Fokker Dr.1 Triplane - In The Movies

A brief overview of Fokker Dr.1 Triplane as seen on film.
More War Movie Content: / johnnyjohnsonesq
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Movies featured:
The Peanuts Movie 2015
Sucker Punch 2011
The Red Baron 2008
Flyboys 2006
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie 2001
L’as Des As (Ace of Aces) 1982
The Great Waldo Pepper 1975
Von Richthofen and Brown 1971
The Blue Max 1966
Video Games:
Battlefield 1
Snoopy Vs The Red Baron
Rise of Flight
#ww1 #aircraft #airforce #aviation

[@jerryjeromehawkins1712]

Years ago at an airshow there was a perfect Triplane replica being flown. I spoke with the pilot afterwards... he said you could NOT take your hand off the stick. If you did the plane would immediately roll over. This characteristic though, in his words... were what made it an excellent dogfighter. You could spin it on a dime.

[@timothyhouse1622]

You are probably getting two things confused here. The tri wing design did give it more maneuverability but it didn't make it unstable. An uncontrolled spin to one side is due to the engine. If it was an "authentic" replica it would have had a rotary engine. Most replicas have a modern radial, which is why I said "authentic." The rotary engine has a lot of centrifugal force that causes the aircraft to veer to one side. Interesting historical note is that the vast majority of WW1 pilots died in non combat accidents, most of them attributed to take offs and landings with inexperienced pilots letting a rotary engine get out of hands.

[@badjemuts]

​@@timothyhouse1622 the centrifugaal force was uses as a turn advantage. The plane turned better to one side due to engineering rotation.

[@timothyhouse1622]

@@badjemuts uh, no. The centrifugal force had to do with a big mass of metal rotating around a shaft. That is how rotary engines worked. They weren't designed to make the airplane turn better. They were designed that way due to limitation in technology.

[@vornamenachname989]

​@@timothyhouse1622 You are correct, but I think you didn't understand what he meant, he said that it was used as an advantage, not that it was designed as one.

[@dominic6634]

Actually a good fighter is inherently unstable

[@rburns9730]

The Red Baron movie depicted actual rotary engines. You can see the cylinders spinning at 4:46. Most movie productions used the more common and reliable radial engine.

[@Lord.Kiltridge]

The Dr.1 had a full floating vertical stabilizer. Meaning that the entire unit moved, and not just a control surface attached to an immobile vertical stabilizer. While this wasn't unique to the Fokker, Some Nieuports had it too, but it was unique to a stubby winged triplane and made it shockingly maneuverable in the horizontal axis. It also made it very lively and tiring to fly. The biggest problem with the Dr.1 though, was it's lack of speed. It had to stand and fight whether it liked the odds or not, but much faster aircraft like the SPAD XIII, Bristol F.2 Fighter, and SE5a, could engage and disengage more or less at will.

[@esajuhanirintamaki965]

The most important difference between various fighter aeroplanes, is a difference between pilots. It depends on training, attitude and reason to fight! Only lousy workman complaints bad tools. Here, in Finland we had quite clumsy Fokker D.XXI's and Brewster Buffalos (and Bf109G's too) in war 1939-1944, and best Finnish pilot ace achieved 94 air victories. The second best got 75. That is more than best British and French aces achieved in both wars separately. Only pilot's skills is a matter. I therefore don't underestimate Luftwaffe pilots in the beginning of WW2. They got helluva good training in Condor Legion in Spain. Just a few hours in RFC rookie pilots log book against tough Imperial German Aces was a reason for "Bloody April" in Spring 1917.

[@KirtFitzpatrick]

Your videos are good. No filler, only as long as they need to be, great clips, layout the facts and get out. "Alright I'm Johnny.." love it.

[@VikingTeddy]

And they are a great source for lesser known war movies. I've got at least a dozen lined up, all from the videos.

