[WWI] Jacobs Dr.I

[Patrick Cook]

I know it is accepted that Jacob's Dr.I aircraft had the "Jasta Boelke landing gear modification" - but please hear out this idea.

When I study the photograph showing both of his Dr.I's in the line up, I just cannot convince myself that those single black lines under his aircraft are part of that mod.  It seems to me that they just don't have the correct angle and it also looks like they end at the front on the landing gear assembly, not at the rear.

Is it possible that those black lines under the two aircraft are some sort of non-standard rigging wire that connects the underside of the fuselage to the front of the airfoil?  I think that is what I am seeing.  If you look closely at the photo of Jacobs posing with his dog in front of one of his planes, you can just make out a small wire extending up from the airfoil - it is obscured by his sleave after only a few inches but I believe that it could match what I think I am seeing in the other "line up" photo.

Would there be an advantage to reinforcing the aircraft in that way?  I admit that I have never seen a modification like this anywhere else, but Jacobs flew the Dr.I's longer than most people did so maybe his experience showed that the plane needed reinforcing.

Does anyone else share this opinion about his Dr.I's landing gear, or am I just being a contrarian & trouble-maker?  I want to build his aircraft as accurately as I can, so this detail (whichever way it turns out to be) will be added to my model. 

Patrick C.
Atlanta
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