Manfred von Richthofen flew a triplane from 1917 like this replica to enhance his reputation as Germany’s much celebrated Red Baron. Grabben Gullen historic aircraft enthusiast Wolfgang Nesteriuk built the life-sized model which will be displayed at Tocumwal. Photo: John Thistleton.
Maybe one day Wolfgang Nesteriuk’s replica Fokker triplane will fly. Perhaps that’s a crazy idea – because the life-sized model doesn’t even have an engine, as About Regional reported in November 2023.
And yet as slowly as the plane, which is nailed and glued together, took shape, events have unfolded that could culminate in this aircraft with a walnut and birch propeller leaving the ground and flying.
As much as Wolfgang, a retired mechanic, was smitten with his historic World War I fighter plane which took more than 20 years to build, he nevertheless didn’t want it gathering dust in a shed at his home in Grabben Gullen, southwest of Crookwell. He sold it after much dogged persistence.
The Australian War Memorial, Temora Aviation Museum, Queensland prospects and many others, while fascinated in the triplane, said no thank you.
The breakthrough came when Wolfgang’s wife Monika suggested advertising it in New Zealand’s Classic Wings Magazine, a bi-monthly publication for pilots, restorers and lovers of old aircraft worldwide. After all, he had been reading the magazine religiously for two decades.
That’s where he found his buyer, Geoffrey Hunt, who runs charter flights out of Darwin and all across Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory and deals in aircraft around Australia.
Reading about Wolfgang’s Fokker he readily agreed to pay his substantial asking price and will display the warplane replica at the Tocumwal Aviation Museum. He has been flying to the Murray River town for the past 20 years and maintains aircraft there.
“I’m really happy about that, it is not going to a private dealer, it’s going to a museum where I know it’s going to be looked after,” Wolfgang said after the sale.
“I have always loved Fokker tri-planes,” Geoffrey said. “I have wanted one since I was 13 or 14.” He owns two other Fokkers. He reckons because Wolfgang’s plane was carefully built to specification there is no reason it won’t fly. At least he will fit it out with an engine and try.
After he completed his Fokker project, Wolfgang began restoring a 1964 VW Beetle with the same passion he had for his life-sized vintage warplane.
He had spotted the clapped-out VW at Dick Allport’s tow truck garage in Crookwell, the same model as Wolfgang’s first car when he was 18.
“The front suspension was rusted out, the rear suspension, the floors were rusted out. It was just a rust bucket,” he said. “It had no gearbox, it had no motor.”
He bought it for $250 from Dick who loaded it onto a truck and delivered it to Grabben Gullen.
Wolfgang went to work, completely stripping down what was left of the Beetle.
“I just got it on its wheels today,” he said. “It’s been on a stand for three years. I got the tyres on today and pushed it out and said, ‘Monika, look at this’, and she said, ‘Oh, wow.’”
Unlike the plane, the VW will have a working engine after an exhaustive search for parts.
“I’m proud of myself because it’s got colour on it, wheels on it, chrome on it; it’s terrific – I feel real good about it,” Wolfgang said.
“It’s a ragtop of all things, a semi-convertible. It’s a beauty, I’m telling you,” Wolfgang said. (Ragtops were installed on the early models for a sunroof).
He hopes to once again enlist Tim Corcoran, who does upholstery and motor trimming in Crookwell, to repair the top.
“He made a few parts for the aeroplane. He covered the seat, the padding for the front guns, side padding for the aircraft. His workmanship is very good,” Wolfgang said.
Geoffrey Hunt is curious about the VW too, thanks to his daughter, Jennifer.
The 15-year-old became the youngest person to circumnavigate Australia over water for the entire journey last year in a seaplane.
“She flew over the Harbour Bridge; she cannot drive over it,” Geoffrey said.
Turns out Jennifer has another burning desire: to own a vintage VW Beetle.
Maybe when she does drive across the Sydney Harbour Bridge it will be in a VW Beetle with a background as remarkable as her father’s new Fokker triplane from Grabben Gullen.