[@FlightSimHistorian]

I helped build a Dr.I replica a few years ago, with a friend. Complete with propane guns for an extra pop when flying.

[@patriotenfield3276]

Facts :- Indra lal roy is the only Indian Ace serving in the Royal flying corps during ww1 , having credited to shoot down 10 including fokker DVIIs . His nickname was Laddie.

[@emmanuelperez8094]

Born a soldier from the horseback to the skies That's where the legend will arise And he's flying Higher, the king of the sky He's flying too fast and he's flying too high Higher, an eye for an eye The legend will never die

[@frednone]

Sabaton, Metal's gift to history. Though I like Bismark better.

[@emmanuelperez8094]

@@frednone Dude I Like that Song as well and it is Banger to play when you blast this song while Playing World of Warships or Warthunder

[@BratislavMetulski]

​@@frednoneyou mean the powerwolf at home 😂 joakim is such a cringey guy

[@RogueAce93]

I didn’t realize that space between the wheels was a “fourth wing!” Thanks for the update, Johnny! Can you do vids of other WW1 classics like: the Sopwith Camel, Albatros, Nieuport, S.E.5 or the Spad?

[@mattluszczak8095]

I knew rhat because i built the guillows kit!!

[@MyBlueZed]

Although Tiger Moths were used in The Blue Max, the aeroplane that you show at 3:50 is actually a Stampe SV.4C (also used). The Stampe has more rounded wing tips. 😊

[@ThommyofThenn]

I hadn't seen this one so with this, along with the lunge mine video, it's like Christmas

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

I got you.

[@frankdrevinpolicesquad2930]

I actually built a DR 1 in my garage on plans I got from a guy in Germany who builds new ones. My garage was the neighborhood's kids favorite hangout

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Damn why can't you be my neighbor

[@frankdrevinpolicesquad2930]

Didn't really trust my welding skills when I was done so I donated it to a museum for static display only. I literally know every inch of the DR 1

[@frankdrevinpolicesquad2930]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq The guy in Germany is under the name Fokker Team Schorndorf- he builds DR 1's, DR 7 and others. He is on KZbin under AchimEngels

[@Logotic]

I'd never heard about the "4th wing" of the DR-1. That's the kind of info that keeps me watching this channel.

[@torvasdh]

3:19 I always forget how good BF1 looks omg

[@User_Un_Friendly]

Most of the fighters in WW1 used radial rotary engines...where the propeller is bolted on to the engine which SPINS. Yep, only the clip from the "Red Baron" got it right. I love the Great Waldo Pepper and the Blue Max (nothing like the book) and they're both movies I'm planning to buy, when they come on sale, streaming. They're awesome!

[@MBCGRS]

It's either a Radial or a Rotary, not both. Mostly Rotary in WW1. But a few Radials were made...

[@User_Un_Friendly]

@@MBCGRS I always get them confused. 😋

[@kmorris180]

I've always wanted to fly a triplane. There are some really good models available in the experimental aircraft class.

[@singleproppilot]

The design advantage of a triplane such as the Dr.I is not aspect ratio (the short, stubby wings actually have a lower aspect ratio than a longer, thinner wing), but in the greater wing area and thus much lighter wing loading, making the aircraft more maneuverable. To make the tight turns needed for dogfighting, the wings have to lift several times the airplane’s weight. Today, we call this “pulling Gs”. Obviously a wing with a larger area is going to make getting that large amount of lift easier. The short wing span of this design also makes for a much more rigid structure, in theory. In reality, the Dr.I suffered a number of fatal accidents due to the upper wing tearing away. Post-war testing revealed that the upper wing was carrying the majority of the load. The lower two wings were too close together and aerodynamically interfered with one another, especially at high angle of attack. Still, not a bad airplane for an emergency design built in the heat of a losing war with an obsolete, underpowered engine.

[@timothyhouse1622]

What WW1 engines were NOT underpowered? I also wouldn't call it obsolete when aircraft engines were still in their infancy and advancements were not THAT great. The REAL advancement didn't come until after the war when rotary was replaced with radial and inline engines.

