George Z. Bush wrote:

I remember reading stories about the air war in WWI, and I always wondered why
Fokker included a third wing on that unique three-winger fighter the Germans
used and why. I don't believe any other aircraft manufacturer built a line
model with three wings, but I could be wrong about that.

Probably to increase wing area and still maintain a small profile. They
are tiny planes even when compared to the small size of the Sopwith Pup
and Camel. Sopwith came out with a 3-decker prior to the Fokker, but
neither of them remained in service very long. The DR1 was mainly active
between Nov 1917 and May 1918 and of the 320 or so made a large number
crashed due to structural failures. They sure look cute in the flesh
though.

Out of curiosity, did you ever fly the C-46 at all, and if so, how did
it compare to the C-47? I've often wondered what the difference in run
length for take offs and landings was.

Dave.