[WWI] Joseph Jacob's Dr.I

[Patrick Cook]

Hi all - I am slowly working on a little 72nd Eduard Fokker Dr.I kit.  I want to build my first one as Jacob's all black reserve plane . . . references state that this aircraft had the Jasta Boelcke landing gear modification to it, and indeed it does appear to have some sort of non-standard black "thing" under the fuselage.

Here is the rub though - to me the "thing" does not appear to be the support bar for the Jasta Boelcke undercarriage modification.  The angle looks different than what I would think it should be and it appears to attach to the aircraft MUCH higher up than where the typical point would be.

Could this "thing" be something else besides part of the traditional Jasta Boelcke mod. (I.e. some non-standard in-field mod. or something else entirely)?  Or were the reinforcement mods from Jasta Boelcke not always the same size & dimension?

I've looked at lot of other photos of Dr.I's and the only thing that I've found that *kinda* matches what I think I am seeing on Jacob's plane is on page 24 of the Dr.I Windsock Datafile Special.  Photo 49 show men pushing a plane with some sort of reinforcement bar attached to the undercarriage - the bar seems to meet the landing gear strut almost where it meets the fuselage (or maybe it's just a streamer hanging limp).

Anyway, could you experts take a look at the photo of Jacobs all black reserve plane and tell me if you think that the landing gear really has the Jasta Boelcke mod. and if not what is the story with that black "thing"?

Patrick C.
Atlanta
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