balsa USA. On my desk sits a Fokker D.VII finished in German World War I flying ace Ernst Udet’s candy-striped scheme. If you flip the propeller, it spins and makes Mercedes engine sounds.
Two pieces of art adorn the walls: Russell Smith’s "Bringing the Guns to Bear," which depicts Manfred von Richthofen’s 67th victory, and a poster from the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in New York showing three WWI fighters locked in combat.
Behind me is a bookshelf predominantly filled with aviation-related titles. As with some aeromodeling projects in the closet, I hope to spend time with them in the future.
From this description, it has probably become apparent that I am fascinated by WWI aviation. It is intriguing to think that slightly more than 10 years after the Wright brothers’ first flight, people took to the skies in canvas falcons to participate in aerial combat. Aviation was still in its infancy. If your airplane could hold up to the rigors of flight, and your machine gun didn’t shoot your propeller off, you could focus on besting your opponent in an aerial ballet with machine guns.
I am not alone in my interest and appreciation of WWI pilots and aircraft. Dawn Patrol events around the globe allow like-minded modelers the chance to gather and fly their model airplanes. The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, combines full-scale WWI aircraft with their RC counterparts to put on a show every two years. The event also draws reenactors, authors, artists, and many spectators. Look for our full coverage of the Dawn Patrol Rendezvous starting on page 19. Additional content online and in the digital edition includes photos and videos.
If our coverage leaves you interested in a "wind-in-the-wires" WWI project, be sure to read our review of the F.2B Bristol on page 51 and our digital/online exclusive on the Nieuport 17. Both aircraft are from Maxford USA.
As WWI pilot and aerial tactician Oswald Boelcke said, "Keep the sun behind you."
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
