![]() Following on our success with the British-inspired Sopwith Camel, the Fokker is the second WWI fighter in the Hangar 9 warbird line. Hangar 9’s almost-ready-to-fly version of the Fokker D.VII is an accurate 60-size reproduction of Germany’s famed fighter. The capability of the D.VII to perform this maneuver made it a highly feared opponent in combat. Positioning below and behind a two-seater, where the enemy observer could not bring his guns to bear, a D.VII pilot could safely put his airplane into a nose-high attitude, with full power, in a nearly stalled condition. The Fokker D.VII's thick wing section endowed the airplane with good stall characteristics. One reason for this was the soon-to-be-famous ability of the Fokker D.VII to seemingly "hang on its propeller" and fire into the unprotected underside of Allied two-seater reconnaissance aircraft. But the plane quickly proved to be vastly superior to existing fighters, despite the comparatively clumsy appearance of the D.VII. When the Fokker D.VII entered squadron service in early May of 1918 and appeared on the Western Front, Allied pilots at first underestimated the new fighter because it lacked the sleek, graceful lines of the German Albatros fighters. Thirty-one airplanes from ten manufacturers entered the competition and the Fokker D.VII was the winner, earning an initial contract for 400 units. The design with the best overall performance would be awarded a production contract. The aircraft would be demonstrated by the manufacturers, and would be tested by front-line combat pilots. To counter this, the German government invited aircraft manufacturers to submit prototype single-seat fighter designs for evaluation at a competition to be held at Adlershof airfield in Berlin in January 1918. During the latter half of 1917, the Allies had regained air superiority over the Western Front with the S.E. But its story of inception is what makes it a supremely interesting subject. ![]() ![]() The German Fokker D.VII is frequently cited as one of the best fighter aircraft of the First World War. Fly it the way you want it-glow or electric.Fiberglass cowl with simulated stamped metal fuselage sides.High-quality laser-cut balsa and plywood construction.Covered with accurate German Lozenge camouflage.Scale pilot, dummy engine and guns included.
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