Special one-of-a-kind German World War I Pfalz D.XII s/n 2486/18 original fuselage laminated plywood section including rudder control wires 'lead out' and ultra-rare original paint combined in this 20x16-inch wall-hanging display with Ron Cole's original artwork of this aircraft - signed & numbered 1 of 1.
This is a very special part! By the time George B. Jarrett acquired this Pfalz it was already in poor condition, and he quickly did some 'restoration' work and repainted the aircraft for display. Almost all surviving material from this aircraft post-date that repaint (which was a hideous dark green). This piece of fuselage skin (a late-war cross-hatch laminate design invented by Roland and used in the Pfalz D.XII) is the only known piece of fuselage that retains its original gray wartime paint. The descriptions on the piece are in Jarrett's period handwriting. The round red tag was added in the 1960s when the piece was sent by Jarrett to his friend Richard Boehme. All included in this display.
Artwork size id 20x16-inches. Open-framed matte canvas. Signed 1 of 1.
Aircraft History:
After World War I, several German aircraft types were provided to the United States as a part of Germany's war reparations. Among those airplanes were two late-war Pfalz D.XII fighters, which, along with the Fokker D.VII, represented the most advanced aerial technology that the former enemy had to offer by 1918. One of these two D.XIIs (s/n 2486/18) was later purchased by George Burling Jarrett, who was the original pioneer of historic aircraft preservation and who went on to create the museum and library at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds (which now bear his name). Jarrett spent the next 30 years of his life laboring to preserve and display this aircraft, while loaning it to be used in various Hollywood films, including Howard Hughes's Hell's Angels. By 1947, however, it had significantly deteriorated and much of it had been replaced by new material, wood and fabric. While it was later purchased by the National Air and Space Museum, Jarrett held on to much of the original material, especially from this aircraft's wings - including sections of the wing spars, metal fittings, and original linen.
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In 1962, Jarrett sent the original Pfalz D.XII parts to collector Robert Boehme, who was then the Chief of Police for the City of Seattle, Washington. In early 2021, Ron Cole purchased the Boehme Estate.
For further information about the history of this specific aircraft, photos, correspondence, and provenance, please visit our online Cole's Aircraft World website.
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