Re: Unusual paint schemes

August T. Horvath (HORVATH@HULAW1.HARVARD.EDU)
Thu, 22 Dec 1994 08:04:41 -0500 (EST)

....
> The other photo is of a Fokker DVII in American service after the war, taken
> at Wright Field. The caption reads ". . . but a few were painted in Air
> Service colors." I've been working on a series of DVII's in postwar markings;
> so far I've built a Dutch, Early Soviet (both from Blue Rider sheets) and a
> Belgian (Lozenge wings with Belg. roundels painted over the crosses.)
> Anybody have any more info on these planes? Any help greatly appreciated!

I bought a book a couple of years ago on fighters of the USAF and its
predecessors which included a section on the Fokkers, both the imported
DVIIs and the stretched DVIIIs built by the US in the postwar years.
There was at least one photo of a DVII in Air Service colors -- probably
the same as the photo you've seen -- and possibly also a profile of a
different Air-Service marked a/c if I remember correctly. Unfortunately
I am a thousand miles from my books and cannot for the life of me
remember the title and author of this one. I'll try to think of it.

> P.S. I know DVII's were flown by Dutch, Soviet, Belgian, Finnish, Swedish,
> Austrian, American and Swiss Air Forces. Can anybody add to the list? They

According to Larry Milberry in his book "Sixty Years," on the RCAF, two
Canadian squadrons were maintained in England from 11/20/18 to Feb.1920.
These postwar squadrons were equipped with Dolphins, SE.5As, DH.9As and
"at least three captured Fokker D-VIIs." Page 16 of the book has a
picturer of one of the Fokkers with No.1 Sqn, apparently in full German
colors and markings but with a large maple leaf containing the number 1
centered under the cockpit. It is not clear whether these a/c were used
operationally together with the British types.

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August Horvath horvath@hulaw1.harvard.edu
Harvard Law School