The first Fokker of the USMC

[Duggy009]

This aircraft was so good, it served with the USMC.
They received six Fokker D-7's Bureau numbers A 5843-5848.
They were phased out in 1924.
Photo from the U.S.N. archives.

Regards Duggy

[tom d. friedman]

I learned something today..... thanks!!

[JohnB]

Considered by many (if not all) as the best fighter of the war.
Many don't know 142 were shipped to the us after the war. It was the only aircraft mentioned by name in the Treaty of Versailles.
They were used by the Army Air service as trainers (some converted to two seats) and as test aircraft at McCook Field.
They were so good, Tony Fokker even managed to sell some from his stock (smuggled out of Germany at the end of the war) to the AAS.

[Zac Yates]

It was the only aircraft mentioned by name in the Treaty of Versailles.

Not quite true. I trawled through the Treaty more than once but it's actually in the Armistice:

"A. - CLAUSES RELATING TO THE WESTERN FRONT (...) IV. - Surrender in good condition by the German Armies of the following equipment:- 5,000 guns (2,500 heavy, 2,500 field), 25,000 machine guns, 3,000 trench mortars, 1,700 aeroplanes (fighters, bombers - firstly all D.7's and night-bombing machines). The above to be delivered in situ to the Allied and United States troops in accordance with the detailed conditions laid down in the Note (Annexe 1) determined at the time of the signing of the Armistice.” Terms of Armistice With Germany, 11 November 1918

That's a great photo, Duggy! I'm a D.VII fan and I enjoy seeing non-German, postwar photos of the type. I wonder if this is one of the survivors today?

Last edited by Zac Yates on Thu Jun 25, 2015 3:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Duggy009]

Thanks, it is an amazing photo considering how old it is.
As any being survivors today, I have no idea.
But the best original VII can be found here in North America, as far as I know?
LINK -- http://www.williammaloney.com/aviation/ ... /index.htm
Which I am sure you are aware of.
Regards Duggy

[G-1reaper]

(smuggled out of Germany at the end of the war)

That's a MYTH. Fokker had his contacts. He had the transport properly arranged, all the paperwork was in order. The trains carrying, among other materials, D.VII's were transported as export goods. The Fokker works at Schwerin did not close after the end of WW1, but remained open for another five years.

The F.2 prototype, which was originally a long range reconnaissance plane but ended up as a commercial airliner WAS illegally flown to Holland!

[JohnB]

(smuggled out of Germany at the end of the war)

That's a MYTH. Fokker had his contacts. He had the transport properly arranged, all the paperwork was in order. The trains carrying, among other materials, D.VII's were transported as export goods.

Not according to a well known Dutch aviation journalist and friend, Henri Hegener in his book Fokker- The Man and his Aircraft, Harleyford/Aero Publishers1961.