Fok. E.V wing covered with Flugzeugstoff

There is photographic evidence that the wing of a Fok. E.V in combat is covered with printed fabric, the Flugzeugstoff.

You may have a look at a very low res (item #87, wing in the background).

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=25241


ZAK

[FOKKERJ]

Originally Posted by ZAK

There is photographic evidence that the wing of a Fok. E.V in combat is covered with printed fabric, the Flugzeugstoff.

You may have a look at a very low res (item #87, wing in the background).

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=25241


ZAK

Hi ZAK,

Thanks for this very informative thread. I can't count the times that I have wanted to ask questions about the D. VIII wing camoflage or covering.
I happened on to the archives of a simular dicussion elsewhere and had wondered about new to me information.
I made it to the end of page Nr. 3, I have a busy day ahead of me, but.... I'll be back!

Regards, FOKKERJ

"Some years ago I mentioned that I had a photo of an EV/DVIII with lozenge fabric applied over the plywood on the wing. No-one believed it, or they suggested it was a post-war mod. It was in a library book that I can no longer find, so , well, there you are. But maybe this relates to the L/G wing somehow." R POPE

Very interesting, and I hope you will find your source again. What is this L/G wing meaning? You know, my English is very limited.

ZAK

[PeterFokDVII]

Originally Posted by ZAK

"Some years ago I mentioned that I had a photo of an EV/DVIII with lozenge fabric applied over the plywood on the wing. No-one believed it, or they suggested it was a post-war mod. It was in a library book that I can no longer find, so , well, there you are. But maybe this relates to the L/G wing somehow." R POPE

Very interesting, and I hope you will find your source again. What is this L/G wing meaning? You know, my English is very limited.

ZAK

Hi Zak,

"L/G wing" is an abbreviation
for Landing Gear Wing.

Pete

Pete,

thank you for information.

ZAK

Flugsport 1919, No.23, 12. November 1919:

"Der im April 1818 erschienene, in den Abb. 47 bis 49 dargestellte und mit einem 140 PS-Oberursel-Motor ausgerüstete Fokkereindecker D VIII stellt eine Maschine dar, die die letzte Stufe in der Jagdflugzeugentwicklung kennzeichnet. An der Front war für den Fokk.- D VIII vielfach auch die Bezeichnung Fokk.- E V anzutreffen."

Rough translation: in April 1918 the Fok. D VIII came out, sometimes called Fok. E V, the last word in developing of fighter planes.

This article in Flugsport was nothing more than a product placement of Anthony Fokker, when Oskar Ursinus, publisher of Flugsport, asked the firms shortly after the war to describe their production line. Some of the original answers to Oskar Ursinus are still at hand.

"Heute darf der Fokk.- D VIII als ideales Sportflugzeug bezeichnet werden. Alle mit jeder Neukonstruktion anfänglich auftretenden Schwierigkeiten, die sich auch beim Fokk.- D VIII zeigten, sind bei dieser Maschine längst beseitigt."

With the help of Flugsport, a serious publication, Anthony Fokker like to tell the reader, that the Fok. D VIII was flown in combat. With this reputation, he wants to sell it as an ideal sports plane.

"Die ganze Fläche ist nach einem besonderen Verfahren gegen Witterungseinflüsse imprägniert."

Rough translation: the whole wing is prepared with a special protective.

Historians like the late PM Grosz saw this special protective only inside the wing. Fokkers statement is not clear enough, but it is hard to believe, that there was no influence to the outer side of the wing, after it was seen, that water was running out of the Fok. E. V wing, when drilling a hole in it.

By the way, the Fok. D VIII was wether flown in combat, nor used by any Jasta.

ZAK

During the restoration of the four Halberstädter in 1989/1990 there was a good opportunity to study the painting methods to a Schlachtstaffel-Flugzeug, a combat aircraft of 1918.

The inner wooden parts of the Halberstädter were protected by a shellac, tinted red for better visibilty to control unpainted areas.

(It would be interesting to know, what Anthony Fokker means with a special protective to the whole wing of his Fok. D.VIII).

The midwing, plywood covered section of the upper wing of the Halberstädter was also covered with Flugzeugstoff and layers of Cellit from dope were found, but no remnants of a spar varnish.

The multicolor camouflaged plywood fuselage of the Halb. Cl.IV 8103/18 was of dull appearance, in accordance to the BLV (Bau- und Liefervorschriften) 1918 of Idflieg. No glossy spar varnish was used.

ZAK

[Dan_San_Abbott]

ZAK:
If I understand what you are saying, are you saying all the FOK.E.V/DVIII wings were covered with fabric? Was it printed fabric?
Also in regard to Fok.E.V 137/18 that in 1999, I identified as Vzfw. Karl Sharon of the II Marine Feld Jagdstaffel. If E.V 137/18 was not Sharon's, do you know who's machine it was and what Jasta?
Blue skies,
Dan-San

Dan San,

no, not all Fok. E.V wings were covered with printed fabric. Obviously most of them were painted, when judging from photographs.

At the moment I have no idea to whom the aircraft with the "S" belongs. The same with the wonderfull image of the snake decorated machine in Windsock 14/1 (in French hands?). Another images shows an aircraft with an roaring lion, or something else.

It is known that after the war highly decorated aircrafts were flown with Truppenfliegerstaffel Glogau, mostly from pilots of ex JG 2 (Boenigk, Rienau, Leusch, Büchner, but also Raesch from Jasta 43).

ZAK

[Dan_San_Abbott]

ZAK:
I would think that the people at Perzina Pianoforte Fabrik (Subcontractor to Fokker who made the wings.) would have been consistant and made all the wings the same in accordance with the Fokker Flugzeugwerke wing drawing and specifacation. Why would some be covered with fabric and others not, that does not make sense. Who then accepted these different wings? Bauaufsicht 13? There is nothing on the Fokker wing drawing about fabric.
The French examination of Fok.E.V 137/18 is specific that the "wings is entirely covered with plywood" Ref. l'Aerophile, 1er Mars 1919. Also the Air Ministry I.M. 1015"Report On Fokker Monoplane , Type E.V" June 1920. The examination of Fok.E.V 132/18. quote "The monoplane wing has a three ply covering throughout."end quote.
None of the many photographs that I have studied has not shown any to be covered to be covered with printed fabric or any other kind of fabric and that includes Fok.E.V 156/18. Enlarge the photograph they are ill defined with fuzzy edges and are stains in what appears to be polygons.
I think you are mistaken in your assumptions about the fabric covering.
Blue skies,
Dan-San