Fokker DVII (oz9264)

About this Plan

Fokker DVII. Scale model German WWI fighter for radio control. Total wing area 716 sq in, for .40-.48 4-stroke engines.

Quote: "Anthony Fokker's remarkable WWI bipe brought back to life. The ultimate in small scale satisfaction.

Now here's a model to grace your flying field. With its illustrious history, fine choice of colour schemes, delightful flying manners and interesting outlines, you can't fail to have fun with this ship.

Because she is such a sweet flier, it is really satisfying to put the D VII in the air and just listen to her putter around. I can't say I do that all the time though. In fact, because of her lovely flying manners and amiable personality, I find I can't resist aerobatting her all through a flight, beginning with a hammerhead right after take-off and carrying on from there with all manner of things.

Before I go any further, I should make a comment about the lozenge pattern which is well nigh obligatory for a Fokker D VII. I've put lozenges on DVII's before, and the thought of going through all that again with a fine brush and lots of paint pots encouraged me to tackle the problem in a sensible way.

After researching all the worthwhile sources of information I could discover, I decided that the most effective way to apply the pattern would be to prepare stencils and spray the lozenges, using my Badger 200 Air Brush. And, by gosh, the system worked. The method is not overly complicated, but its description is longer than can be accommodated here, so is the subject of a separate article.

Construction: Fuselage: Initially you need to make up a side frame by pinning down the spruce longerons and gluing the balsa nose sheeting in place, followed by the uprights and diagonal bracing strips. The diagonal bracing is set back from the 'covering' side of the side-frame, so that it won't show through when the fabric is applied. Incidentally, it is scale for the uprights to show through the covering, so smooth them over with sandpaper. When the first side is complete, build the second on top so that it is identical, remembering to 'hand' the diagonal bracing.

When the glue is set, separate the two sides using a fine blade if necessary. Sand both sides of each frame flat, then glue the ply doublers in place followed by the beech engine bearers. Cut off the detachable cowl portions. Now join the fuselage sides using F2, F3, Z1 and F5, checking for squareness. When the glue has set, pull the tail end together and glue the stern posts, adding the rear cross braves subsequently. The ply cockpit plate (which carries the switch, charging socket and pilot on my model) and engine plate are added next.

There is plenty of wire bending to do now. I find that the best technique is to start at the middle of each piece of wire, and work out to the ends, completing corresponding 'opposite' bends one after the other.

When you have bent all the centre section and landing gear struts, bind them to their respective formers, but don't glue them yet. Note that each S1 passes through a hole in the fuselage side and is screwed to the engine plate. Former Z2 has S4 and LG2 bound to it. Epoxy Z2 to the fuselage. Now bind all the wire joints with light copper or iron wire as shown on the plans. You can solder the landing gear leg and axle joint. Make up two support frames for the centre section top runners and pin them to the fuselage, one at the front and one at the back of each runner. Solder the wire joints. Now epoxy all the thread binding and add Z3.

Now add F1, the 1/2 in sheet cowling bottom and its triangular gussets, followed by the 1/16 ply and 3/16 balsa sheet in front of and behind the lower centre section cut-out. Bind and epoxy the tail skid to its ply plate, and epoxy the assembly in place. The wing bolt anchor can be added now, and also the remainder of the top sheeting.

The removable portion of the cowling is now made. Now tack glue the cowl sides previously cut away, back in position. Makeup a &eat nose block using laminations of scrap balsa sheet if desired. Cut the nose block to the shape of the front view, then, in plan view, shape it to profile (1) shown on the plan. Then cut back the top section above the engine shaft hole to the shape of profile (2). Blend the two cross sections smoothly together, and ensure that the narrow centre portion is kept flat along with the shaft surround. Cut out the air hole for engine cooling, and recess the dummy radiator portion for the wire mesh.

Cut the bottom of the cowl off, then tack glue the cowl front halves back together so that the whole lot can be glued on the front of the fuselage, not forgetting the 3/16 triangular corner gusset. Add the 3/32 dummy engine base plate, followed by C1 and the left and right hand top blocks. Now carve and sand these blocks, and the front block, to blend into each other. Also shape the bottom front block. However, before you do this operation, cut out the left and right hand aluminum side panels, and position them against the sides so that you can mark their bottom edges with pencil lines. Carve and sand the bottom cowling up to these lines. The side panels engage round the struts S1. The cut between hole and panel edge is scale.

The dummy Mercedes engine is fairly self-explanatory. Use grain filler on each component, sanded smooth, before finally gluing the lot together. The rear set valve gear on the Enya limits you to four dummy cylinders. However, the OS and Saito front mounted valves may allow five dummies to be employed.

The cowling is held in place with dress snaps and pegs, which can be fitted at this stage. The radiator is simulated with aluminum expanded mesh, of the type used for auto body fibreglass repairs. The axle fairing, louvred side panels and guns can be made now, but not permanently fitted..."

Update 27/11/2018: Added additional article, from R/C Model World, June 1985, thanks to RFJ.

Supplementary file notes

Articles.

Corrections?

Did we get something wrong with these details about this plan (especially the datafile)? That happens sometimes. You can help us fix it.
Add a correction