I've posted my 1/4th scale Balsa USA Fokker Dr 1 kit for sale in the sales section of this site. Hate to do it but I'll never get to it because I'm getting ready to start a Fokker D VIII scratchbuild. I've been thinking of ordering the plan set from Model Airplane News that was a construction article in the March 2005 issue. I've been flying a Ben Buckle Fokker D VIII for the last few weeks and have nearly become obsessed with building a 1/4 scale D VIII. Planning to e-power it of course. I have an Astro Cobalt 60 in need of a gear/belt-drive for it as well as 32 GP3300 nimh cells. This should give just enough weight forward of the firewall to balance without lead. I've never yet had to add extra weight to an electric and hope not to.
Regards,
Mike

Mike: I don't think you'll need all that weight up front. mine's got the Astro 40 on a box with 24 cells, and it's actually nose heavy with the batteries on the " firewall" . The 40 swings 24X10 prop at about 30 amps.
Martin....You know, I keep looking at the Albatross, but it isn't a Fokker......that being said, I really like the looks of the " plywood" fuselage. Likely there are some really nice paint schemes for it too.
Lots of time yet...we're not even really deep into the flying season yet for most of North America....except we here in this neck of the woods are blessed with being able to fly 12 months of the year..we basically don't get any measureable snow fall, and the temperatures only get mostly into the mid 40"s for lows all winter. There will be something out there that really will say build me , and I'll be off on another adventure.
ENUT...that is a cool looking model. I like the double horizontal stabs.
Funny some of the ideas they came up with back then to " improve " the airplanes.

Ron,
Thanks for the input. What ratio box are you using? As luck would have it, I have an Astro 40 as well. It does not have the superbox but rather the standard box. I really like the big old Astro's.
Regards,
Mike

Mike it uses the 3.3 to 1 superbox...this combination has worked well on everything from a 1/3 scale DR1 to a 1/4 scale Spacewalker, and even a
22 1/2 % D V11.... I think this is a very good motor, and I've been known to pick the odd one up at a swap meet if the price is good, which usually, it is.
I'll be posting a couple pics later this evening of the completed power system for the EV.

Ron-- Excellent information. Thanks again. I've had this motor for about 20 years. A real gem. I just checked the number using the free e-calulator at http://brantuas.com/ezcalc/dma1.asp and it shows 54 amps with the noted number of cells, prop size and Superbox ratio. That's with the GP3300's. I'm not really well versed in matters electrical but I think that the GP3300 cells push up the power quite a bit. What cells did you use? As an aside, the calculator indicates 215 oz of in-flight thrust!
Thanks again,
Mike

Welcome!
 

Mike, WELCOME to the WWI thread! You will find a great bunch of guys here from all walks of life. I too am partial to the DVIII as well as all German fighters. :) I have a couple sets of plans for the plane including a 69" WS 2 1/2 foot to 1 inch scale from Model Aviation somewhere around 1975. I keep threatening to build it. :D Nice big 9" cowl etc. I also have a kit of the DRI 1/4 scale (Ziroli plane) as well as a slightly banged up model I started to repair after stripping off the covering. Mike, I hope you will post more. Please include some pics of your builds if possible. Ron, I will get back to you on the Fokker. Never fear!!! :D We will find something special for you yet! Martin

Running out just now but I'll wade through the many photos on the hard-drive and try to post some later tonight.
Thanks for the welcome!
Mike

Well this is about as ready as you can get ( in the house that is ):p

Pouring down rain all day today, so I figured to finish her up......... to flying stage anyway....picture 1 is motor, speed control etc installed.I haven't painted behind the cowl yet, I may need to do some modifications, and don't want to deal with the paint when I do them.
picture 2 is from the stbd quarter. picture number three is sitting in Freddie's office, and picture four is of the business end of a 24" prop. :eek:

Outstanding build Ron. Gonna work some more on my tripe tomorrow. Gotta early bed time tonight so I can be at work at 5:00am!!! Steve.

Mike...That's a great program...I put it into my favourites.......I did notice that the rpm calculation is pretty much right on for a few that I have experience with, but the amp draw is approx 15 to 20 percent high.
That's not a bad problem though....I generally just would allow for it.
On the Maxcim setups I have, it's out by about 20 percent too, so it seems like it's constantly the same . This means that you can at least work with it to get a good starting point.
Steve.... you gotta get that thing into the air...do I have to come down there and HELP ???

I promise that I'm on it!!! I just have to build between work and family time. I'll get it done though Ron. I have to. I still have a Dare Sopwith tripe, Dare DVII, Aerodrome DVII, Aerodrome 35"ws Fokker tripe, and the Fokker DVIII that I'm getting from Martin. With all this wood around I either need to build planes or install a fireplace!!! Steve.

You dog!
 

