_GOTOBOTTOM
Early Aviation
Discuss World War I and the early years of aviation thru 1934.
Hosted by Jim Starkweather
A right Royal Fokker!
Merlin
Staff MemberSenior Editor
AEROSCALE
#017
_VISITCOMMUNITY
United Kingdom
Joined: June 11, 2003
KitMaker: 17,582 posts
AeroScale: 12,795 posts
Posted: Saturday, April 22, 2006 - 02:46 AM UTC
Hi all

It's great to have the chance to announce something a bit special.

Courtesy of Eduard , we're about to start our most spectacular WW1 build yet!



Eduard don't normally send out "Royal" kits as samples, but they've sent one to Armorama - so, faced with a unique opportunity, I've done the only logical thing and put together the A-Team to really do this awesome kit justice!

Team-Leader Stephen Lawson (Jackflash) is going to both review the kit(s) and head up our very first Mega-Build, consisting of Mal Mayfield (Holdfast) and Jean-Luc Formery (TedMamere). They'll each tackle one of the kits in this 3-in-1 multi-pack and, because I've been SO slow with my original D.VII build, I'll bring it up to date with "Royal" markings to complete the build.

Stephen's expertise in WW1 subjects is second to none - so his advice, combined with the talents of some of the best modellers on Armorama promises to make the Royal Fokker D.VII something really special!

All the best

Rowan

airwarrior
_VISITCOMMUNITY
New Jersey, United States
Joined: November 21, 2002
KitMaker: 2,085 posts
AeroScale: 217 posts
Posted: Saturday, April 22, 2006 - 03:05 AM UTC
WOW...Deffinitely not one to miss!
almonkey
_VISITCOMMUNITY
England - East Midlands, United Kingdom
Joined: March 23, 2003
KitMaker: 2,124 posts
AeroScale: 788 posts
Posted: Saturday, April 22, 2006 - 03:20 AM UTC
nice one! just checked this out on eduards site, only 1000 of these being made, and if nobody wants the replica blue max..........
TedMamere
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Moselle, France
Joined: May 15, 2005
KitMaker: 5,653 posts
AeroScale: 4,347 posts
Posted: Saturday, April 22, 2006 - 03:28 AM UTC
Hi Rowan!

I just received my own Royal Class box today. Unfortunately I had to pay for it! :-)
But the box is worth the money! I never saw so much plastic in a kit. And I don't even talk about the decals!
With what is provided, one can almost do a diorama of a Fokker D.VII assembly line as there are 6 different fuselage!
If I can choose a decal option I would go for the following one:



But the others are pretty cool too!

Jean-Luc

EDIT: Phil, there are only 998 left
Merlin
Staff MemberSenior Editor
AEROSCALE
#017
_VISITCOMMUNITY
United Kingdom
Joined: June 11, 2003
KitMaker: 17,582 posts
AeroScale: 12,795 posts
Posted: Saturday, April 22, 2006 - 03:40 AM UTC
Hi there

Buy One - Get One Free!

Well, not quite... but Jean-Luc's got the best of both worlds! He gets to build one of the options without opening his own kit! Lucky s*d!

The Blue Max? Well - that will appear as a prize... for the best Armorama WW1 build of 2006 (with Stephen as judge). So, get building now!

All the best

Rowan
TedMamere
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Moselle, France
Joined: May 15, 2005
KitMaker: 5,653 posts
AeroScale: 4,347 posts
Posted: Saturday, April 22, 2006 - 03:50 AM UTC

Quoted Text

The Blue Max? Well - that will appear as a prize... for the best Armorama WW1 build of 2006 (with Stephen as judge).


Hi again!

Maybe a special WW1 MoM contest at the end of the year would be a nice idea...

