This article showcases the pre-World War II era aircraft that attended the TAVAS Great War Flying Display 2018 airshow. This includes aircraft of the World War I and interwar periods. On the weekend of 21st and 22nd of April 2019 The Australian Vintage Aviation Society (TAVAS) staged an airshow event, primarily to remember the day 100 years ago when the Red Baron Manfred von Richthofen was shot down and killed by allied troops. In part two of a six-part series of articles covering the airshow, I will showcase the supporting pre-World War II aircraft that attended the show.
Series Articles
Fokker DR.I Dreidecker Replica
The German Fokker DR.I Dreidecker (triplane) first flew in 1917 with first deliveries in 1918, only seeing limited production of 320 units before the wars’ end. The triplane design was derived after the successful British Sopwith Triplane of 1917. The type was highly manoeuvrable with high rate of climb, and could turn quickly in the direction of rotation of the 110hp 9-cylinder rotary Oberursel rotary engine. They were well-armed with dual 7.92 mm Spandau forward-facing machine guns firing through the propeller using a synchronizing system.
The Dreidecker was most famously know as the mount of the Red Baron Manfred von Richthofen, although he achieved only 19 of his total of 80 kills in this aircraft. By wars’ end it had been outclassed by newer British and French aircraft, although it remained a formidable opponent.
TAVAS displayed their Fokker DR.I Triplane replica at the airshow, staging a mock dogfight with their Bristol F.2B Fighter to re-enact the shooting down of the Red Baron on that day 100 years prior. The TAVAS replica was constructed in the USA in 1978, according to the TAVAS website it is built from plans of Ron Sands and the Walt Redfern and is very accurate to the original Fokker design. The main changes are for safety and reliability such as disc brakes, a tail wheel in lieu of tail skid and Lycoming engine.
Bristol F.2B Fighter Replica
Initially drawn up as a reconnaissance aircraft, the British Bristol F.2B was redesignated as a fighter with the advent of a more powerful Rolls-Royce engine around the time of initial flight in 1916. The pilot sat forward, observer/gunner in the rear seat. Armament consisted of a forward-firing Vickers gun synchronized through the propeller and moounted on the upper wing, and single or dual rearward-facing Scarff-mounted guns in the observers’ cockpit. The type was used extensively throughout the British empire in the inter-war years in a military capacity, and was also successfully converted into civilian passenger duty with closed passenger and pilot cockpit, known as the Bristol Tourer. Over 5,300 were produced between 1916 and 1932.
The TAVAS replica was built in the USA in 1992. It was later purchased by the New Zealand TVAL collection, and was brought across to Australia for the 2015 Avalon Airshow. The aircraft remained in Australia and became part of the TAVAS collection. In TAVAS ownership the aircraft has been repainted in the markings of Capt. Ross McPherson Smith of No.1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corp as flown in the Middle East theatre.
I noted that the TAVAS replica has a warning printed on the side stating that ballast must be placed in the rear seat if there is no rear passenger, so its weight and balance must be critical.
At the airshow this aircraft flew in formation alongside an F/A-18F Super Hornet of No.1 SQN RAAF, the Bristol flying at full power with the Super Hornet flying as slow as possible with a high angle of attack to remain in formation. Unfortunately I did not capture any usable photos of the event, but it was very unique to see the difference in less than 100 years of aircraft design.
Fokker D.VIII "Flying Razor"
The German Fokker D.VIII first flew in 1918, and saw service only for the last months of the war with 380 examples produced and only 85 of these seeing front-line service. While it is a monoplane, it is technically a “parasol wing” design where the wing is supported by struts and not directly connected to the fuselage. This is how the nickname “Flying Razor” came about, the separate, single wing looking to some people like a cutthroat razor that was popular at the time. Armament was a pair of 7.92mm Spandau forward-firing machine guns, mounted on the engine cowl and synchronized to fire through the propeller.
According to their website, the TAVAS replica is an accurate replica of the original design, including use of an original 1918 160 hp Gnome rotary engine. The aircraft did not fly on the day I attended the airshow due to wind speed, but the TAVAS team did perform an engine run. At the time of the engine run, I was buying some lunch at a nearby food van. It was the first time I can remember hearing a WWI-era rotary engine in action, so when the engine coughed, spluttered and generally burst into life I had no idea what it was. With a quick scan around the immediate area, I followed the cloud of castor oil smoke down to this beautiful aircraft turning and burning. It was a real shame it didn’t get into the air that day, I’ve seen a video since of it in flight and it would have been awesome to see tearing around the sky with that genuine WWI-era engine cutting in and out to control acceleration.
