Phil Bland's beautiful Balsa USA 1/3 Scale Fokker Dr.1 Triplane in action at the SoCal Scale Squadron's Warbirds and Classics event held in Blackstar Canyon (Irvine California), in June, 2022.

This particular plane (Dr.1 577/17) is painted to represent the aircraft flown by Leutnant Rudolf Klimke, who served in Jasta 27 until 21 Sept., 1918, when he was severely WIA. He managed to land his machine (a Fokker D.VII) but was almost killed when the hospital he was receiving medical attention at was accidentally bombed later that night. He was not able to return to service. Klimke would ultimately be credited with 17 aerial victories.

The interesting and unique anchor painted on the aircraft was a good luck talisman suggested by his mother. She believed an anchor symbolized 'good hope', which seems to have worked out well for her son as he survived service in both WWI and WWII! Klimke would live to be 95 years old, and passed away on 18 March, 1986.

Be sure to stay tuned for the outtakes at the end!! Enjoy!