Jean-Luc
JackFlash
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Colorado, United States
Joined: January 25, 2004
KitMaker: 11,669 posts
AeroScale: 11,011 posts
Posted: Saturday, April 22, 2006 - 05:09 AM UTC
JackFlash inbound at angels 5, calling Air Wing base. Looking forward to adding another brace of thoroughbreds to the stables. I'll do the Albatros Johannistahl built bird(s) heh heh...Thats it gents I have enough spares to do a second.
csch
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Joined: December 27, 2002
KitMaker: 1,941 posts
AeroScale: 1,040 posts
Posted: Saturday, April 22, 2006 - 05:52 AM UTC
This is a great
Good luck with the project
JackFlash
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Colorado, United States
Joined: January 25, 2004
KitMaker: 11,669 posts
AeroScale: 11,011 posts
Posted: Sunday, April 23, 2006 - 08:23 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Hi Rowan! I just received my own Royal Class box today. Unfortunately I had to pay for it! :-) But the box is worth the money! I never saw so much plastic in a kit. And I don't even talk about the decals!
With what is provided, one can almost do a diorama of a Fokker D.VII assembly line as there are 6 different fuselage! If I can choose a decal option I would go for the following one:

But the others are pretty cool too!

Jean-Luc

EDIT: Phil, there are only 998 left



Greetings Jean-Luc good to have you on my wing. On your bird's profile;

In the past this aircraft is thought to have been assigned only to Ltn. Hugo Schaefer of Jasta 15 (a unit of Jagdgeschwader II), note the nose color is shown in Jasta 15 red. Hugo Schaefer gained a total of 11 aerial victories while serving with Jasta 15. He was shot down by an SE-5 (probably 24 Squadron, RAF) in July, 1918, but safely landed with a seized engine on the German side. The latest research shows the aircraft was most probably passed on to Jasta 19 another Jagdgeschwader II unit, The red nose was over painted with Jastás 19 yellow. It is believed the aircraft was captured with this marking on 27 October, 1918, when Capt. E. V. Rickenbacker of the 94th Aero shot down Ltn. Des Res. Max Kliefoth.

The cowling panels appear to be types seen on the later portion of the first production batch. You could actually take the "late" model Fokker fuselage and carve off some oif the appropriate louvres on each side and Viola!

Here is a machine from the same production batch with the three longer louvres behine the side cowling access door. Image courtesy Rosebud's site and check out Anthology #1 by Windsock Pp.28 & 53.
TedMamere
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Moselle, France
Joined: May 15, 2005
KitMaker: 5,653 posts
AeroScale: 4,347 posts
Posted: Sunday, April 23, 2006 - 11:50 AM UTC
Hi Stephen!

Thanks for the additional infos on the plane!
I have a question about the picture. What device is it that is attached on the cockpit's side? Was it something that heated the pilot's flight suit before going to mission?

Jean-Luc
JackFlash
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Colorado, United States
Joined: January 25, 2004
KitMaker: 11,669 posts
AeroScale: 11,011 posts
Posted: Sunday, April 23, 2006 - 02:16 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Hi Stephen!Thanks for the additional infos on the plane! I have a question about the picture. What device is it that is attached on the cockpit's side? Was it something that heated the pilot's flight suit before going to mission? Jean-Luc


Greetings Jean-Luc; The object of concern is a liquid oxygen tank used for high altitude operational flights. Not a permanent fixture to an airframe. The pilot opened the valve and the liquid O2 flooded the bag as a gas when it was drawn in from the suction on the rubber hose in the pilot's mouth. The metal clamp on the nose was to keep the inside of his nostrils from becoming frost bitten at high altitudes. The pilot is Offstvtr (officer aspirant) Willy Hippert of Jasta 74. His bird had a BMW IIIa 185hp and the markings are available through Eagle Strike / Aeromaster set #48-611.
Holdfast
Staff MemberPresident
IPMS-UK KITMAKER BRANCH
#056
_VISITCOMMUNITY
England - South West, United Kingdom
Joined: September 30, 2002
KitMaker: 8,581 posts
AeroScale: 4,913 posts
Posted: Monday, April 24, 2006 - 12:39 AM UTC
I am so looking forward to this
Mal
BadBoyFLSTC
_VISITCOMMUNITY
California, United States
Joined: November 20, 2005
KitMaker: 96 posts
AeroScale: 53 posts
Posted: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 08:26 AM UTC
Well, thanks to the bad influence of JackFlash, I bought this kit today. It will be my first ever WW1 kit and I am looking forward to it. I should have never won that CD from Stephen. Now I'm in trouble for sure.

