sandbagger

Hi all, Well the fuselage is completed, apart from fitting the engine exhaust and the propeller. The Rudder and Elevator control runs have been connected with the turnbuckles under the pilot's seat. Also the tail plane to fin bracing cable. The entire fuselage has been weathered and sealed. So now it's on to the lower wing, followed by scratch building the skeletal undercarriage assembly, which unfortunately is not available as a 3D printed part. Mike

Hi all, Tail unit assembled from the 3D printed parts. Very fragile once separated from the support frame, so should prove interesting. The elevator was missing the inboard trailing edge profile, presumably missed during printing process. Therefore I had to make the profiles using 0.8 mm brass tube. Mike

Hi all, I've added the padding rim around the fuselage decking panel and onto the top of the cockpit side frames. This was done using 2.0 mm diameter plastic tube which was sanded to form a grip for painting. Then it was slit along one side and located over the decking and secured in position with thin CA adhesive. Finally it was primed, painted 'Humbrol' leather (62) and 'Tamiya' Hull Red (XF9), sealed then given a clay wash and finally sealed with 'Alclad' Light Sheen (ALC-311). Mike

Hi all, Both machine guns are now fitted along with their synchronization flexible drives. These drives are connected between the bottom of the gun breech blocks and the gun synchronization mechanism, fitted to the rear of the engine cam shaft, Mike

Hi all, I realized that the fuselage rear decking panel was incorrect. I made it such that the front edge butted up against the rear of the pilot's seat support frame. In fact the decking seems to have passed over the seat frame, forming the rear cockpit surround, then onto the top of the cockpit side frames. After several tries and five broken bracing wires, I think it's just about there now. Now onto making the padded rim to fit around the cockpit rear decking and after that, the machine guns, Mike

Hi all, The fuselage bottom cross bracing is done, which completes the fuselage bracing. Also the tail skis has been fitted, with 0.125 mm copper wire suspension springs and 0.2 mm lead wire retention cable. Now it's onto making the cockpit surround padding and fit the two modified 'Gaspatch' machine guns with their synchronization cables, Mike

Hi all, The fuselage rear decking panel fitted. Now to cross brace the bottom fuselage frames, then it's onto the tail skid assembly, Mike

Hi all, The fuselage side frame bays are now cross braced. Now to make and fit the top decking panel and finally cross brace the bottom fuselage frames, Mike

Hi DocRob, Yes a lot of rigging to the fuselage and flight controls. Thankfully the Fokker D.VII has little external rigging and only cross bracing and aileron control lines in the upper wing. Hi all, The top fuselage frames are cross braced. Onto the sides now, then the make and fit the top decking panel and finally cross brace the bottom fuselage frames, Mike

Hi all, Rigging has started now. Difficult to make out some of the rigging as I had to tie back the flight control lines as they were getting in the way. So far: Double bracing across the top of the fuel tank. Double bracing across the underside of the cockpit floor (2 sets). Double bracing across the frame bays adjacent to the pilot's seat. Double bracing across the rear of the pilot's seat support frame. Double bracing across each vertical fuselage frame. Done with 0.08 mm Mono-filament, 0.4 mm Nickel-Silver tube and 1:48th scale turnbuckles ('Gaspatch'). The same needs to done on each of the frame bays on each side of the fuselage as well as those under and on top of the fuselage. Mike

Hi all, The front end gas been weathered up a bit to keep it aligned with the associated Fokker D.VII model. It's ready now for cross brace rigging and the fitting of the twp machine guns with their synchronization drive cables, Mike

Hi all, Radiator side stays fitted, Mike

Hi all, Radiator flap control now fitted. Made from micro-tube (0.4 mm and 0.1 mm diameter), photo-etch pulley and 0.125 mm copper wire for the loop handle, Mike

Hi all, Radiator with photo-etch front and rear cooling core and scratch made pilot operated flap (to control engine cooling), Mike

Hi all, Generator lead and seat connector fitted. Generators were not standard fit, but were installed to some aircraft to power heated flying suits later in WW1 and if carried, wireless transmitters. Made from 0.4 mm diameter Nickel-Silver micro-tube and 0.148 mm diameter match line. Mike

Hi all, Control cable for the hand operated throttle added. Lead wire 0.2 mm diameter, from hand throttle on the control column, down and under the floor, up side frames and across the throttle quadrant. Then down the other side, under the floor and back up to the hand throttle. Mike

Hi all, Throttle control run added from pilot's throttle lever to the linkage on the dual carburettors. Scratch made from 0.1 mm Nickel-Silver rod and 0.3 mm brass tube with the pivot lever created from 'spare' photo-etch, Mike

Hi all, 'Spark Advance' control (Ignition Timing) fitted from cockpit lever to engine magnetos linkage rod. Made from 0.3 mm brass tube, 0.1 mm Nickel-Silver rod and scratch link. Mike

Thanks Jeff - I try I use the internet and various publications: Osprey Aircraft of the Aces - Fokker D.VII aces Part 1-2 (Norman Franks/Greg VanWyngarden). Albatros Productions - Windsock - Data file No.9 - Fokker D.VII (P.M. Grosz). Albatros Productions - Fokker D.VII Anthology 1, 2 and 3 (Ray Rimell). Kagero Publishing - Fokker D.VII The Lethal Weapon (Tomasz J. Kowalski and Marek Rys). Wingnut Wings - Instruction manual (Kit No.32027). Windsock Modelling Special No.3 - Building the Fokker D.VII (Ray Rimell). Various online resources (e.g. Wikipedia and the Aerodrome forum). Albatros D.III - Osprey Publishing (James F. Miller). Mike

Hi all, Leads fitted from the magneto starter behind the instrument panel to both engine driven magnetos, Mike

Hi all, Tachometer drive added from gun synchronization mechanism. The two carburetor fuel feed pipes from the gallery behind the instrument panel, The two machine gun trigger cables from the control column to the gun synchronization mechanism, Mike

Hi all, A few more things added: Fuel lines from the underside of the fuel tank to the fuel gallery behind the instrument panel. Grease line from the pilot's 'screw down' pump to the engine mounted water pump. Fuel drain line from the underside of the fuel tank to outside of the fuselage bottom. Oil line from the oil tank (in the fuel tank) to the engine driven oil pump. Now it's onto the wiring up the magnetos and adding the throttle and spark advance (ignition timing) controls, Mike

Hi all, It might make it on the Great War SIG display. The pilot's hand operated fuel pressure pump pipe is done. Also the rear gun support frame and the instrument panel are fitted, Mike

Hi all, The pilot's seat and support frame now fitted, Mike

Hi all, Now things start to get complicated, Mike