Nieuport 11 7/8th Scale Replica
The French Nieuport 11 “Bebe” (baby) single-seat fighter/scout aircraft first saw front-line service in 1916. The design is a sesquiplane, a biplane with a full-sized top wing and smaller lower wing (the word means “one-and-a-half wings”). It was fast and agile aircraft for the time, quickly superseded by newer designs and was out of service by the end of 1917.
Nieuport 11s developed an excellent reputation among Allied forces and was pivotal in ending the German Fokker-led air dominance (referred to as “the Fokker scourge”). In all, over 7,200 of this nimble fighter were produced, over 600 of these built under license in Italy.
This Nieuport 11 replica is build 7/8th scale. Owner Jim Gollagher has dedicated the scheme to Major Roderic Stanley “Stan” Dallas R.N.A.S (DSO, DSC & and bar Croix de Guerre). He became commanding officer of No.1 SQN RNAS, and was killed in action in June 1918. Major Dallas was credited with 39 enemy kills, the second highest of any Australian pilot of WWI.
A quartet of de Havilland Moths
Four beautiful de Havilland Moths were in attendance at the airshow. They participated in various formation displays throughout the day, with at least one providing joyflights for visitors. Each is shown below with historical detail where available.
DH.82A Tiger Moth VH-RTA
Named “Contessa”, this old lady was built in 1941 as DH.82A Tiger Moth II. She saw WWII RAAF service as A17-239, and is displayed in these markings in RAAF “trainer yellow” scheme.
Currently the aircraft is operated for joy flights by Carpenter Air out of Caboolture Airport, and can regularly been seen flying over nearby Bribie Island.
DH.82A Tiger Moth VH-BJE
Built in 1940 by de Havilland Australia as DH.82A Tiger Moth II. The aircraft saw WWII RAAF service as A17-97.
DH.82A Tiger Moth VH-UXD
Built DH.82A Tiger Moth II by deHavilland Canada at Toronto, Canada. This aircraft saw RAAF service as A17-725 during World War II.
DH.60M Moth VH-ULP
Built in Middlesex in 1929 as a DH.60M ‘Metal Moth’, she was registered to the Australian Civil Aviation Branch as VH-ULP. In the 1930/31 wet season this aircraft was used to transport air mail between Camooweel and Daly Waters and had axle extensions installed to cope with boggy conditions.
In 1933 she was used to survey the Darwin-Singapore air route in preparation for the opening of QANTAS services. At the outset of World War II she was impressed into RAAF service as serial A7-78 for initial pilot training.
In 1944 she was reduced to spares, but enough of the original airframe survived to become a restoration project in 1988.
Fleet Aircraft Model 2 VH-FLF
This aircraft was built in 1929. The type unusually served in the US Navy in the early 1930s, as a parasite liaison aircraft for the USS Akron and USS Los Angeles airships. The aircraft was launched and recovered by a trapeze system, and raised into a hangar area within the dirigible. She is powered by a 110 hp Kinner K-5 5-clyinder radial engine.
Other Information
Location
The TAVAS museum is located at Caboolture Aerodrome, around 50Km north of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. For more information on their collection of World War 1 replica aircraft, visit the TAVAS museum website.
Image Galleries
If you’d like to view more of images on this topic, below are some links to my photography gallery website.
References
- Plane Encylopedia – Fokker DR.I
- Military Factory – Fokker Dr.I (Dreidecker); Bristol F.2; Fokker D.VIII; Nieuport 11
- TAVAS Museum – Fokker DR.I; Bristol F.2B; Fokker D.VIII
- BAE Systems – Bristol F.2B Fighter
- airwaymuseums.com – De Havilland DH60M Moth VH-ULP
- ANZAC.net – Letters Of Major Roderic Stanley Dallas, DSO, DSC & Bar and Croix De Guerre, R.N.A.S
- Aerial Visuals – http://www.aerialvisuals.ca
- ADF Serials – http://www.adf-serials.com
