FTS Projects

24 September 2003, 07:26 PM

Achim,

This is a total education for me, and I am captivated.

I do not know what other folks have done or how they reported their manufacturing of an aircraft, but your series is simply outstanding!

It is an eye opener, an education, and I like your ability and to dialog with your audience, beginners like me, for example.

Again, thank you, and good luck!

m

AchimEngels · 24 September 2003, 08:49 PM

Hi all,

I am just happy you like all this!

Achim

AchimEngels · 25 September 2003, 05:48 AM

Hi all,

We are about to put the engine bearers in place.

[sup]The army of engine clambs grows[/sup]

[sup]A unit in progress[/sup]

[sup]We use laser technology to adjust the position of the engine bearing tubes[/sup]

I am not sure if they used laser technology as well back in 1918. *8)

Enjoy

Achim

AchimEngels · 25 September 2003, 09:52 AM

I thought it is time to show you some images of another almost completed project here.

How do you like these?

Enjoy!

Achim

AchimEngels · 30 September 2003, 11:58 AM

And here we go with some more news!

The engine bearers are finally in place with the fuselage of 228/18.

[sup]And this is how "Flight" magazine of 1918 depicted the area - Just for fun! Some images of later built D.VII´s cleary show the weld on top of the clamb going over the entire lenght. Was the flight artist wrong here? Note the square shape of the cutout in the back. Here he was defenitely wrong......The joys of making things right.....wasn´t that a topic elsewhere here....?[/sup]

Enjoy!

Achim

Langdon · 1 October 2003, 04:59 PM

Hi Achim,

The joys of getting it right :-/ It seems to me that the fully welded piece would be better practice and possibly that's why its found on a latter built aircraft but I noticed in the Swiss D.VII drawings (page 29) that the bracket is welded as you have shown it. I feel sure that the tube the bolt passes through should have a V shaped notch cut out of its centre though even though this is not shown on the Swiss drawing it is a standard Fokker practice.

I have been meaning to ask you if you had any trouble welding the tail-skid post to the adjacent longerons as there seems to be a large gap there, the D.VIII does not have this much clearance.

AchimEngels · 1 October 2003, 10:06 PM

You mean something more like this:

[sup]The first one depicted in the previous forum page was just finished to show you how it looks. This one is finished also from the historical point of view. *

[/sup]

The Swiss manual was also one of my reasons to do it that way, but I am not sure if it shows how it actually was done. Note the similarity in the sketches between "Flight" and the post war Swiss "Normalisierung" manual. I feel like the artist just used the Flight sketch and altered it slightly.

I decided to go that way, just to make sure I can alter it, if it turns out that "Flight" was not right here.

An good image of a early engine clamb would be highly appreciated here! - The joys of getting things right *:

No, absolutely no problems with putting the tail-skid post in place. The gab is not that wide.

Achim

AchimEngels · 2 October 2003, 10:53 AM

The engine mounts of one aircraft are completed!

Now I have to repeat the whole thing with Wullfo´s plane. *

*

*:'(

Here are some snapshots of todays work.

Enjoy!

Achim

wulffo · 3 October 2003, 08:16 AM

On the engine side I have outsourced the work to a small German shop belonging to Dirk Bende. It has been taken apart. the crank was very slightly out of balance and has been straightened. One of the pistons was damaged and will need replacing. There is virtually no corrosion. The valve springs will all have to be replaced as they have been chromed during a previous restauration to static. The valves themselves have some corrosion and will also all be replaced. We are contracting out this work. At the moment we are furthermore contemplating a replacing of the pistons through new ones made by a specialist in Germany (Wahl close to Stuttgart) who also custom makes them for Formula 1 engines. These would then be in Aluminum. Given the situation of being able to use the originals (and taking into consideration the resulting engine sound characteristics) we are more likely to retain the originals. The engine has seen a lot of use in its days but is otherwise close to perfect. The enamel on the cylinders is mint. The engine has all the pumps, both magnets, the carburetor etc.. All important parts will be crack checked and there will also be a mineralogy test on the consistency of the metal.
I have asked Dirk to post a complete report on this part of the project in the Aerodrome shortly including a photo documentation. At the beginning of this thread you will find the pre restauration pictures. It is my intention to keep this whole project as public as feasible and I welcome any and all comments (olyy@lineone.net). It is intended to get approval from the German aviation authorities for the engine to be used in flight.

On the instrument side I have the appropriate Bamberg (the type I want thanks to a trade with Marko Sommerau), Phylax RPM gauge, Anemometer (unfortunately the version with 20x10 km 24x10 would be more appropriate), Starter magnet and Bosch switch (for engines with two magnets such as the Daimler Diiia), Maximall fuel gauge (labeled Fokker DVII on the enamel dial) and the oil pressure Manometer. Here I would prefer an earlier version with an enamel dial and only have a promise on the petrol pressure manometer (a good promise) apart from that I have a Luft altimeter calibrated to 8000m (an extra same as the anemometer, I know but a quite useful one). Turnbuckles I have a complete set of originals for the plane and potentially the tabs for the cockpit (Achim of course believes that mine were not used in a Fokker build DVII and as usually he is probably right). All these instruments will need to be overhauled to make them flight worthy but are good new old stock quality.

Early Spandaus, control grip, gas lever, advance retard and ruder pedals are still outstanding but I am looking.

Some of the manuals I have and if there is the need for another restorer to receive a copy please contact me under the e mail mentioned above. I will happily send them as long as the requests don't get out of hand.

I would really VERY MUCH APPRECIATE any constructive criticism, ideas for improvements and discussions on differing opinions.

We are putting a big effort into trying to get an early Fokker built DVII right using original parts wherever it is safely possible (short of the fuselage which is

sort of difficult to find). The plane will then be painted and equipped to the specifications of Bertholds first DVII. (Actually it will be built in Streaky camouflage fuselage with Lozenge wings, as it would have left the factory and then over painted accordingly). The ultimate goal is to have it in the air during as many flight shows as feasible based in a publicly accessible place. Any ideas here UK preferred? ? ?

AchimEngels · 10 October 2003, 12:39 AM

Hello,

At present we are working on the undercarriage attachment sockets that go in the fuselage.

Unfortunately do I have late shift this week, so I can not finish them up. I will show images next week.

I have been thinking about filming the whole building process and putting a film together on DVD in the end. Something that should go for an hour or one and a half. It would be a joy documenting the build from the start to the first take off. I wonder if there would be interest in such a "TV documentation". I could imagine offering this one as we do with our books on CD-Rom. $ 25.00 would not be too much asked for it, would it? Let me know what you think about.

Enjoy!

Achim