Fokker Dreidecker

[Umlaufmotor]

A Great War Group Built and time for a full year period?
That sounds good to me.
I would like to register for it.

I've seen that two Fokker Dreidekker Dr.1 will be built.
I want to build one likewise.
I hope that's okay?
But no F.1 or aDr.1.
It will be the first Dreidekker prototype V.4, the wild thing with the ultra-short wings and without outer struts.

See the pictures.
Basic kit Roden Fokker F.1
A lot of it has to be scratch built, and there are only a few pictures (3 or 4?) of the bird, no detailed drawings or so.

 

I have one more question:
Should this be a building report, where each builded part is documented with pictures?

 

Servus

Bertl

 

 

[James H]

What a great looking machine. Are the wings essentially just shorter versions of the production machine, or will you need to rework them as well as shorten them?

[Grant]

Wow, great project - am looking forward to this immensely.  

 

Re your Group Build question.  I believe periodic Work in Progress reports - with photos - in a build thread created by you will be the way to go.

[Ssasho0]

Wow, what a choice for the group build entry I'm looking forward to your build Bertl! Damn sure that this is going to be another Jawdropping build of yours. 

 

 

Greetings from Sofia,

Sasho

[Umlaufmotor]

@James H

The V.4 wings are shorter than in the production machine (F.1 or later on the Dr.1).

I must first examine the distance of the wing ribs.

Perhaps it is enough to cut the wings of the kit, ---- but I'm afraid it's more work.

 

@Martin

Thank you!

 

@Grant

OK, I understand.

A Built report with pictures. That's no problem.

 

@PH-GEO

Yes, this bird was actually in the air.

Werner Voss himself made ​​beginning July 1917 test flights with this grazy chicken.

Here is a picture of him in the Fokker V.4

 

 

@Sasho

That's nice to meet a friend here in this forum. :-)

 

Servus

Bertl

[Jamme]

NIce choice Bertl

Jamme

[Umlaufmotor]

Well, time to join the Great War GB.

As I have written, I would like to try to build the prototype Fokker Dreidekker V.4.

That's the thing with the ultra-short wings, - work number 1661.

There are only three or four pictures of the V.4 prototype.
But we'll see what I can conjure from the kit.

As a base I use the Roden Fokker F.1 kit.

 

Here are my little helpers in paper form.

 

But before I begin I have to be finished this model,
the Jasta 6 WNW Albatros D.V  D.1148/17 of Ltn Hans Adam

 

 

Servus

Bertl

[LindsayT]

A new Bertl build? I feel like a teenage girl waiting for a Justin Bieber concert! I'm like, like, soooo excited!

 

LT

[Ssasho0]

A new Bertl build? I feel like a teenage girl waiting for a Justin Bieber concert! I'm like, like, soooo excited!

 

LT

I was looking for the right words to put how do I feel about this and....well, the above mentioned sentence, catch it quite damn good!

 

Can't wait to see the finished Albatros replica and teh start of another "Bertl's build"

 

Best regards,

Sasho

[DougN]

Really looking forward to this!!

 

Doug

[Umlaufmotor]

      

 

Thanks folks for the flowers ........................... I hope I do not disappoint you.
 

LindsayT, who the hell is Justin Bieber?
I know Marc Bolan, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, The Door's, Stones ......................... but not.......

 

 

Okay Gentlemens, back to business, the engine was started.

 

First, a few small adjustments to the fuselage can be performed.
The air intake (blue circle) is located a little too far back at the Roden model.
Note the original image.

url=http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/ASKundASK/media/R1_zpsffefe232.jpg.html]

 

The handle on the fuselage needs to be pushed slightly forward.

On the Fokker V.4 and the F.1, both handles were attached in front of the vertical fuselage tube.

Both handles are also different in contour to the series Dreidekker Dr.1.

The openings for the control cables are also in the wrong position on the kit fuselage.

 

These little things are the first things that will be corrected in the model.

 

See you soon

Servus
Bertl

[Jamme]

Great start.

I love your precision !

Congrats,

Jamme

[Chris S]

Cant wait to see this come together !!  Great looking Albatross too

 

Chris.

[Umlaufmotor]

Thank you, Jamme and Chris!

