FTS Projects

[AchimEngels]

Hi all,

....going back to what this section is really about - Replica Aircraft! *

Here are two images of the undercarriage attachment sockets I have done so far.





These are made on the lathe using German St.52 grade steel.

Enjoy!

Achim

[jumpinjan]

Achim, Your work is amazing. How did you machine the mouth opening because they look to me to be made on a milling machine with a specially made end mill? Its just wonderful to see your daily progress on the DVII. If you are serious about the DVD, please count me in on buying one.
Jan Servaites

[glow=red,2,300]COUNT ME IN TOO[/glow]


I too would be most honored to see the progressing work on DVD. When could we expect a release





Jamie

[AchimEngels]

Hello Jumpinjan,

Let me keep some secrets until the release of the DVD .

Holford,

Of course the DVD´s release must wait until we have finished the D.VII. Estimated time for that is 2005. I am thinking of including scenes of the first static load tests and the test flights as well.

Let me take the oportunity of including your e-mail address into our list for any new releases we bring out. You might get some notifications about books and CD´s as well, but most important: You will not miss the DVD this way! Just send me your e-mail address you want me to put into the list.

Have to go now to continue working. Hm, I wonder what I will show you next 8)

Take Care!

Achim

[wolfenbill]

Excellent work, Achim, as usual. My friend Tom who works with me on the Kingsbury D.VII project are now discussing what some of our future projects we want to do. One is making a D.VII from scratch and trying to be more authentic about it. Our first one was cobbled together from different projects hence there are some liberties taken that were forced upon us. You certainly set a fine example and I look forward to watching your D.VII's unfold as the years go by. The DVD idea is good, but I don't think it is necessary to keep your secrets until that time. But they are yours, so do with them what you will. One thing Jumpinjam that you will find about Achim is that he does precision work. It's amazing what one can do with a little patience, a lathe, some grinding tools and a bead-blaster to make some first-rate parts. He may also have a trick or two up his sleeve as well.

[AchimEngels]

Not much time, have to go for the dentist....again!!!

Just hunting Langdons posts *

Some images of yesterdays progress:


[sup]Completes tail skid post and stabilizer strut attachment sockets[/sup]


[sup]A number of tube-circles to make the bracing corner gussets from[/sup]


[sup]Tail skid suspending points[/sup]


[sup]Steffen Krauter doing a tail fin for Charles Gosse.[/sup]

Enjoy!

Achim

[AchimEngels]

Hello Folks,

Some images of doing the sockets which I have shown in finished stage above.








[sup]Katrin Schreyer working on some parts.[/sup]


[sup]Irene Hoeppner is helping me out with catching up on getting the drawings for the planes finished.[/sup]

In the meantime we have added the M.G. mounts on Wullfo´s early production plane including the forward top cowling bow that is welded to the fuselage top. These parts differ considerably between the very early prototype configuration of 228/18 that we do and the plane Wullfo will have in the end.

I will post images probably next week. This week I will not be able to get into the workshop since Alexandra was hospitalized today. *So I have to play dad and wash the cloths and do all that household stuff until her return *:

Enjoy!

Achim

[AchimEngels]

Hello,

Here are some of the images I promised showing the front cowling bow of the two planes. The discrepancies are well visible.

I have to apologize for the poor quality of these images, but the flashlight of my tiny digital camera turns out to be laughable, sorry.


[sup]comparison of both styles[/sup]

This image shows both planes side by side. The one in the rear is our Fokker D.VII 228/18 pre production reproduction aircraft. The one in the front is Wulffo´s plane of a later, but still early serial production run.

For some reason the M.G. mounts have been lowered during production which made it necessary to dent the cowling holding bow to make space for the M.G. in the gun muzzle area. This modification must have taken place in the late 200-to early 300 series.

On more later production machines the MG´s even have been raised again to be even more high then on the pre production machines.

Here are some closer shots.


[sup]Wulffo´s plane is one of the 300 series[/sup]


[sup]Seen from behind[/sup]


[sup]Our pre production aircraft 228/18[/sup]


[sup]Our´s seen from behind[/sup]

As you can see not only was the bow without the dents on our aircraft, but also swept back at some degree to make place for the synchronizing gear attached to rear of the camshaft of the engine.

By now the fuselage frames are almost complete. What is still missing is the underaccarriage attachment sockets, the wing struts of tobular steel tubing and the lower wing attachment points. Once these things are in place we can go and paint the frames, make the turnbuckles pull the wire bracing in...and...and...and.....

Enjoy!

Achim

[Shredward]

Hallo Achim!
The real joy for me is seeing you using techniques which, though they were cutting edge 90 years ago, were still in vogue when I started in the trade, and have only been lately superceded. It is like reaching back and speaking with our grandfathers, honouring their work and traditions. It would be so easy to use all the latest procedures and tools - you do that older generation of tradesmen great honour by crafting these aeroplanes exactly as they did.
Bravo!
shredward

[AchimEngels]

Hello Shredward,

I replied to you in a private message, but would like to repeat what I said in public.

Your words are one of the greatest compliments about our work that we have ever received so far. I want to thank you for that and appreciate it a lot.

Yesterday I have finally brought our fuselage to the same stage as Wulffo´s was already for a while now.

As I said previously, all that is missing to complete the welded fuselage structure is the reinforcing bows in the area underneath the engine, the lower wing attachment fittings, the undercarriage sockets the socket for the rear wing strut and the cabane struts for the upper wing. Not much to go for until the fuselages are completed. *

My son Sven wanted to take some photographs yesterday of Olivers fuselage. Here they are.

Note that my background fabric still is too small. (I have to change that very soon )









In the meantime we have started to work on the parts for the undercarriage. Again here are discrepancies between both planes. While the axis bearing still had a welded bearing surface in the "undercarraige knee" of the pre production planes, this was produced at the series airplanes from a deep drawn part.


[sup]One of my 3D rederings of the deep drawn part concerned, as it was used on the serial production machines[/sup]


[sup]My 3D rendering of the Fokker D.VIII undercarriage to show what this deep drawn parts was used for. The deep drawn border all around the axle slide hole was made up at the pre production machines from a small steel sheet strip inlay that was welded to the cut out in a rectangular way all around.[/sup]

We still must build a corresponding tool and get a useable mechanical press. With this press we will then later also do the Fokker typical pressed clambs which have been used in the Fokker planes in innumerable numbers.

I will soon show photographs of this.

It might be of interest to the German readers of this Forum perhaps, that a small article about the project apeared in the recent issue of the magazine "Flugzeug Classic". Oh, and if I just am about: Leonard Opdycke, the editor of the american magazine "WWI Aero, The journal of The Early Aeroplane", (by the way a magazine to be recommended very much) also runs a news note in the November issue. *

Enjoy!

Achim