Fokker Dr.1 replica aircraft arrives in Australia

Andrew Carter is a driven,  passionate man; he has a deep interest in all things Aviation and is currently an airline pilot based in Brisbane.

Andrew was also the driving force behind the formation of The Australian Vintage  Aviation Society – TAVAS which seeks to promote the building and flying of pre  1939 military aircraft with an Australian Connection.

Always one to lead from the front Andrew sought to acquire  an aircraft of the WW1 era and display it as part of the TAVAS fleet.

There were many aircraft choices available to Andrew,  however  he narrowed his search for a  suitable Warbirds based on a number of criteria. The aircraft had to be practical,  easy to operate and more importantly it had to have a link with Australian  Aviation and be easily recognisable by the public in order to build the TAVAS  “brand”.

The final choice of a Fokker Dr1 may at first be seen to  be a bit cliché as there are a lot of replica Fokkers about in this scheme, that of the famous Baron Von Richthofen’s original Dr1,  the Red Baron. On closer inspection the choice is ideal against the criteria.

In 2018 it will be  100 years since the WW1 ended and in March of that year it will be 100 years  since the Red Baron was shot down – probably by Australians. The aircraft is  thus ideal to promote the aspiration of TAVAS and is instantly recognisable  with the public. At first Andrew considered having the aircraft made in  Australia by a group of volunteers. However a lack of space and time caused a change of plan. Fortunately just at the right time a Fokker  Dr1 became available in the USA in Florida and Andrew snapped it up in rapid  time.

Fokker Dr.1 replica in Transit

Fokker Dr1 flying Replica N2287D was built in 1980 from a combination of Ron Sands and Walt Redfern plans and is very accurate.  The Dr1 features a steel tube fuselage in  place of the original and is built to last and be robust in operation. This  particular aircraft was operated commercially and worked for a living doing TV,  Film, and Promotional work and as a paid performer at airshows. The aircraft  has always been well maintained and when unpacked at Caboolture was in  exceptional condition.  The aircraft  arrived in July and was packed in a solid wooden frame in a 40 foot shipping container.

The Dr1 was eagerly but carefully unpacked from its  container and trial assembled over the next few days and apart from a few small  details and a little “travel rash” will be a fairly straightforward assembly  job by a qualified engineer.  At present  the aircraft is powered by a Lycoming flat 4 engine but following initial test  flying, the plan is to have a period rotary constructed for it in New Zealand  and fitted sometime over the next 18 months. This will give the aircraft a very  satisfactory sound and spirited performance whilst being very reliable.

Unfortunately in transit the usual break in to the  container occurred and the whole documentation package that was shipped with  the aircraft disappeared including the engine, prop and airframe log books,  which will create a bit of difficulty but is not insurmountable. However also  stolen was a certified piece of cloth from the original Barons aircraft that  the USA owner had acquired which is obviously irreplaceable.

Andrew Carters Fokker Dr1 will be a fantastic addition to the historic  Warbird scene in Australia but will hopefully be only the start of the ambitious  TAVAS group’s plans. Already a Sopwith Pup replica is near completion and will  join the Dr1 at airshows . In the pipeline other members have a Sopwith Snipe,  a Fokker D V111 and E111 under construction as well as a BE2A and Albatross D.Va.

We should all be very grateful for the efforts of Andrew  and the TAVAS group which will bring some much needed content and balance to  future airshow performances in Australia.

For more information, visit the website at www.tavas.com.au and follow the regular updates at www.facebook.com/TAVASWW1

© John Parker 2013