Post updates on your replica projects here

[AchimEngels]

Hello There,

Finally it appears that the deal is perfect. We are about to start working on two Fokker D.VII´s as well and I hope to place some news for you here along with some additional photographs of the process as it goes on.

We will do two early production Fokker-built D.VIIs.

Engines (Mercedes D.III) and some vintage instruments are still missing. So if anybody of you out there might have to sell these - just let us know.

We will start construction with the tail fin, rudder and elevator and stabilizer assembly.

Here is attached one of our working drawings we have developed during our research on early Fokker-built aircraft.



We have also just returned from a very interesting trip to the last factory shed at Schwerin that survived the years and saw production of the real Fokker D.VIIs there. We have aquired the original factory sign we know so well from historic photographs that reads "Halle 2" (Shed 2). This one was hanging there for the last 85 years. We have reproduced it exactly so that we can hang it from our workshop wall. Just a nice cool thing! 8)

Here is me holding the repro sign:



Here is where the original used to hang:



We are also going to *produce another CD-Rom book that will go with our series "Aviation - In Detail" showing lots of images of details that will be taken during the course of construction. So watch out for this one to come, too.....

Have fun with your projects!

Enjoy!

Achim
Fokker-Team-Schorndorf

Hi,

Just checking in. *Are there any Airdrome Airplanes DR-1 builders here? *I have just started the first sub-kit and I would be interested to know what issues, problems or fun others have had building it.

BTW Achim, love what you are doing....

Thanks!

John

By the way, I do have construction photos on-line. *I have only just started the project though so you will only see a couple of bits of bent metal *(embryonic DR-1).

http://nicol.webhop.net

Hi John,
Yes, to answer your question....I am a Dr1 builder too.
Mine is full size, from plans only. Started six years ago.Welded steel tubing fuselage, spruce and birch wood wings, poly-fiber fabric. All the standard stuff. Lots of work.
If you want..you can email me about it and Ill send you some pics.

TRIPLANEDRIVER

[wolfenbill]

Progress continues at the Old Kingsbury Aerodrome. This past weekend Team Fokker finished covering the horizontal stabilizer and elevator, doping the fabric (including the aluminum coat). Next time we'll paint it the proper livery color, reinstall them on the fuselage and run the control cables. I also worked on the trigger mechanism that sits on the control column. Tom Gaylord and Wayne Jones worked on the engine that will power the D.VII.

Vern Hatch and company has the Canuck almost finished. Everything is ready to go except the engine and radiator. The engine is nearing completion. The radiator is completed. It just needs to be mounted. The fuselage is painted and ready to fly.

Team Bristol is well on the way to having the first of 3 Bristol Brisfit fuselages completed. All the wooden fuselage parts for three aircraft have been completed. They just need some jig time. Rex Johnson and Don Wilson are the two craftsmen on this project.

[AchimEngels]

Here we are again,

If everything goes the way it should we will be able to move into the new workshops soon.

In the meantime we have set the cornerstone for the process of building two Fokker D.VII´s.

The first 100 pieces are finished! *;D





These are the typical Fokker security pins to secure nut attachments and bolts. The pins are hand made from 1mm diameter spring steel with a strenght of 2100 N/sqmm. Of course, this is much more than is required for these pats, but I did not have milder material at hand *. By the way: MY HANDS AND FINGERS ARE ACHING NOW! Next time I build a tool first!

As you can see a start is made. Every trip begins with the first step.

We will continue producing those bothersome small pieces before we begin with larger units. That way the construction of larger pieces will run smoother.....


Your´s
Achim

[wolfenbill]

Work on the Fokker D.VII continued this past weekend (11/2-3) at Old Kingsbury Aerodrome. The top of the control stick was fabricated by Tom Gaylord and Roger Freeman. It starts as a normal control stick but ends with an upward tapering section ending in a complex arrangement of an angled holding handle, gun triggers and a dual handled auxiliary throttle. The auxiliary throttle will not function as a throttle on this airplane. Roger Ritter suggested that we use it as a smoke controller switch. It?s a pretty good idea and will be considered. Team Fokker welcomed Richard Johnson as its newest member. Richard showed up after lunch Saturday and began fabrication of the wodden control stick handle and the two wooden handles of the auxiliary throttle. Bill Broussard fabricated the two aileron control horns that mount on the horizontal part of the control column. These were welded on. He also finished working on the gun triggers but work is still needed to finish the Bowden cable attachments and mount the whole mechanism to the control stick. The vertical and horizontal stabilizers, rudder and elevator have been painted. Tom used a soldering iron to open the various mounting holes that had been covered by the fabric as well as the openings on the horizontal stabilizer through which the elevator control cables pass. He also began making the central auxiliary throttle mechanism. Tom, Bill and Roger reinstalled all the tail surfaces to check for clearance and prepare the plane for the fly-in on the 23rd. Tom also began fabricating the mounting rings to which the control cables to the rudder and the upper cables to the elevator are attached.

Team Bristol has been busy. They have been working on three fuselages and have completed three right sides and almost finished with one left side. When the two other left sides are complete they will be put together to form three fuselages.

Ribs are still being fabricated for the SE5a. They are made offsite and will be brought to the aerodrome when it is time to start building the wings. No word available on the status of the fuselage which is initially being built offsite as well.

Work on the Rearwin Ken-Royce continues as well. All wing ribs have been fabricated as well as the wing spars. The fuselage is being built offsite.

The Canuck has been completed except for the engine which is in the advanced stages of being finished.

[wolfenbill]

This is a picture of the wooden handles being made for the control stick of our Fokker D.VII. *You can see the arrangement of the dual throttle handles that would be on the upper left side of the stick. *Thus the pilot could control the throttle and still keep both hands on the stick. The metal structure is the upper portion of the stick. It looks like a flat trapezoid but actually the bottom right hand corner does not touch the table. The means that when the pilot grips the stick the handle is angled forward matching the natural angle of a human grip.

[AchimEngels]

Hi again,

we are presently verifying our info on the Fokker built D.VII fuselages and are busy to figure out how the early production fuselages have been done. In connection with this we are presently drawing up a new fuselage plan in 1/5 scale from which we will work.

After the drawing is finished we will start to develop a list of all the metric steel tubing which will be needed to work on all the parts which are made up from this stuff.

I hope to start working on the fuselages of our two planes in about one or two months from now.

Best

Achim

[Brad]

Thanks to Robert Ohlsen for the Pfalz EV pics, now we have 4 aircraft versions we can build. (Ok, the Morane and the Pfalz EI are technically the same aircraft, but still...)

We're working on engine installation plans for a Geo Metro to replicate the Mercedes DI installation in the Pfalz EV. The other aircraft (Pfalz EI and Fokker EI) will use VW power... although various 2-strokes are a viable alternative for any of them.

There are still significant obstacles to overcome, such as the objections of my significant other. But things are looking good. We already have the Geo engine, but have yet to determine if we will use it direct drive (about 40 hp) or with a reduction (about 65 hp due to being able to run it at higher RPM.) I honestly think 65 is TOO MUCH for this replica, but 40 may not be enough. The engine is light, compact, adapts easily, and is very inexpensive to obtain.

Brad