1929 Fokker Super Universal

[Clunkmeister]

It’s been awhile since I really had my model mojo” going. Along the way, with various fits and starts with various ongoing projects, a few new truths began to emerge:  Standard WW2 fighter builds bore me to death.  Tamiya plastic bores me to death.  I discovered I love building wood model ships in 1/64 scale. I love resin the best.  Unique subjects never done before in man scale interest me even more.

Then with Joy’s Dad passing, our getting the 56 Meteor up and running again, and then dealing with all our issues, the bench seemed to fade far away.

My last real Passion Build was the RCAF Lanc conversion, which, let’s face it, was really a group effort.  So I also figured out that I have a soft spot for civilian, or quasi civilian aircraft. Preferably in Canadian Service.

One of my dream builds has been the Fokker Super Universal. It, along with the Fairchild 71C, and the Junkers W34, proved the viability of modern life in the Canadian North. All three aircraft had the same formula: single engine, float and ski capable, taildragger monoplanes with Pratt and Whitney radial power.  Of these, the Fokker was by far the most numerous, proving to be a roaring success, which wasn’t surprising, being that it was designed specifically for the harsh realities of the Canadian north.  

So let’s see what we can do with the big Super. 

[Clunkmeister]

When, after decades of service, these aircraft finally broke down one too many times, they were generally just abandoned in the spot they stopped moving under their own power.

 

[GazzaS]

Gonna replicate the oil canning on the wings, Ern?

[Clunkmeister]

So Mike Swinburne 3D printed me a Super Universal kit and it’s not a small aircraft. 

If anyone has some good pictures of the cabin, plus the cockpit area and control layout, I’d be obliged.

[Clunkmeister]

7 minutes ago, GazzaS said:

Gonna replicate the oil canning on the wings, Ern?

I’d like to, no doubt. 

[Wingco57]

On wooden wings?

[GazzaS]

53 minutes ago, Wingco57 said:

On wooden wings?

 

Call it a structural affect of age, then.

 

[Bomber_County]

Good to see the mojo back Ernie, we have missed your “project passion”.............

[TJTX]

This is too cool.  I wish I had the drive to build the unique projects you do.  I'm just happy to be in the same city do I can see them. 

[Clunkmeister]

4 hours ago, Wingco57 said:

On wooden wings?

I’m not sure if that was delamination, water damage, or a trick of the light, but it sure looks strange. 

I don’t think I’ll replicate that as it’s only in one or two pics.

[Clunkmeister]

This aircraft supposedly used a 450 hp R985, but this certainly appears to be an R1340.

And that’s probably the best that aircraft ever looked since leaving the factory in 1929.

 

[BlrwestSiR]

Nice to see you back at it Ernie. So is this going to be a dual build with the CF-100 too? 

[Clunkmeister]

17 minutes ago, BlrwestSiR said:

Nice to see you back at it Ernie. So is this going to be a dual build with the CF-100 too? 

A size comparison. The Fokker is big. The CF-100 is huge!

[Martinnfb]

Another exciting and highly unique project Ernie, I can wait when you apply you magic and mad skills to this thing :). Kudos to Mike for giving you an early Christmas .  

Cheers

M.

[Clunkmeister]

What I need are some really, really good pics of the cabin interior and the cockpit, controls, pilot seat, etc.

there a few pics of the restored aircraft’s panel, and one or two pics of the factory promo pic of the cabin, and a vintage panel pic.

pretty much nothing else at all.

[Martinnfb]

like this?

[Martinnfb]

Interesting archive on flickr

[Clunkmeister]

Yep. I have the panel pic, and most of the Fokker and Fleet of Canada pics are on the Finch and the bigger trim motor airliners. The Super Universal seems a bit tough to find, because of its uniquely Canadian and Alaskan history, far away from the limelight.

Also, in case people didn’t know, Japan produced its own unauthorized version of the Super Universal as well, and they served all through WW2.

[Clunkmeister]

If you don’t appreciate working with resin, you won’t appreciate this stuff either.

The plastic here acts quite similarly to resin. It can warp while curing, but unlike resin, it can peel away when sanding.  This is NOT a solid block, instead it’s a built up piece of various latticeworks. Sanding too far can allow for holes and cracks to appear.   I needed to reduce the tailcone size, so some excessive work was needed, followed by a liberal application of Milliput.

It’s importrant we achieve exactly the right crossection, so some minor changes were needed. But, as they say, we have first blood, so onward and upward. 

Notice the slight angle change of the top of the fuselage right aft the wing?  That was something Mike and I both missed, so I cut down the top of the fuselage and will sand the wing turtleneck on an angle to intersect.    Previously, we had it as a solid continuous line fro trailing edge to tailplane.

oops.

 

[Clunkmeister]

You see what I’m trying to do here?  Sand down the tailcone, then sand the relief section in the wing fillet to intersect the tailcone as seen in the pics.

These pics better illustrate it. 

 

[Clunkmeister]

Same on the tail: sand down the front of the tail fairing to match the fuselage height, which will give it its noticeable dogleg.

[Clunkmeister]

2 hours ago, Martinnfb said:

like this?

So am I to assume that the channel to the left of the hand pump is the stick?  I have no clue if I’m dealing with a wheel, a yoke, or a stick....

And if it’s a stick, it sure seems like it’s set up for single pilot operation, with a pilot sitting dead center. 

[BlrwestSiR]

Ernie, you're off to a great start. Thanks for the info on how the printed materials react. That's something I haven't tried yet. 

 

Carl

[Clunkmeister]

46 minutes ago, BlrwestSiR said:

Ernie, you're off to a great start. Thanks for the info on how the printed materials react. That's something I haven't tried yet. 

 

Carl

Carl,

From what I understand, a 3D printer shoots a very small line of liquid plastic onto a bed, and builds it up, pass after pass, until the end product is achieved. As a result, 3D prints have a “grain”.  Material is added, not removed, so the interior is often hollow. As a result, you can “break through”, as I did, but the magic of Milliput saves my day again.

Also, that is what accounts for the ‘grain’ on the surface of the parts, which needs to be treated like a pebbly surface on a bad low pressure injection kit and needs to be knocked back and the surface scribed with prototypical surface details such as panel lines, inspection panels, gun service bays, etc.

In it’s hobby form, using less than NASA grade printers, it’s not a perfect art. Yet.   But in a few years, watch out!  In the meantime, it’ll give you good forms to base a project on.  Consider it an already cut out vacuform kit.  You need to open it up, prep and detail the surfaces, then scratchbuild all the details such as cockpit, engines, gear bays, landing gear, etc, etc, etc.  plus, you’re on your own for clear parts. The Fokker has all flat clear parts, so it’ll be a nice, fairly basic project.

[Clunkmeister]

PHere’s most all the interior pics I’ve found so far. Along with Martin’s panel pic. The cabin pic is a Fokker factory pic, and you can see that Fokker and Noorduyn went to town making the cabins look like Pullman berths.

I expect these Canadian workhorses soon lost the fancy broadcloth interiors in favor of plywood floors and interior walls, and hard leather benches.