1915 RAF FE8: reproduction al c, sin 300, N17501. This aircraft was built in 1973 in accordance with Royal Aircraft Factory drawings, powered by an original BO hp LeRhone rotary engine, with a four bladed propeller . It has been flying regularly at the Aerodrome since 1973. 1917 Albatross OVa: reproduction al c, N12156. This air craft was built from scratch in Florida the winter of 1972. While visiting the Smithsonian's Storage Facility at Silver Hill, Cole Palen saw their stripped down original Albatross OVa and then and there decided this was the opportune time to build one . He spent th ree days there taking all measurements, making sketches and templates and taking pic tures . He also gathered whatever drawings, data and photos the Smithsonian had available. As soon as he arrived in Florida that year the Alba
tross was started . Since no 160-1BO hp Mercedes engine was available, a 120 hp Mercedes was in stalled, with provisions for the engine mount to take the proper engine, should one turn up. It was finished in the spring of 1975, and after much testing , flew a total of about 5 hours in October of that year before our season ended. We planned to fly it every Sunday during the 1976 season, but in checking out the aircraft for our first show found the Mercedes had a broken crankshaft. It was an airworthy aircraft shot down all season. Avro 504K: reproduction alc, si n HAC 1, N2939: Built by Hampshire Aeroplane Company, Camber ley, Surrey, UK. The Avro arrived at Old Rhine beck Aerodrome on June 6, 1971. It had been built in 1966 under the supervision of Vivian Bellamy for Mirisch Productions , Inc. to be used in a film entitled THE BELLS OF HELL GO TING-A LING, DEATH WHERE IS THY STING-A-L1NG-A LING? The movie was never made. Cole bought
the aircraft and shipped it to the US. The ship ping crate is now a building in the show set at the Aerodrome. The plane has been flying regu larly at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome since May 15, 1972. It is powered with an original 110 hp Le Rhone rotary engine; the fuselage is all wood with glued ply gussets. Fokker Dr.l: reproduction alc, sin 322, N3221. This aircraft was built in 1967 using Redfern drawings and drawings made by the British from a captured Dr.1 in 191B. It is powered with a 100 hp Gnome engine. It has been flying every Sunday in our air shows during the season since it was completed in 1967. Fokker Dr.I: \ reproduction al c N ? Built by Norman Hortman and flown and crashed several times by him, before being sold to Palen. Lightly built; 125 hp Kinner engine. Presently being re built. Sopwith Dolphin: reproduction al e. It was begun by Andy Keith in May 1976, from Hawker-Sidde ley drawings. It will be powered with an Hispano Suiza engine, and is being built exactly like the original. Nieuport 28: original alc, sin 195BE, N4123A. Acquired by US Navy, then appeared in the Balboa junkyard , then acquired and rebuilt by Paramount Studios, then by Paul Mantz in 1940, then by Palen on 24 February 195B. When Palen swapped a Jen ny for it, it had "Paramount #6" painted on the 160 Gnome crankcase. (Paramount had had 6 N2B's) . It has the Navy modification of steel tube horizontal tail. It flew at Old Rhinebeck and in some movies between 1960-1969: Fokker D.VII original alc, N1040B. This started out as a Fokker built C.I, powered by a BMW. A brand stamp on the wing spar indicates it was built in Schwerin, Germany. It must have been one of the 60 C.ls Anthony Fokker smuggled out. Apparently , Fairchild Aerial Surveys owned the plane at some time. Bert Acosta came into oos-
The Fokker Or.1 reproduction has a 100 hp Gnome Engine.