As I've stated on other posts I am involved in building a D.VII as well as an SE5a. The D.VII is far simpler to build. You have to know how to weld 4130 chrom-moly steel in order to do the fuselage, horizontal stabilizer, elevators, vertical stabilizer, rudder and ailerons. The wings and turtledeck are made of aircraft grade birch ply and spruce. The floorboard and instrument panel are made of plywood, the seat made of aluminum and either leather or imitation leather. The controls are made of tube steel. You'll need a flat table at least a couple of feet longer than the longest structure (which will be the top wing) in order to build everything. I suggest you contact the EAA for suggestions/books on welding, woodworking, table setup, etc. Once wings are built they'll need to be sanded, varnished and stored until you're ready to install internal bracing wires, fittings, aileron wires, etc. They can be hung on a wall temporarily to get them out of the way. We use a forklift to lift them. They're big and relatively heavy. The D.VII wings are one piece each, unlike the SE5a wings which are in approx. 12 foot sections. The SE5a wings are very light relatively but need the external bracing wires that the D.VII doesn't. Once you get wings attached, etc. you'll need a storage/work area longer and wider than the a/c is long and wide. This could turn into quite a long posting. If you have specific questions, please feel free to contact me by email at ...................
wbroussard@mdanderson.org