[@singleproppilot]

@@timothyhouse1622 The Allied powers were already largely switching to liquid cooled inline engines before the end of the war, with many producing greater than 200 horsepower. Germany was facing material and manpower shortages on all fronts and was still producing its two main fighter aircraft engines, the Oberursel UR.II (110 hp copy of the Le Rhône 9J) and Mercedes D III (160 to 204 HP depending on variant), until the armistice. The Fokker D.VIII was specifically designed for a higher power double row variant of the Oberursel called the U.III, but it wasn’t available in quantity, so all production airplanes used the 110 HP U.II.

[@Toulouke1]

Dude your channel is so nice. Your calling voice in combo with the information. Underrated channel

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks for the kind feedback :)

[@rockstarJDP]

Would just like to say Johnny, despite the inherently violent nature of the subject matter, your narrative tone is incredibly soothing! Would you consider creating a playlist of all of your videos in one?

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

That's a very nice compliment. I think if you just go onto my main page under videos, you can just click 'play all.'' At least from a desktop anyway.

[@Stonewielder]

So happy to see that couple seconds of It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown at the end there! You just made my day!

[@eryk3146]

No care about it being an update. Your vids are great man

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

That's the kind of support that drives the channel my man 🙏

[@michaelandreipalon359]

And besides, it's worth leaving a like even if it's just gonna be skipped by some.

[@spencerhoyte9638]

Our family friends father , Mr Dutton , was a WW1 Veteran , who was one of the machine gunners on the ground firing at the Red Baron on his last flight , bringing back to New Zealand a peice of the Red Barons Dr.1 aircraft , which is now in the Auckland War Memorial Musuem

[@isaacrodriguez4773]

2:11 2:39 Snoopy’s Arch Nemesis.

[@elstevobevo]

Your breadth of movies and tv is amazing…. Snoopy and Bebop. Hahaha wow!

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

I like to keep surprising people. Plus, silly movies are always welcome.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Am always surprised by that sequence of the latter, considering the terraformed Mars setting.

[@kmvoss]

My username that I've used for over 20 years is part inspired by Werner Voss. Grew up in awe of his story. Always used the Dr. I whenever I could in flying games!

[@Teh_moai]

Right as I was in biplane fever :) nice timing Johnny! 🍷🗿👍

[@bigblue6917]

Both the Sopwith Triplane and the Fokker Dr.1 had problems. These were partially due to poor quality control and partly to the fact that wing loading of the top wing was greater than that on the other wings. This put extra loading on the top wing when performing high speed turns and climbs during combat and could cause chronic structural problems which on the Dr.1 caused the wing to come off. Research carried out in 1921 by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) found that the upper wing carried a higher lift coefficient than the lower wing which at high speeds it could be 2.55 times as much. Painstaking research has now concluded that Captain Brown did not shoot down von Richthofen and it was actually an Australian soldier with his trusty Lee Enfield.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Darn, still no Red Baron I or 3D footage. Those games need more love. In spite of that, what an awesome plane this is, and that's coming from one who prefers WW2 craft, modern jets, and fictional starfighters.

[@papadopp3870]

Ah, Johnny, continual release of such high-quality content is so greatly appreciated! Your statement about “Tempered”expectations” was definitely required regarding ‘Flyboys’! If the skies were that filled with red Dr.1s, the Allies would have had to counter- with hundreds of aeroplanes of their own … wait… in that film, they did! I’ve noted this problem in recent CGI-heavy “historical” aviation films from the aforementioned ’Flyboys’ to World War II films, in which the monstrous and endless streams of Yank B-17s flying formations with three-foot separations from East Anglia to Berlin rain hell on the Reich. I often think that ‘Rise of Flight’ videos are far more realistic! Again thanks for the hours you have spent in your great videos.