 

Today I planned the pilot's seat.

I use the seat by Achim Engel's Fokker D.VIII - 100% replica as a template.

 

The kit seat is extremely thick.

 

 

 

I have the seat ca.80% sanded thinner.

The seat of my V.4 is not covered with fabric, I want to play here the natural aluminum and wooden seat.

The holes (a lot of holes....  ) for the stitching of the fabric cover were drilled with a 0.15mm drill.

The holes for the screw connection of the seat and the bracket for the seat belts were drilled with a 0.4 mm drill.

 

I used small resin rivets from Master Club to represent the screw's.

The bracket for the seat belts was prepared with 0.4 mm steel wire.

 

 

Servus

Bertl

[JeroenPeters]

Wow... amazing work. 

 

One question. In the photo's it looks like the wings were covered with a transparant material.

Fokker experimented with a similar material on the Fokker E.III hoping it would make the plane 'stealthy' / difficult to see.

Is that the same material as this plane had? If so... how will you replicate the transparent effect?

 

HTH

 

Cheers,

Jeroen

[Umlaufmotor]

Thank you very much, Jeroen and Martin.

Hi Jeroen,

no, I think that's just normal aircraft fabric, not a transparent covering.

These images from the V.4 were probably taken in the midday sun, so the fabric looks transparent.

 

Now back to the grazy Dreidecker:

 

The back wall was carefully separated with a fine saw from the frame tube.

 

Thereafter, the frame was drilled (0,03mm drill bit) on all four corners and a wire loop was glued.

These staples we need for bracing the rear panel (see yellow arrow in the original image).

 

The back wall is cleaned and sanded thinner. Much thinner. Even thinner, so thin until the light shines through.

 

Thereafter, the holes for lacing be attached to the frame tube.
(see the original image).

 

The edges of the back panel are wavy curved. The thing was in the original fabric and the model it will also look like fabric.

 

 

Servus

Bertl

[Umlaufmotor]

Nothing goes without wing nuts   .................. Fokker even used it.
(see yellow arrow in the original picture)

 

 

Here at the seat height adjustment. ..........................of course, we also need these wing nuts on the model.

 

 

The frame and fabric back wall are now ready to paint.

 

 

Servus

Bertl

[Umlaufmotor]

Thank you, Martin.

In very small steps it goes on. Unfortunately, my free time is just a little tight.

 

The back wall is now braced with ropes and turnbuckles.

maybe............a liiiittle overscaled ..................... but OK in my eyes.

The turnbuckles are made with 0,4mm Brass tube

 

[Umlaufmotor]

Now, the pilot's seat.

The seat was primed with Tamiya Flesh.

 

 

Then here and there brightened with a bit of white paint.

 

 

Then the wood grain was painted with oil paint.

Sealed with a mixture of clear lacquer and Clear Orange.

 

 

Along the border between the seat board and seat back wall was shaded with Tamiya smoke.

 

[Umlaufmotor]

Now to represent the aluminum seat shell:

First was primed with Mr. Metal Primer.

Then a coat of Mr. Metal Color Aluminum.

NOT POLISH!

Then with an old brush irregular patches were spotted with Mr. Metal Color Iron.

 

 

Yes I know, this looks ugly..............very ugly..................

 

[Umlaufmotor]

But, now is polished with a brush.

Always gently rotating.

 

 

Depending on the light, the aluminum shines almost like the original.

 

[Umlaufmotor]

Here the cowling of my WNW Pfalz, "the Jasta37 worn-out work horse".

There I used the same technique.

 

 

 

 

In this picture, the original seat of Richthofen's 425/17.

Note the aluminum shades.

Also note the screw holes in the rear wall (yellow circle)

 

 

 

 

These screws were shown on the model with small rivets.

Now I have a little more shade the seat and also the seat belts and the fabric cover are still missing.

This work will be done maybe in the middle of this week..................maybe

 

Servus

Bertl

[JeroenPeters]

Wow!! Great idea for aluminium replication. Will copy that technique.

And great attention to detail. Very nice work! Loving it.

[James H]

Agreed, these are great tips, and unlike me, Jeroen doesn't abuse you.

[coolboxx]

Fantastic detail and Grt tips also loving this already