Sluban Red Baron Fokker Dr.I Triplane Brick Set – WWI Ace Model #B1292

Product Description: Build the Legend

Experience the history of World War I aviation firsthand as you build the legendary Sluban Fokker DR-1S Red Baron airplane brick set (#B1292). This 1:35 scale model faithfully captures the menacing silhouette of the Red Baron’s iconic triplane.

You work with 281 high-quality, durable building bricks, constructing a detailed replica that is perfect for both display and imaginative play. Furthermore, the completed model is robustly designed with durability for play, ensuring young aviators (Ages 7+) can recreate their own historical dogfights.

This set features moving components that bring the aircraft to life. Working ailerons and a rotating propeller add dynamic detail, allowing you to simulate the triplane’s legendary maneuverability. Also, one detailed brick figure pilot is included, ready to command the skies from the cockpit. Overall, this Sluban Fokker Dr.I model offers an engaging and educational building experience, quickly becoming the centerpiece of any WWI collection.

Historical Background: The Terror of the Skies

The distinctive Fokker Dr.I triplane remains a powerful symbol of aerial combat during World War I. Introduced in the autumn of 1917, the German air force (Luftstreitkräfte) sought a highly maneuverable fighter to counter the Allies’ successful Sopwith Triplane. Consequently, designer Reinhold Platz created the compact, three-winged aircraft.

The Dr.I’s exceptional agility quickly made it a fearsome opponent in a dogfight, despite its lower top speed compared to some Allied planes. Therefore, it became the signature aircraft of Rittmeister Manfred von Richthofen, the most successful flying ace of the war. Richthofen, famously known as the Red Baron for the striking red paint of his machine, achieved 19 of his last 21 aerial victories while flying the Dr.I.

Key engagements solidified the plane’s legendary status. Richthofen first flew a prototype of the Dr.I in late August 1917, quickly scoring two victories by September 1917. Most significantly, during the intense air battles of “Bloody April” in 1917 (while flying an Albatros), and later throughout the massive German Spring Offensive in 1918, the Red Baron and his “Flying Circus” used the Dr.I’s unmatched turning ability to dominate the Western Front skies, inspiring fear in Allied pilots. Ultimately, Richthofen was shot down while flying a red Dr.I on April 21, 1918. Though its operational life was short—it was eventually replaced by the faster Fokker D.VII—the Dr.I remains an aviation icon