[@Chiller01]

WW1 fighter pilot looks absolutely terrifying. Motorized kites with machine guns.

[@flitsertheo]

And often without parachutes.

[@mustangandfrankenstein]

thank you.. we love that era...

[@mistervacation23]

Now you can call me Ray, or you can call me J, or you can call me Johnny, or you can call me Sonny, or you can call me Junie, or you can call me Junior; now you can call me Ray J, or you can call me RJ, or you can call me RJJ, or you can call me RJJ Jr. . . but you doesn't hasta call me Johnson!"

[@nursestoyland]

Since Snoopy was in this video, we gonna need Sopwith Camel in the movies!

[@FirstDagger]

Updating old videos always is a good idea. Especially if they weren't watched as much, given how KZbin's algorithm works.

[@Cliff_Dixon_42]

"CURSE YOU, RED BARON!!" -- a certain World Famous World War I Flying Ace.

[@patriotenfield3276]

It still surprieses me that despite having the Weakest air arms of ww1 , Ottoman turkey still managed to grab some impressing victories against Allies and also the Turkish national revolutionaries were able to unite their country back.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

I wouldn't call that weak, more like a bit small in numerical comparison. Besides, it's not the planes and their numbers, it's their pilots that matter.

[@ChrisS-fh7zt]

The Sopwith Triplane wasn't made for super maneuverability or climbing, which was just secondary attributes that the Tripe got. It was made so as to give better visibility from the cockpit over the thicker Sopwith Pup's wings and yet have the same square footage of wing area. So Sopwith was like how can we improve the view for the pilot and yet have the same size wing as the Pup and so the Triplane was born. Anthony Fokker was not 100% sold on the triplane configuration but the Germans wanted it and since they was his largest customer he had to make it.

[@kairinase]

"Yo Dawg, I herd you like wings... so we put wings on your wings, on another pair of wings, so you can fly while you fly!"

[@HappiKarafuru]

You forgot to mention that Werner Voss goes dogfight alone against dozen of the best of best from the British Royal Flying corps with his Fokker Triplane

[@danzmitrovich6250]

I like the red baron and the flying circus and they did a very good movie with the sick paint jobs on the planes

[@mrpurple2306]

Fokker itself is a Dutch plane maker, that went bankrupt in 1996

[@antennastoheaven]

Aaaaaaaaaaaalright, I’m Johnny > Alright, I’m Johnny.

[@robertsrobots6531]

Terence Malick's 1978 film Days of Heaven has a Fokker Triplane in it. It's not a war movie, it's set in America.

[@HandyMan657]

That was interesting man, thanks. See ya for the next one Johnny.

[@scottkelly1685]

A rather fun depiction of the Fokker Dr.1 occurs in Darling Lily, starring Julie Andrews, Rock Hudson and Jeremy Kemp (the latter played Willie in The Blue Max). After landing to rescue his downed friend TC, Rock Hudson's Major Larabie steals the Red Baron's red triplane and shoots up the airfield. Silly, but the combat scenes in Darling Lily are quite good.

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

*_The WWI Flying Ace Joke_* (I first read this in "Boys LIfe" when I was 11 years old in 1963 - but I had already heard it - and it was obvious that "Boys Life" (being the kind of thing that it was) didn't get the joke). Little Johnny took his Grand Father, the World War One Flying Ace to school for Show and Tell. His Grand Father regaled the class with stories until he got to this one. "Yeah. This one time ... me and my buddy Max ... took on 7 of these Fookers." Here the Teacher interrupted. "Children, the Fokker was a type of German Aircraft." "Right you are Missy," said the WWI Flying Ace, "but these Fookers was flying Albatrosses!" .

[@archiedelmer4924]

The footage from the first 17 seconds says that it is from Ace of Aces, though the only movie with that title I could find is a 1933 film that is not even in color.

[@TellySavalas-or5hf]

Fokker was a great Dutch guy. Did great things for Germany. We Need more Fokkers.

