Fokker Dr.Ifor X-Plane 10

User Manual

Aerobask

Table of ContentsAerobask

Part I: Historical Background 3

Introduction 4About the Dr.I 4The Red Baron 5The Aerobask Model 6Final Thoughts 6

Part II: Aircraft Description & Instructions 7

Installation and Settings 8Requirements 8Installation 8Settings 8

Aircraft Dimensions 9Aircraft Specifications 10Upper Instruments 11Lower Instruments 12On-Screen Menus 13Starting & Stopping the Engine 14Takeoff & Landing 15

Part III: Air Combat in the Fokker Dr.I 16

Air Combat in X-Plane 10 17Getting and Arming AI Aircraft 17Setting up Teams in X-Plane 17Using the Dr.I in Multiplayer 18

Basic Fighter Tactics 19The Dicta Boelcke 19Common Maneuvers 20

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Part I: Historical Background

The Red Baron's Dr.I

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IntroductionAerobask

Congratulations on your purchase of the Aerobask Fokker Dr.I for X-Plane 10. This aircraft is very different from our previous products – usually we offer you renditions of very modern 21st century aircraft, such as the Epic Victory; the Fokker Dr.I, built in early 20th century, is the complete opposite. And it has a history.

About the Dr.I

The Dr.I is a triplane, which is a rare thing in itself. The Dr.I is also one of the most famous fighter aircraft. In late World War I it was an answer to the earlier British Sopwith Triplane which had been a real danger to the Germans since November 1916.1

The Dr.I was a successful fighter during the final months of the war, but it had some shortcomings, such as slow speed, short range, unreliable engines and wing failures due to the triplane concept. Anthony Fokker knew of these problems, but he optimized the Dr.I for the “five or ten minutes of the actual duel in the air”2.

Fokker admitted that “due to the light weight and maneuverability, with which the machine executed the most daring feats, the Allies never recognized how slow it actually was”3. Some call the Dr.I “a flying machine gun”4 to refer to its main purpose.

1 Castan, Joachim: Der Rote Baron. Stuttgart 2016, p. 191.2 Quoted in Castan 2016, p. 192. All quotes translated for this manual by Mario Donick.3 Castan 2016, p. 192.4 Ibid., p. 193. Ph

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Anthony Fokker, developer of the Dr.I

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The Red Baron

Most of the Dr.I's fame is associated with Manfred von Richthofen (1892–1918), a fighter pilot of the Imperial German Army. Richthofen is better known as “Red Baron”, because he was a Freiherr (a German title of nobility in his days) and flying red-painted aircraft.

Richthofen had flown pre-production versions of the Dr.I in 1917 (the F.I), but it took months to solve the plane's initial problems. When the Dr.I was finally issued to Richthofen's fighter squadron in 1918, he gained the last 19 of his 80 victories in it, the first on March 12th. Only six weeks later he was killed. German historian Joachim Castan emphasizes that only a fraction of Richthofen's victories was gained in the Dr.I.1 For Richthofen's final months, Castan attests to him a manic obsession with setting enemies on fire instead of just forcing them to land or leave the aircraft2, a cruel type of victory in aerial combat that emerged both among the Germans and the Allies during the end of the war.3

Castan concludes that Richthofen's “body and soul had been broken”4. Castan rejects the legend that Richthofen was a chivalric hero.5 According to Castan, Richthofen was willing to hide the cruelty of war behind a shiny dress6 – a propaganda effort which continued in World War II and still shows in most of the literature, in movies and video games. Only in recent years a more reflected view on Richthofen emerged, with Castan's Richthofen biography as one important example.