Nils
JackFlash
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Colorado, United States
Joined: January 25, 2004
KitMaker: 11,669 posts
AeroScale: 11,011 posts
Posted: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 09:38 AM UTC
Radio static, and suddenly a familar bass voice breaks across with the metalic rasp of a breather box.

Greetings all and Nils...welcome to the darkside! Let me give those of you that have not worked with biplane configurations before a bit of a heads up.

Predrill all rigging and strut holes. Open them up using a small gauge drill bit. Keep the holes a snug fit for the struts. Some people like doing the (near the fuselage) cabane strut assemblies first I am partial to doing the (outer wing) interplane "N" shaped struts first.

Once they have set in the top or lower wing sockets at the right angle then it can be successfully joined with the other wing. Gently mind you. Use a set up of lego blocks for a temporary jig. Once this has dried add your longer cabane struts.

I know Eduard tells you to add the inverted V supports first. But in the ones I have built these all seem to need a bit of trimming so I do a dry fit here with the longer cabane struts in place. Just food for thought.

TedMamere
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Moselle, France
Joined: May 15, 2005
KitMaker: 5,653 posts
AeroScale: 4,347 posts
Posted: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 10:57 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Just food for thought.


... and very much appreciated! Thanks for the advice and thanks for the answer to my question lately Stephen...

Jean-Luc
BadBoyFLSTC
_VISITCOMMUNITY
California, United States
Joined: November 20, 2005
KitMaker: 96 posts
AeroScale: 53 posts
Posted: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 11:44 PM UTC
Cabane? Ahhhhh, OK. It would appear the I am going to need to learn a lot of new terms when working with kites, lol. Thanks Stephen, I hope that you won't mind if I pick your brain once I get going on this thing.

Nils
Merlin
Staff MemberSenior Editor
AEROSCALE
#017
_VISITCOMMUNITY
United Kingdom
Joined: June 11, 2003
KitMaker: 17,582 posts
AeroScale: 12,795 posts
Posted: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 11:59 PM UTC
Hi Stephen

Back on the workbench. As part of converting my existing D.VII to "Royal" status - I just want to check with you whether I should trim off these louvres to portray Lt. Schliewen's OAW aircraft:





All the best

Rowan
Merlin
Staff MemberSenior Editor
AEROSCALE
#017
_VISITCOMMUNITY
United Kingdom
Joined: June 11, 2003
KitMaker: 17,582 posts
AeroScale: 12,795 posts
Posted: Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 12:07 PM UTC
Hi again Stephen

I don't have a photo of Schliewen's a/c, but I found this one which shows the arrangement Eduard illustrate:



I read your notes about Schliewen flying one of the D. 4500 - 4549/18 numbered aircraft after he arrived from Jastaschule I on 15 August. Does this arrangement of louvres look correct for these machines?

All the best

Rowan
JackFlash
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Colorado, United States
Joined: January 25, 2004
KitMaker: 11,669 posts
AeroScale: 11,011 posts
Posted: Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 02:12 PM UTC
Greetings Merlin,

I am not near my references so let me check when I get in this morning but...

The OAW type your modeling is from a group of machines in the serial range D. 4500 - 4549/18 that were assigned to Jasta 6 in late Aug. 1918. As a point of reference Ltn. R. Stark's Jasta 35b machine was D. 4523/18 and it did not have the forward louvres.

The type the kit represents is roughly from D.4600 to 4649/18.

So I would remove them. But let me check my references when I get home and I'll get back with you.
JackFlash
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Colorado, United States
Joined: January 25, 2004
KitMaker: 11,669 posts
AeroScale: 11,011 posts
Posted: Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 02:34 PM UTC
Greetings all;

Just for the fun of it and because this and other WWI kits contain photoetch I have started a bit over in the tips and techniques title. Mostly about its handling and application. Easy stuff that is quick and helpful in most instances.
JackFlash
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Colorado, United States
Joined: January 25, 2004
KitMaker: 11,669 posts
AeroScale: 11,011 posts
Posted: Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 07:36 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Greetings Merlin,

I am not near my references so let me check when I get in this morning but...

The OAW type your modeling is from a group of machines in the serial range D. 4500 - 4549/18 that were assigned to Jasta 6 in late Aug. 1918. As a point of reference Ltn. R. Stark's Jasta 35b machine was D. 4523/18 and it did not have the forward louvres.