[@Favouredmojoe]

Hey man you should definitely do the MP5. Love your videos.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

It's on my list. Making automatic weapon videos on youtube is getting to be a sketchy process however. =/ And thank you!

[@daviddavis7710]

Von Richtofen certainly claimed 19 victories while flying Fokker Triplanes but only a few of them were destroyed while he was flying an all red machine. The rest were either in factory finish or partially painted red. He was of course killed in an all red triplane.

[@MattCaliber]

I really like how they got the machine guns to work with the propeller w/o hitting it.

[@mister-v-3086]

Put "Machine gun interrupter gear" into your search engine - that should do it.

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

My understanding is that the Fokker D.VII was the much better aircraft. _The Blue Max_ is a great movie. In my opinion the best but one of the reasons for that - is that it is entirely fictional. Most if not all of the others while having some basis in reality were so distorted as to lessen the quality of the film. Most of the aircraft in _The Blue Max_ are Tiger Moths but they had some nice D. VII and SE 5 mock ups - as well as an observation plane. One thing about _Fly Boys_ was how it showed a guy getting killed in training. They lost A LOT of people in training. Another film with more Tiger Moth's is _High Road To China_ . It's a fun film and Bess Armstrong is hot. .

[@SeanDahle]

And as for small arms i hope to see the Lee Enfield or the Kar98k next

[@jasonrusso151]

D refers to the type not necessarily the model. Doppeldecker meaning double winged. Just as E for eindecker & Dr for Dreidecker one & 3 decks/wings respectively. Point being there weren't any Albatross Eine oder Drei "models". Also, the shorter span of the Dr1 improved roll rate not lift, or climb & descent.

[@M5guitar1]

Waldo Pepper is a great movie!

[@geordiedog1749]

More wings, more climb, more drag …….. I’ve tried to understand aeronautical engineering……. And I’ve failed! Nice JJ. I still look forward to your work

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

I always struggle making aviation videos. The science of flight is beyond me.

[@guessundheit6494]

The Fokker Dr.1 suffered most of its crashes during takeoff and landing. It was notoriously difficult to control at those times, hence why few flew it. How odd that the Germans made the same mistake during World War II, the Messerschmitt 109 also being crash prone during takeoff and landing. Why would you sacrifice those parts of performance for manoeuvrability and top speed? You can't fly a wrecked plane.

[@itsBridge]

Please do a video on the horizon blue French uniform of WW1 and if it was effective

[@Sonofdonald2024]

Aces High is my favourite ww1 flying movie but no triplanes

[@Willchannel90]

The popular plane from Hollywood movie by one time, until they focused on other franchises instead of planes. Developers tells all even the writers.

[@Jim-ic2of]

Good one Johnny !

[@julesbenedictcatalan4904]

This is machine that man used and nothing in between, and the Flying Circus and the man from Prussia

[@MeatyFeet1]

My fathers boat growing up was called the Red Baron

[@alexlast3141]

great video, could you do a video on the FAL?

[@niiloseppala-ru8hy]

Can you make a video about finish sub machine guns

[@ak9989]

How about one on the Chauchet Lmg. As a collector of militaria I do have a German ww1 flying hat with googles.

[@korbell1089]

Even the grandchildren of the soldiers who carried the Chauchat have PTSD from it!😆

[@novusregnum]

You should look at the Type 2 Paratrooper! It was actually in a handful movies like the first Manchurian Candidate

[@danielstickney2400]

It's impossible to understate the superiority of real flying sequences over crappy CGI. You couldn't pay me to watch "Flyboys" again, "tempered expectations" is a polite way of saying "utterly ridiculous".

[@guilhermesiffer4904]

The Blue Max is a great movie and Flyboys a cinematic masterpiece Change my mind

[@johnw4659]

Fun fact: Anthony Fokker moved to Nyack New York for a short time after the war.