1 Castan 2016, p. 214.2 Ibid., pp. 229–231.3 Ibid., p. 231.4 Ibid., p. 332.5 Ibid., p. 302.6 Ibid.* Ibid., p. 215.

Manfred von Richthofen, better known as the “Red Baron”

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In the public awareness, the “outstanding” Fokker triplane and the daredevil model hero

Richthofen merged to an inseparable unit, which initially served propaganda and later

became part of the Richthofen legend. Due to the enemy's numerical superiority,

Richthofen in a signal red Fokker triplane fought a desparate battle for survival, which

was impossible to win.

– Joachim Castan*

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“Only 320 Fokker Dr.I were used by the German Army Air Service in active duty, and most of them were shot down by Allied forces during March and April 1918.1 The Dr.I was no 'wonder weapon' and Richthofen's successes were an exception, based on his individual abilities as a pilot. Less experienced pilots had problems with the Dr.I, as the quote by pilot Richard Wenzl (to the right) shows.

The Aerobask Model

The kind of flying challenge Fokker and Wenzl described is what our simulation of the Dr.I tries to deliver. The Dr.I is a simple aircraft, but not easy to fly. You only have basic instruments and your view is obstructed. Speed is low, but climb and turn rates are high. In simulation mode, the aircraft sinks when you roll to the right and climbs when you roll to the left. There is no trim, and your engine may fail.

Final Thoughts

Usually, in this part of our manuals, we wish you lots of fun. That would feel strange here – after all the real Dr.I was made for a war which was cruel even in the air.2 Military legends, such as the “Red Baron”, build an ahistorical picture of heroism and chivalry. Simulations and games easily fall into the trap of affirming such legends. We at Aerobask do not endorse violence or war, but still believe the aircraft itself is very interesting. We want to give an impression how simple technology leads to an impressive flight behavior. Just never forget why the Dr.I got this behavior in the first place.

Aerobask

1 Castan 2016, p. 214.2 Cruel as in shooting enemies who had already landed (Castan 2016, p. 118). Unfortunately, research on military history often focuses on technology and tactics, but forgets the ugly sides of war and sometimes takes overly-positive accounts written by involved individuals for granted. Castan 2016 is a rare exception when he de-constructs the legends about the “red Baron”. Although Castan sometimes makes psychological assumptions without further backing, he also presents facts that make it impossible to continue seeing the “red Baron” as a hero.* Castan 2016, p. 216.** This introduction and the other parts of the manual were written by Mario Donick, who has a PhD in Communication Studies. Since 2013, he's doing research on the affirmation of military legends in video games and simulations.

I had to get used to the fine control movements, was flying my machine way too bumpy and therefore was

curving to much.

– Lieutenant Richard Wenzl*

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Stephane BuonAerobask, director**

Part II: Aircraft Description & Instructions

Installation & SettingsRequirements

The Aerobask Dr.I uses HD textures: Interior, fuselage and wing textures as well as normal maps are in 4096x4096 resolution. With “extreme” texture settings and HDR “on” in a sparse scenery the aircraft alone needs about 900 MB. A 2 GB video card is therefore the minimum requirement even for flying in rural areas.If you video card is low on memory, you can use the optional low-resolution liveries provided.

Installation

Extract the downloaded zip file into the “Aircrafts” folder within your “X-Plane 10” folder, for example:

X-Plane 10/Aircrafts/Fighters/Aerobask Fokker Dr.I

Settings

Texture memory shortage may lead to low FPS. You have to reduce the texture resolution to “very high” or even “high” if frame rates are too low.

For better control during landings, please assign a key or button to the Dr.1's blip switch, to easily cut off the engine during approach. Its custom command is:

aerobask/BlipSwitch toggle

If you want to use the guns, you have to assign a button to X-Plane's “Fire Guns” command. Refer to the X-Plane manual for more information on button/key assignments.

