Hi Gents... this is it. We made it to Wellington and taking the train to Masterton tomorrow for TVAL.

I'm more than happy to carry forward any questions you guys might have for Gene or any one I happen to talk with. With all the mechanics certs I have, I hope to get a little closer than a typical tour. We'll see.

At any rate if you have queries/questions you've been dying to have answered about these amazing planes... list them below. I will do my best to get them answered. List the type of aircraft and the info your looking for about it.

I hope to share this amazing experience with you all as best I can.

All the best,

James
'OvS'

Hi OvS. I am curious to know if they are planning to build a SPAD 7. I am not personally aware of any examples still flying.

Otherwise... how about a GOTHA!

What!?! You are really there?
Lucky dog...
There must be a few WOFF'ers in the crowd. You should get red carpet treatment.

...although not in flying condition, still a beauty.

Lol... no worries... I have a ton for them.

Ov, I PM'd you.

Thank you, James! I wrote it elsewhere before:
I'd like to know if they ever performed the "flat turn" in a Fokker Dr.I, and if they have a video of it?

I wish you the best of luck for getting close to Gene deMarco, so you can ask all you want to know!
Enjoy your visit at the Hood Aerodrome!

I was just sitting here thinking...

It was pretty cool of you OvS, to ask us if we had questions. If I'm honest, I'm not so sure I would have thought to ask the community if they had questions, if I was going on the trip to TVAL.

Pretty unselfish act you committed there, sir. You're busted!

Thanks, for keeping us in mind.

I guess with the exact replicas now is a great time to ask about the effects of wind on the flight characteristics of these machines.
A verbal answer is, of course, tough to quantify but their impressions will do if possible.

James,

Sounds like you are in for an amazing amazing trip! I've been following TVAL for a long time. Even wrote a blog post about them that got their webmaster's attention: http://rennieatngcsu.blogspot.com/2013/10/from-skewed-archives-vintage-aviator.html

I do have a question for Gene: Do they need a soon-to-be PhD in Modern German History to come help out? I'm writing my dissertation on German aviators - hoping to do some things that haven't been attempted yet.

Regardless, enjoy yourself my friend! I'm quite jealous!

Soppy

PS: My girlfriend also says she would be delighted to live in New Zealand!

Well, good and bad... I'll post the whole story and pics when I get home. No meeting with Gene, he was not available, no shop visit...off limits to the public... but... I spoke to one of the pilots for a while. A young man, age 20, who flies them all.

THE DR.1 CANNOT FLAT TURN. It can rake really well, which gives an amazing advantage, but is terribly unstable and requires constant input.

More to come when I get home infront of my pc. Bottom line...the place is simply amazing. I loved it.

Hmmm... - maybe they never dared to do it?
I wrote an E-Mail to Mikael Carlson, who owns and flies a Dr.1, and he wrote back
that he performs flat turns any time. And the 5 SE.5a pilots who fought Werner Voss
also reported, that he did it all the time in that fight.

I know this Carlson video, but it does not show a flat turn unfortunately.
What it does show, is the absolutely incredible climb at takeoff!


Who wouldn't, around here? James, I ENVY you!
But you deserved it (the TVAL visit - not the envy)!

I'm looking forward to your story and pictures, James - enjoy New Zealand!

I like TVAL and what they do, seems neither the WOFF nor the RoF Dr.I fly as good as the real thing did. Although I am astonished about the statement of the Dr.I's inability of a flat turn? What exactly is the definition of a flat turn, is there a misunderstanding?
The devil's in the details.. when building the Oberursel rotary for the Fokker D.VIII plane they got from Engels in Schorndorf, it seems TVAL oversaw a small detail that distinguishes the Oberursel from the LeRhône engine. Engine caught fire and they almost lost engine and plane, or at least so it was perpetrated in the Aerodrome forum back then.

Hope all went well in New Zealand, i'm also envious

Didn't some here post a video of a replica (yes a replica) Dr.1 doing a "flat turn."