[@GavinMFR]

Real, do the m48

[@airmackeeee6792]

2:23 I see what you did there Johnny! 😜🤣

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Nothing like finding just the right clip

[@airmackeeee6792]

​@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq😂😂😂😂

[@coling3957]

I never knew Blue Max was filmed in Ireland.. ( North or South?) .. if south they prob had a supply of Tiger moths still as military vehicles and aircraft have LONG careers in the Southern forces.

[@miketaylorID1]

If you are in the North East of the States a visit to The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome for a genuine flying circus of WWI era planes you can also hire a ride in an old mail delivery biplane - weekends only during flying weather

[@Maple_Leefreal]

i fokking love this plane

[@mpetersen6]

The best flying sequences using WWl aircraft is still Wings.

[@alankohn6709]

supposedly Fokker's test pilot felt the plane was dangerously unstable and twitchy so when time came for government trials Fokker told the government pilot to be careful it was highly manurable

[@monostripezebras]

Blue Max did not use Tiger Moths, those aircrafts are belgian Stampes... highly similar, but different aicraft

[@jonathanmurphy3141]

No mention of early cinema depictions of WW1: Wings, Hell’s Angel's-??? 🤔

[@TitusCastiglione1503]

When comparing the Red Baron to Flyboy, at least Red Baron got the tone right.

[@anlydaly5726]

Question. What do you think Red Baron would think of the BF109?

[@josipbroztito6763]

Ah Flyboys, first PG-13 movie I saw in theaters

[@OLDMANWAFFLES]

Meet the real Fokker’s.

[@SmaxyMiguel]

What still weirds me out is the amount of anime with all these guns, tanks and airplanes lol

[@SmaxyMiguel]

10 people liked my comment, and the thumb up doesn't show anything.....we got some pissed off weebs amongst us.

[@undertow619]

So back then, there were rotary engines that actually spun with the propeller? Why was that?

[@kimjanek646]

A 110hp engine? Crazy 😵

[@Eidolon5150]

I really want a great accurate ww1 dogfight movie like with tora tora tora and the Battle of Britain.

[@Demolitiondude]

To be fair. The red baron was snooped.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

You do not want to get into a dog fight with Snoopy!

[@guillensuarezmartinez831]

THE TRUTH ABOUT GLOVES AND THE MASTER SERVICES INCLUDE IN THE PARADISE VALLEY I HAVE BEEN HEDY DELTA WAITING AIRPORT WITH.

[@l-nolazck-rn24]

The Red Baron mediocrily historical as flyboys? They barely changed some passing and added a couple fictional characters. Besides that all planes and dogfight locations are entirely historical and well made. If anything the depiction of the German offensive might have been it's biggest historical inaccuracy.

[@AyebeeMk2]

You forgot to mention 'ACES HIGH', .....

[@winstonsmith935]

When asked to describe on TV what the the Battle of Britain was like, an RAF told the funny story of a Him on the COM warning a Polish Pilot of Fokkers on his tail, Polish pilot replied , “ Those Fokkers are Germans”

[@coneBone69lol]

min 328 what episode of cowboy bebop is that?

[@MrRjh63]

Weird how you just rereleased this a few days after i watched the old one.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Well thanks for stopping in one more time! 🙏

[@rolfagten857]

Red colored DR-1 because red was the new black in 1917.

[@mattluszczak8095]

Rotary or.dadial engine?

[@grasuh]

2:23 What the Fokker!

[@ScarletRebel96]

This a mother Fokker of a good video

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Instant pun ace status.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Oh, Focke the Wulfe.

[@Mikedadof2]

What's ur background

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Nothing special. I was a TA or reserve soldier as a young man. 12 years law enforcement. I have a sociology degree and studied history in college, but nothing fancy. My background of watching war movies with my dad was really why I made this channel.

[@levisgarage7212]

NO WAY

[@unvaxxeddoomerlife6788]

The Flyboys footage looked like PS2 graphics.