Max Immelmann and Oswald Bolke both flew the EIII. Immelmann was killed in the EIII
Pete, e-mail, 26.07.2014 19:17
This is an article from the London Daily Telegraph,July 26. Appropriate, considering the WWI centenary on July 28 2014. Mike Clark, a 62-year-old commercial airline pilot, who lives near Horsham in West Sussex, is the proud owner of a Fokker Eindecker. The single-seater monoplane, designed by Dutch aviation pioneer Anthony Fokker, was the first purpose-built German fighter aircraft. It was also the first plane to be fitted with a synchronisation gear, allowing the pilot to fire a machine gun through the arc of the propeller without striking the blades. The replica Eindecker took Mr Clark 18 months to build and made its maiden flight in June 2012. In a bid for historical authenticity, Mr Clark borrowed both the colour scheme and registration number of German flying ace Ernst Udet, the top-scoring surviving WWI flying ace.
Lorin, e-mail, 28.04.2014 07:45
Was this manufactured in Glendale WVa in addition to Germany?
osuflyer, e-mail, 08.10.2013 00:39
There is wing warper at the WW1 section in the San Diego Aviation & Space museum. It takes a strong arm to warp the beast.
Barry, 08.08.2012 13:14
There were four models of the Eindekker the EI, EII, EIII and EIV. First demonstrated to the British as a two seat monoplane in 1912 the powers that be decided that it was "poorly made" so Anton threw his lot in with the central powers and saw his progenitor of the EI, the M5,produced in quantity. When the French ace Roland Garros was shot down and the bullet deflector used on his craft was inspected Fokker quickly established that he could improve on this rudimentary system and he did. Within two weeks he had designed and built the synchronisation system that made the M5 the EI. The EII was not as good as the wing size was reduced, but when the EIII reestablished a wider wing the definitive model was born. About 300 EIII were manufactured and were responsible for the destruction of over 1000 allied aircraft. They were the favoured mount of the great German aces Boelke, Udet and Immelman amongst others. The EIV was fitted with 2 x 7.92mm Spandau (sometimes Swarzlose) machine guns, and it was reported that Immelman had one with 3 guns. By 1916 the Fokker "scourge" began to disappear as the allies found new types to counter the menace.
Tricky Loopsy, 19.12.2011 18:48
One Jasta in 1915 used a lot of eindecker's until the albatros era in 1916. They were called by Allieds "The Mediocre's". I think it was jasta 22 or 17.
guba, 18.06.2011 12:34
I do not believe the plane above is original as I believe the original was a wing warper and this ship clearly has ailerons.
Bob Lawler, e-mail, 19.02.2010 18:34
First aircraft to use a synchronized gun firing through the propeller arc.
sven, 09.02.2010 08:00
Both right. The aircraft in the photo was built in the 1960s by Doug Bianchi at Booker air park, powered by a C90. It lived in a hangar with many of the Replicas built for the Magnificent Men In their flying machines movie.
Guest, 09.02.2010 02:24
I don't think there's any originals still air-worthy.
sean Fitzgerald, e-mail, 17.07.2008 03:08
I do not believe the plane above is original as I believe the original was a wing warper and this ship clearly has ailerons.
