02Editorial.lt1.doc
[Pull quote: It is certainly intriguing to think that slightly more than 10 years after the Wright brothers’ first flight, man took to the skies riding in canvas falcons to participate in aerial combat.]
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 I have a Fokker D.VII done up in Ernst Udet’s candy-striped scheme. If you flip the propeller, it actually spins and makes the sounds of a Mercedes engine.
Two pieces of art adorn the walls: Russell Smith’s Bringing the Guns to Bear that depicts Manfred von Richthofen’s 67th victory, and a poster from Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome showing three World War I fighters locked in combat.
Behind me is a bookshelf that is predominantly filled with aviation-related titles. As with some aeromodeling projects in the closet, I have great aspirations to spend time with them in the future.
By my description, it has probably become apparent that I am fascinated by WW I aviation. It is certainly intriguing to think that slightly more than 10 years after the Wright brothers’ first flight, man took to the skies riding in canvas falcons to participate in aerial combat. Aircraft were still in their infancy. If your airplane could hold up to the rigors of flight, and your machine gun didn’t shoot off your propeller, then you could focus on besting your opponent in an aerial ballet with machine guns.
I am not alone in my interest and appreciation of WW I pilots and aircraft. Dawn Patrol events around the globe allow likeminded modelers the chance to gather and fly their model airplanes.
The National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, combines full-scale WW I aircraft, with their RC counterparts, to put on a show every two years. The event also draws reenactors, authors, artists, and lots of spectators. Look for our full coverage of the Dawn Patrol Rendezvous starting on page XX. Additional content online and in the digital edition includes photos and videos.
If our coverage leaves you interested in a “wind in the wires” WW I project, be sure to read our review of the F.2B Bristol on page XX and our digital and online exclusive on the Nieuport 17. Both aircraft are from Maxford USA.
As WW I pilot and aerial tactician Oswald Boelcke said, “Keep the sun behind you.”[dingbat]