Texture Resolution

Total Used Texture Memory

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Aircraft DimensionsAerobask

7.19 m

5.77 m

2.95

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Aircraft Specifications

General

Aircraft Type: Single seat triplane fighterManufacturer: Fokker Flugzeugwerke mbH, SchwerinDesignation: Fokker V5 (Military: Fokker Dr. I)Introduced: August 1917Number Built: 320Length: 18' 11" / 5,770 mmHeight: 9' 8" / 2,950 mm

Wingspans

Top Wing: 23' 7" / 7,190 mmMiddle Wing: 20' 5" / 6,225 mmLower Wing: 18' 9" / 5,725 mmWing Chord: 3' 3" / 1,000 mmWingarea: 200.9 Sq Ft / 18.66 Sq m

Weights

Empty Weight: 895.00 lbs / 405.00KgGross Weight: 1295.00 lbs / 587.00Kg

Aerobask

Engine

Engine Type: Oberursel UR II (copy of the LeRhône)Ignition: Magneto (Bosch ZH6)Lubrication: Castor oil, total lossHorsepower: 110 hp (82 kw)Cylinders: 9 CylindersRPMs: 1,200 RPMBore: 124 mmStroke: 170 mmDisplacement: 955 in³Cooling: Air-cooledWeight: 330 lb (149 kg)Fuel Tank: 18 GallonsFuel Consumption: 46 Liters/hrOil tank: 13 Liters (only 10 liters can be used)Oil Consumption: 6 Liters/hrEngine Gauges: RPM indicator, Fuel gauge, Oil Pulsator

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Upper InstrumentsThe picture below shows the default view (1920x1080 screen, FOV 90°). Due to the pilot seat's position, the view is focused on the guns.

● The gun master switch arms the guns; it needs to be fully forward if you want to fire the guns.

● The fuel gauge indicates remaining fuel.

● The anemometer shows airspeed in km per hour. Multiply the designated value by 10 to get the actual value!

Anemometer (Airspeed in km/h)

Fuel

Gun Master Switch

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Lower InstrumentsThe following instruments are available in the lower part of the cockpit:

● The RPM gauge shows the engine speed.

● The altimeter shows your altitude in kilometers.

● The oil pulsator shows if your engine still has oil. Check level during flight! Land before it is low!

● The compass shows your current direction.

Altimeter (in km)

ThrottleStartingMagneto

Oil Pulsator

Fuel Tap

Compass

MagnetoSwitch

Mixture ThrottleRPM

Blip Switch

Fire ButtonControl Stick

● The blip switch cuts off the engine during landing.

● The fuel tap opens and cut offs fuel.

● The fire button is used to fire the guns (if armed).

● The magnetos are used for engine startup.

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On-Screen MenuThe Aerobask Dr.I includes an on-screen menu with several options. First, click the “A” icon on the lower left side of the screen to show icons for options, propeller, and compass popup. Then click on the desired icon.

Options Popup

● Select game mode. In arcade mode, the aircraft can be trimmed and engines won't fail.

● Switch music playback on and off.

● Remove or put on the motor casing.

● Select red, green or no recognition lights (not historic; used for better awareness in multiplayer).

Propeller Popup

The propeller popup shows a picture of your aircraft's propeller.

To start the engine, first prepare the cockpit (see next page), then open the propeller popup and click & hold the propeller image. Within a few seconds, the engine will spool up and the propeller will turn.

Compass Popup

The compass popup shows an easy-to-read version of the compass found in the cockpit (see previous page).

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Starting & Stopping the EngineStarting up the Dr.I from cold & dark, as well as shutting down the engine after a landing, is very easy, once you know where to find the various switches and gauges.

Startup

● Open the fuel tap by turning it to the left.

● Set the starting magneto to the right.

● Push the mixture lever fully forward.

● Set the magnetos to “both” position.

● Move the throttle lever slightly forward.

● Show the propeller popup (see previous page) and click & hold the propeller image to start the engine.

Shutdown

● Pull the throttle lever fully back.

● Pull the mixture lever fully back.

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Takeoff & LandingTakeoffs and landings in the Dr.I are part of the challenge – and the fun. Even real pilots sometimes had problems with both. So you may want to consider the following hints.