Steve, you Dog! :mad: I didn't know you had such a backlog of planes to build! :confused: I'm jealous (I think!) :eek: . Anyway I have 19 kits awaiting some attention. :p Beat that one Boys! Martin

Good gravy you two....I feel left out :o I don't even have ONE kit in the shop to build :mad: :( Went out for test flights yesterday, and decided to wait a couple more days, because I have a problem with glitching.
I tried a couple things, but never got it to my satisfaction, so thought I'd better change the receiver....I hope to have her in the air this week though. Was able to get things good enough for taxi tests, so I took the wing off and ran her up and down the runway. turns really well with a burst of throttle, and the sprung tail skid works fine. I didn't really want to try it with the wing on in case the little gremlins made the glitches worse, and it took off on me...I think I have another receiver around here somewhere, so it will be in the air soon.

Somebody say gravy? Where's the biscuits? I think Martin plans to open a hobby shop someday with all those kits!!! I guess we really are "plane" nuts!!! Ha Ha! Get it? I used the word plane instead of plain! Sometimes I just kill myself!!! Steve.

Anybody heard from Walt lately?

I read today that Fokker made a D1....D11.....D111 and D 1V...so ...I guess the hunt is on :-) The D 11 is out, or should I say down the list some, but I think the D 111 might be interesting..I think the D1 had an inline engine, and the D111 had a 16? cyl rotary. I already have a couple cylinders " in stock "

more Fokkers.
 

how about a 1932 D.X111, 12 cyl, 480HP Napier or a 1934 D.XV11, 12 cly. 595Hp Rolls-Royce. they were not WW1, bit still Fokkers and on the drawing board. dick stamm

http://www.visipix.ch/newsgroup/DOWN...04-205-207.jpg
http://www.visipix.ch/newsgroup/DOWN...RNAF%20202.jpg

The DVIII is my favorite WWI, for not being a real big WWI fan.. Keep looking at the little Kavan one in the LHS. I'll build one someday. Still have to get the nerve to fly this little 20" Guillows DR1 conversion. Pictures don't do the triplane justice. Majestic plane. Apologies for reminding people of that winter snow.

Great looking plane Bill G. I would like to hear how well the little tripe flies!!! You did build it to fly, right? Besides the second ones always fly better than the first one!! Ha! Ha! Steve.

I believe I did a build thread of it a while ago here. A heck of a lot of work. CF rod reinforced LEs, etc. The major feat was fitting everything including the batt in the front bay, which is 1" deep:eek:
I saw one before with the motor mounted 2" out on a stick. Probably the only flying one of these, but kinda killed the scale looks:eek:
Knowing it was for balance, I solved that problem by keeping everything up front. The geared LPS Feigo brushless is mounted in the dummy engine, and is removable. Everything is serviceable. Still havent braved it yet. Need to wait for the high grass field at the park to get REAL thick.

Let us know when you fly it Bill G. Steve.

WWI Ace: here I be, alive and recovering from Lent/Easter. Went flying tonight for only the second time this year! Used my new Polk Tracker III on a tried and true plane and was very pleased with the radio. I've studied the aileron linkage on some photos of the full scale Sopwith Tripe and know what I have to do to get equal travel. Now I have to do it(-: Tried to charge the battery for the Dr1 and it was completely dead. Will have to build a new pack. Man,it felt good to get back in the air! More later, Walt

Martin-- Got your message. I'd love to get together this summer. I usually fly alone in the school yard behind my house so it would be nice to have a comrade in arms. I may have mentioned this in an earlier posting but the field is 3 or 4 soccer fields surrounded by 3 baseball diamonds. I use one of the diamonds as my "aerodrome" and use the infield lanes as my runways. Pretty smooth for ROG'ing the smaller models.

I'll try to post a photo. Looks like it worked. It's a photo of my old Nieuport II next to my GWS Slow Stick. The N II was built in 1987 if I'm not mistaken. Not flow until last year. I scaled up a Guillows plan to about 34" wingspan. Flew pretty well but had a nasty and abrupt stall and snap if slowed too much. Very draggy I suppose. Have some shots of it in the air. I'll post some if I can find them. There aren't many for as I say, I fly alone and that plane was a bit of a handfull. Couldn't take the hands off of the sticks for too long:D .

Mike

Hey Walt, great to have ya back. We missed ya!!! Good to hear you got to fly! Please let us know what you figured out on the Sopwith tripes aileron travel. Steve.

