It has often been referred to as simply 'Cole's polka-dotted Fokker', and while the aircraft was an amalgam of an original c. 1920 Fokker C.I, original D.VII parts, and other aircraft and even some automobile parts, it probably best represents the life-long passion for early aviation that motivated Cole Palen - the legend who founded the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in 1959.
This 'polka-dotted' Fokker was among a few special aircraft that Cole had collected and rebuilt between 1954 and 1959. This aircraft would be a unique example, however, of historical authenticity blended with Cole's inclination towards caricature; a sense of humor that best manifested itself in his Black Baron character, a role that he personally played during Rhinebeck airshows for most of his life.
This airplane sadly did not enjoy a long life, as it was crushed in a hangar collapse in the late 1960s. Never to be thwarted, Cole went to work by salvaging what he could and built another - though less original - Fokker D.VII. The original 'polka-dot' linen from this aircraft's horizontal stabilizer was sent by Cole to his friend and fellow collector, Richard Boehme, in Seattle for the cost of $5. Ron Cole acquired the Boehme Estate in 2021, including this iconic section of fabric from 'Cole's polka-dotted Fokker'.
This linen was hand-painted by Cole Palen in 1959 and remains in excellent condition.
Ron Cole painted this composition of Cole's first D.VII - based upon many unpublished photos of this aircraft that were also part of the Boehme Estate - sent to Bob from Cole in the late 1950s and '60s - as an homage to Cole Palen and this aircraft.
Ron has taken a small piece from this aircraft's tail linen and has combined it with his artwork, with a short history, in these 13x19-inch wall-hanging displays.
Each wall-hanging display is 13x19-inches (including frame).
Each is signed & numbered - 1 of 120. Each piece includes both red and part of a white 'polka-dot'.