Takeoff

● Like a real pilot and in any taildragger, taxiing and takeoff rolls require you to look to the forward-left and forward-right, because your center view is obstructed by aircraft pitch angle, guns, and wings). As this is a bit difficult in a simulator, we have pre-defined quick views 1 and 2 for this (quick view 0 returns to the main view). In X-Plane pressing a key on the numpad will switch to the related quick view.

● To take-off, first remove the wooden board from your wheels by pressing the b key. Push the throttle fully forward. While accelerating, gently push the control stick to put the aircraft straight and level. Be careful of balance and prop strike – do not push too fast or too hard!

● Be prepared for rather strong torque when running the engine at full rpm. Counteract by maintaining stick and rudder a bit to the left. Keep in mind that the gyroscope effect is modelled, so the aircraft descends when you roll to the right and climbs when you roll to the left.

● Take-off at 70 km/h. Please note that you need to multiply the anemometer gauge's values by 10 to get your actual speed.

Landing

● Preferably use a grass runway for landing.

● At idle throttle, the engine still maintains 700 to 800 RPM. This is too much for slowing down the aircraft. You need to press the blip switch to cut off the engine during approach. This switch cuts the spark and thereby turns off the engine in flight. When you press the switch again, the engine will hopefully restart.

● Landing speed is approximately 60 km/h.

● After touchdown, pull the control stick back to get the tail on the ground and to slow down. Do not push the yoke forward!

● Please note that the plane consumes oil, approximately 6 liters per hour. The oil level drops when the engine is running. To avoid engine failure, regularly check the oil level with the oil pulsator. Land the aircraft before you run out of oil.

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Part III: Air Combat in the Fokker Dr.I

Air Combat in X-Plane 10X-Plane 10 offers rudimentary air combat possibilities. You can setup AI aircraft and designate different teams (up to four, distinguished by colors). One team's aircraft will flee or follow (if armed properly, see below) aircraft of the other teams.

Getting and Arming AI Aircraft

Although you can load every aircraft as AI aircraft, this is a waste of resources and may lead to bad FPS. Instead, we suggest to download simple freeware aircraft. They are not so beautiful to look at, but during dogfights you won't see them anyway for more than a few seconds. Typical opponents of the Germans in World War I were the Sopwith Camel and the Sopwith Strutter. Install them like any other aircraft.

By default, other aircraft won't shoot at you, because the AI only fires air-to-air missiles, which are only available in modern jets. If you want an aggressive AI, get Chris Noe's free AI Combat Package. It includes fake missiles usable by any aircraft. Use PlaneMaker to install them in your AI aircraft. The drawback of this method is that the AI only gets a few shots until all missiles are used.

Setting up Teams in X-Plane

From the “Aircraft” menu, open “Aircraft & Situations”. Select “Other Aircraft” and increase the number of aircraft. Click on the square on the beginning of each entry to load a model. Assign teams by clicking the colored checkboxes. Set the skill level to “very hard”. Check “save all craft in preferences”, then close the window.

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Using the Dr.I in Multiplayer

As the X-Plane AI is not very clever and can only shoot with fake missiles, a realistic dogfight challenge is only possible in multiplayer. X-Plane multiplayer works by creating a TCP/IP connection in the network settings. The following requirements need to be met by all participating players:

1) All players need to use the same X-Plane version. The Dr.I requires at least X-Plane 10.45.

2) The Dr.I needs to be installed in the same folder for all players. It's best to use the default “General Aviation” folder if you want to use multiplayer. Even if your opponents don't fly the Dr.I, but for example a Sopwith Camel, they still need the Dr.I to see you.

3) In addition, all players need to use the same scenery.

4) Each player's router needs to be configured to allow communication over port 49000.

5) In X-Plane's network settings, each player needs to enter the IP addresses of each other player. You can check your IP at http://whatismyipaddress.com/.