Dviii
 

Alright Boys! Feast your eyes on this DVIII! :D I have the plans and the building article for this Baby! Model Aviation, 1978. Has a 69" WS, 2 1/2" to 1 foot scale, 6" wheels. This plane could be converted with a minimum of effort to electric. :D Used a slimer Fox .45 to fly it! :mad: Check out the dinky prop! All any of you has to do is to ask for a set of plans and you too can be flying this DVIII in the war choked skies over your state!. Martin

http://www.modelairplane.org/plans/1977/203.jpg

WWI Ace: the aileron interconnects have to be in a straight line from top to bottom. I'm going to use one piece ply horns; center the ailerons, connect the pushrods, then ca the horns in place. Okay Martin, ya go me again. I'll take a set of those DVIII plans. Walt

DVIII plans
 

Will do Walt! Just give me some time. Also just got these for the Berg D-1. A most unusual plane. Martin

http://i18.ebayimg.com/04/i/04/67/6c/5c_1_b.JPG

Ron,
Could it be that you prefer the DIII because it has ailerons? The D1 & DII were wing warpers, the DIII and I think the DIV had ailerons. Also, DI and DIV were in-line engined. All are nice looking and, as you know, I've already built the DII. Rather fancy doing the DI sometime - as well as a BI and BII.

If I get this figured out right, this is my DII.

Pete

Oh, that worked, so here are a few more WW1 types - including a couple of IC models, the 1/4 scale DVII and a Taube.

Okay, I've sorted out a few more WW1 model photos and, since I'm in posting mode, you get to suffer them. This isn't the complete listing because some of the more recent ones have too large a file size - I'll see what I can arrange about that.

Pete

I hasten to point out that whilst I designed all these models, not all of them were built by me.
I'll just add anther small batch and then go hunt out some more photos.

Yes, it's fairly safe to say that I quite like WW1 types.

Sorry chaps, more photos. However, I promise that these will be the last batch of WW1 types - for the moment. There are a few more in the pipeline I'm afraid - Albatros DII, Albatros DIII, SE5A, Thomas Morse Scout, FE8 etc. etc.

"Peter,What about posting a picture of you scale taube from your gas daze:eek: !
ENUT

Hi Pete: good to see you in here...The preference for different model numbers has naught to do with whether it has ailerons or not...the first consideration is....does it have a big round cowl?...If so I'm into building it..if not, it will wait a little. From there, the next consideration is how often have I seen one at the field ? still have only seen one D V1........
I was thinking to do a D V ....but there are a couple ARF's around and someone doing up a kit, so that's out for now. there are a couple of your D11 models around this neck of the woods,....that's why it doesn't turn me on to build....( too common I guess ) I have never seen a model of the D1 or the D111...or the D1V...and since the D 111 has a round cowl,likely will be the next scale attempt. first though I have to find pictures of a D 1V, just to prove that I picked the right subject. ( although, if I did the D11, that and skipped every other model, I could have all the even numbered ones in another year.. D 11...D 1V...D V1, and D V111) I still have the little Pfalz....it's retired to the ceiling of the office. The only non fokker plane I would consider at the moment, would be the " PUP " but in 1/3 scale to match the DR1, it's a veritable monster.....I was thinking to make it the same physical size, but it would still be really large, and packing more than one model to the field at a time would be difficult......hmmmm, perhaps I should get into a smaller scale size....there would be more room in the shop.....at least for a while any way.

I was wondering when Peter would show up. I know that I have at least one set of your plans waiting to get built! Where can we go to get more? I kinda always wanted a little "baby" Neiuport! Great pics Peter!! Glad you posted them. Great for inspiration! Hey Walt. I was wondering that about the aileron thing on the Sopwith tripe. That's why I asked you about the way they travelled in our earlier posts when we were trying to sort it out. Your a genius!! Now I know how to fix mine when I build it. Martin, you do need to build that huge DVIII. Make sure you put a detachable wing on it though or the shipping to Texas is gonna kill me!!!! Steve.

ENUT,
First photo post 750, the one with the trophies, IS my IC Taube. Built from the flair kit, it's 80" span, 40 FS powered and weighed 5.5 lb. Covering is Solartex.
This is the only other photo of it I have.

Ron,
If you need three views and photos of the DIII/DIV let me know. I knew you preferred rotary types, just didn't realise you liked them that unique. You know me mate, if I like it I'll build it - several times in some cases.

Steve,
You can always try direct from me for any plans you want, or Charlie at www.manzanolaser.com has several. I'm in the process of converting the Sopwith Tripe to CAD and he'll be offering that as a short kit soon. He already does the 54" SPAD XIII & SE5A.

Pete

What WS will the tripe be? And will it be 4 channel? I just might wait for the short kit!!! Steve.

I've already got your plans for the 45"ws Sopwith tripe. If that's the one Charlie's going to short kit I'll just wait for it. Save me some cutting!!! Then I can go ahead and order the EIII short kit from him for another set of plans that I have of yours. That way I only have to pay one shipping charge. I guess I'm just lazy and cheap!!! Steve.

Steve,
That's the one mate.

Pete