The type the kit represents is roughly from D.4600 to 4649/18.

So I would remove them. But let me check my references when I get home and I'll get back with you.


Ok I've gotten to my references and here's the straight of it. The louvre patterns on the stock kit out of the box do represent the D.4600 - 4649/18 series. As I thought. The published Jasta 6 images of the relavent machines says they didn't have any forward area louvring either. Cut em off.
Merlin
Staff MemberSenior Editor
AEROSCALE
#017
_VISITCOMMUNITY
United Kingdom
Joined: June 11, 2003
KitMaker: 17,582 posts
AeroScale: 12,795 posts
Posted: Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 10:47 PM UTC
Hi Stephen

Fantastic job with the references! I'll slice 'em off tonight when I get home.

All the best

Rowan
Holdfast
Staff MemberPresident
IPMS-UK KITMAKER BRANCH
#056
_VISITCOMMUNITY
England - South West, United Kingdom
Joined: September 30, 2002
KitMaker: 8,581 posts
AeroScale: 4,913 posts
Posted: Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 11:23 PM UTC
I received my parts for the kit yesterday, when I got home from work and was absolutely blown away by the quality. The instructions are particularly worthy of note, 3D CAD drawings in colour, and the plastic is superb too. For a WW 1 kit there is plenty of it, 3 sprues including 2 seperate fuselage halves and then there's the colour PE, just amazing. This must set a benchmark.
I will be building subject B, Ltn i d R Wilhelm Leusch's Fokker D.VII (O.A.W). It has the Yellow nose of Jasta 19 with a blue fuselage and lozenge fabrick upper and lower wings, there is a neat white dragon on the fuselage sides, loverly
I took it into work today to study the Instructions, and my work coleagues who saw it were well impressed. I have, at the moment, only one query, Stephen:
According to the instructions there are 2 different props but I can't tell which one I need to use, any ideas? It might become clear when I actually start building but it is the only thing that I'm not clear about after studying the instructions.
Mal
JackFlash
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Colorado, United States
Joined: January 25, 2004
KitMaker: 11,669 posts
AeroScale: 11,011 posts
Posted: Friday, April 28, 2006 - 03:21 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I will be building subject B, Ltn i d R Wilhelm Leusch's Fokker D.VII (O.A.W). It has the Yellow nose of Jasta 19 with a blue fuselage and lozenge fabrick upper and lower wings, there is a neat white dragon on the fuselage sides, loverly I took it into work today to study the Instructions, and my work coleagues who saw it were well impressed. I have, at the moment, only one query, Stephen:

According to the instructions there are 2 different props but I can't tell which one I need to use, any ideas? It might become clear when I actually start building but it is the only thing that I'm not clear about after studying the instructions.
Mal


Greetings Mal; We have two published images of Ltn.d.R. Wilhelm Leusch's late model Fokker D.VII (OAW) both were published in Jagdgeschwader Nr. II by Greg VanWyngarden, Osprey,Aviation Elite Units 19. 2005, Pp. 112 & 117.

These reveal that the curved "Heine" (kit referenced plastic part B 17) curved prop was used on this machine's 200hp Mercedes D.IIIav motor.

There are four propellers of two types offered by the kit. Axial (PP B 16 ) and Heine (PP B 17) and note that Eduard usually references the right application to the profile provide in the kit decals. But as you mention did not here.

The problem is that the Heine propellers (PP B 17) are far too short for inline six cylinder engines and should be closer in length to the Axial (PP B 16) types provided. Two of the four kit propellers with the cones on the bosses are quick release items seen on some BMW IIIa engine variants only. It is the pitch and length of a propeller that determines the engine application. The paddle profile was the company hallmark.
JackFlash
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Colorado, United States
Joined: January 25, 2004
KitMaker: 11,669 posts
AeroScale: 11,011 posts
Posted: Monday, May 01, 2006 - 04:18 AM UTC
Greetings all,

The Albatros built Fokker D.VII kit pieces have arrived. Yahoo! Warm Fuzzies all round! Now to brew up a special batch of coffee. 8 oz of water 1/2 cup of fresh grounds. Pop in the Blue Max in my DVD player...have my wife bring my dinner to me... its showtime!
 _GOTOTOP