In X-Plane, it is even harder to spot other aircraft than in reality. If all players use the Dr.I, you can switch on optional recognition lights. These lights are not historic, but help to recognize each other in X-Plane. The Dr.I offers either a red or a green light, so you can easily set up teams. Lights are switched on in the options menu, as described on page 13 of this manual.

Ip address ofother player

Port to use for communication

Click to cycle recognition light (off, red, green)

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Basic Fighter TacticsNowadays, aerial combat tactics can almost be considered a science, based on a century of experiences. One famous book on the topic is “Fighter Combat. Tactics and Maneuvering” by Robert L. Shaw.1 It is a great read if you are interested in in-depth information on the topic. In the Dr.I's time, however, many of today's experiences still had to be gained.

The Dicta Boelcke

In World War I, German pilots were trained using some basic guidelines2 developed by the first German flying “ace”, Oswald Boelcke:

1) Try to secure advantages before attacking. If possible, keep the sun behind you.

2) Always carry through an attack when you have started it.

3) Fire only at close range and only when your opponent is properly in your sights.

4) Always keep your eye on your opponent, and never let yourself be deceived by ruses.

5) In any form of attack it is essential to assail your opponent from behind.

6) If your opponent dives on you, do not try to evade his onslaught, but fly to meet it.

7) When over the enemy's lines never forget your own line of retreat.

8) Attack on principle in groups of four or six. When the fight breaks up into a series of single combats, take care that several comrades do not go for one opponent.

Oswald Boelcke (1891–1916)

1 Shaw, Robert L.: Fighter Combat. Tactics and Maneuvering. Annapolis 1987.2 Ibid., pp. 274–275.

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Common Maneuvers

When you read books on fighter combat or browse the Internet, you will notice a lot of different maneuvers performed in air combat. However, when the real Fokker Dr.I was actively used, only a few maneuvers were known; many others were developed in World War II.

Immelmann Turn

The Immelmann turn was named after Max Immelmann (1890–1916). It was used after a dive attack to re-position the attacker's aircraft above the opponent again for a new dive attack. The attacker climbs past the opponent, losing a lot of speed. Shortly before stalling he yaws the aircraft around using his rudder, thereby facing down towards the opponent. The WW I Immelmann turn is nowadays known as wingover and not to be confused with today's aerobatics Immelmann maneuver.

Chandelle

In a Chandelle ('candle'), flown by French fighter pilots in WW I, a turn is combined with a climb. Back then the intended heading changes were based on the combat situation. Maximum speed was built up before initiating the roll and pitching up the aircraft's nose. Nowadays the Chandelle is a precision flying maneuver defined with a 180° heading change.

Historic Illustration of the Immelmann Turn

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Historic Illustration of the Chandelle

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Barrel Roll

A classic barrel roll was used to slow down one's own aircraft without losing altitude. As an attacker who is flying behind the opponent this can help to prevent an overshoot. As defender, the barrel roll may force an attacker behind to overshoot.

Split-S

While in the Immelmann altitude is gained by sacrificing speed, the Split-S exchanges altitude for speed. The Split-S is therefore used for leaving combat situations when higher speeds become more important. The nose of the aircraft is pointed down for a half-loop, after which the aircraft is levelled. Nowadays the aircraft is rolled by 180° before initiating the Split-S, because then the G effects are much weaker.

Historic Illustration of the Barrel Roll

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Historic Illustration of the Split-S

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Credits

Aircraft Design and Programming:Stephane Buon (modelling, texturing, liveries, programming)

Lionel Zamouth (programming)Cameron Garner – X-Aerodynamics (flight model)

User ManualMario Donick (Text, Design, Historical background)

Walker Guthrie – vFlyteAir (Proofreading)

Beta testers:Jean-Baptiste, Claude, Tony, Bernard, Jean-François

This manual is for flight simulation only.Do not use for real flight!

Manual version 1.0