Dawn Patrol Rendezvous

In 2014 and 2018 the National Museum of the United States Air Force hosted the Dawn Patrol Rendezvous. The air show was a gathering of replica airplanes and re-enactors to mark the centennials of the beginning (1914) and end (1918) of World War One. I was able to attend both of those shows and will be posting those photos here.

There's another Rendezvous scheduled for October 7 and 8, 2022. If you're within driving distance of Dayton, Ohio, it's worth the trip to this unique event. And if you can't make the show, the museum is worth a visit. Just be aware that it will probably take at least two days to see everything in the expansive museum.

 

Here's a shot from the 2018 Dawn Patrol Rendezvous. The airplane is the famous German Fokker Dr. I triplane (or Dreidecker in German). It is most remembered as the plane that the Red Baron flew towards the end of the war. Interestingly, the design was inspired by the British Sopwith triplane.

The soldier standnig guard looks like he was ordered to never leave his post in 1918 when the plane was parked after its last flight.


Old Soldiers Never Die

 

And I'm putting on a slide show for a local railfan club. Poor timing for both of us.

 

Here's a replica of a Nieuport 12 flying the airshow loop. How do I know what type of plane it is? I looked up the registration number.


Nieuport 12 On Patrol

 

Can someone become an ace if he's not actually a pilot? Since this guy is a mannequin, he probably doesn't qualify anyway.


He's Got You In His Sights

 

Another replica in flight, this time a Fokker D.VII. Why so many replicas? As the show announcer said, if you started with an original plane, over the last 100 years every single piece would have been replaced, so you end up with an entirely new plane. My own research has shown that there were precious few planes that survived as late as 1930. Many of the German planes that survived were destroyed by Allied bombs in WW2.


Common Sight

 

In a war where the common soldiers lived in trenches, a select group of British troops enjoyed the privilege of being equipped with bicycles. Click the photo to read the details on Flickr.


Going Green

 

Here's another Fokker D.VII replica on the flight line. This one is an 80% scale kit plane from Airdrome Aeroplanes (in case you want one of your own).


Friendly Face

 

Besides the "antique" aeroplanes, there were a few vintage automobiles on hand, the 1909 Maxwell is a bit older than the one Jack Benny drove.


Oh, Rochester!

 

Another replica takes to the air at Dayton. This is a Nieuport 11 C-1. (The C-1 designation is French for single-seat fighter.)


Keeping France Free

 

You didn't know that Ferrari built airplanes? They didn't, but this is where Enzo Ferrari got the prancing horse from. Click the photo to read all about it.


Logo Italiano Familiare

 

@mSummers You do realize that this is a French Nieuport 23 replica powered by a VW engine, don't you? If you're still interested, I have a photo of the information board standing in front of the plane with the registration number and builder names.

 

The French SPAD XIII was one of the best Allied fighters in World War 1. It was fast and rugged, qualities which led the U.S. Army Air Service to adopt the plane as its primary primary fighter. Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker scored many of his 26 victories in one.

Two of these have been preserved in the U.S. One is in the Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum and the other is in one of the buildings in the background of this photo, in the National Museum of the United States Air Force. If you ever have the opportunity to visit this museum in Dayton, Ohio, plan on spending two days and be sure to take a wide-angle lens and a tripod. I need to find the time to visit myself.


Top Gun

 

It's not a Sopwith Camel or even a doghouse. Snoopy had to fly a Nieuport 11 before he became a famous WW1 flying ace.


Curse You Red Baron!

 

This has to be the largest model airplane I've ever seen. There were quite a few large-scale R/C models at the show.

This one looks like the full-scale Caproni Ca.36 that was restored and is housed nearby in the National Museum of the United States Air Force. The real plane has a wingspan of 75 feet!


I Had to Get a Bigger Truck

 

In World War 1, Ernst Udet had the second most victories among German pilots was fourth among pilots of all nations. He was a member of the Red Baron's Flying Circus, which explains the bright colors on his Fokker D.VII. Click the photo to read more about him.


Second Best

 

England's Royal Aircraft Factory built the S.E.5a for the Royal Flying Corps. The plane is not as famous as the Sopwith Camel, but many pilots preferred the S.E.5a because it was faster and easier to fly than the Camel. Four British pilots scored more than 50 victories each, so it must have been a pretty good airplane.


Allied Favorite

 

This Nieuport 11 replica is carrying the comet emblem used by Belgium's 5th squadron.


No Waffling