Down-Under D.VIII

[Lyle]

Langdon!
Nice to see you posting here at the 'drome. My brother Louis told me about your work on the D.VIII, and I'm glad to see you posting your photos here. Both of us are excited to see it coming along so well--it might help to re-start our own stalled project!
VBR,
Lyle Lamboley

[William]

Langdon & George,
    I think Langdon was referring to an article mentioned by Jan. I had the feeling that using Canvas Falcon in our name was going to be a mistake. It is not intended to be relative to the book. We chose it for three simple reasons, I'm also a falconer, it is easy to remember, and "feels right" when spoken. "Linen raptor" just doesn't work. Eventually we'll complete the site but have two careers and a family in addition to our aero projects. Have a look sometime George and please give us some feedback on how to improve the site.
Best regards,
William
Canvas Falcon Engineering
www.canvasfalcon.com

Dear Langdon-

----"George I have contacted you on the Canvasfalcon site in reply to your offer with the article but if you can post it here as well that would be great."----

Langdon, I'm sorry it's been a long day and I'm fuzzy-headed and drawing a blank on the Canvas Flacons (can only think of the Stephen Longstreet book right now).  Can you remind me what this is?  I had an article from another airplane magazine early '80s in storage in California (I live in Virginia now) but I do have access to issues of “Sport Aviation.”  I’ll get you what I can soon.


More later.

Best regards,

-George

[Langdon]

Hello,

My apologies to George and Jan, I was the one with the fuzzy head after a day of welding :-[

George, do you intend building your own replica or will you have someone else do it for you? I'm not trying to take on work here as I only intend building my own but my reason for asking is if you would find it hard to keep motivated on this you probably wouldn't want to take it on. If you can set aside some time everyday then you will get it built in a couple of years, if you can only work some days a month then your looking at it taking a decade or two. Achim has aproached me with an offer to build from my research so this maybe an alternative one day.

Lyle, It's good to hear from you and thanks for the encouragement, I thought you and Lou had given up on your project after he sold his Gnome? It would be great if you re-started it as you've already put some effort in on the planning.

Brian Coughlin sent me a couple of video tapes of his E.V flying at Old Rhinebeck with the Gnome, it sure is a great performer with 160hp.

Langdon

[aeropeasant]

Dear Langdon and William-

Thanks for your messages and hope you had a great weekend. Yesterday I did my normally monthly visit to the National Air and Space Museum in D.C. to see the WWI gallery. I think it’s a safe bet that I’ve been in there more in the six years I’ve lived in town that most of the docents and curators have been in their entire careers. The D-VII is such a blast to look at it – it has those metal wheels with metal plates tacked on them instead of wire-wheels and tire-tubes – I’m guessing this was for ground handling? I have a chunk of the fabric from this one that was sold on those posters in the late ‘70s. Also a piece of the Albatros fabric, too.

I first knew of the D-VIII from the Ulanoff translation of Udet’s “Mein Flieger Leben” which I read when I was 15. Then, the next year, I was working at Van Nuys Airport and taking flying lessons, and stopped in to see one of my oldest friends who also had a job at the airport and was taking flying lessons. While waiting for him to finish work one night, I found a magazine (early ‘80s) that had the Swearingen D-VIII, and it mentioned the whole Swearingen-Platz interviews, et cetera. Looking at the pix, I thought “What a sharp ship that makes.”

Have you guys seen the D-VIII replica at Stampe & Vertongen museum in Belgium?

http://www.stampe.be/startpage/ukstart.htm

Yeah, it doesn’t have a rotary, but it’s still a sharp-looking replica.

Langdon, I normally do things in blasts then bits and spurts. So, as of right now, I wouldn’t be working on a reproduction every night. But, working alongside someone, that might happen. The FTS possibility of kits for a D-VII or D-VIII sounds good, and maybe possible with more than a few orders, you know?

Take it easy,

-George

[baldeagle]

Do you know that the D.VIII in Belgium was cartwheeled and doesn't look so good any more...?
Spectacular photos in one of the British magazines, Flypast or Aeroplane, some time ago. Pilot was OK.

[Laserlloyd]

Now that would be a site.

It's early morrning and the mist starting to fade. Whats that I see....It's Three Fok.DvIII side by side in full color and ready for take off...

Great work Achim, Langdon and Wolffo.

Looking forward in seeing your plane take to the air.

Lloyd...

[Langdon]

Hello Lloyd and others,

I think your dream Lloyd should be two D.VII's one D.VIII and your Dr.I!

Sorry I have not posted anything for a while but I had some problems with photos getting lost on the way to Achim.

Unfortunately I have not made much progress in the last couple of weeks but things are still moving along, presently I'm making parts for the gun mounts and engine mount gussets that attach to the inner corners of the first frame.

With the use of a tool a friend loaned me I have completed the bent tubes for the bracing wires and tail skid springs.



I would like to say here that Achim, in his entrepreneurial way, is offering to make and sell a CD of his experiances in the building of his aircraft, this should be invaluable to anyone attempting to build a replica, he has already helped me with *practical solutions to problems I have come across.



http://www.collectors-edition.de/FokkerTea...angdonD8/37.jpg

[William]

Langdon,
Well done! A beautiful piece of work. We look forward to seeing more.
Best,
William
www.canvasfalcon.com

[Langdon]

Progress however is being made in Austria with work commencing on the five D.VIII wings being produced by Koloman, from the CAD drawings I have produced, rib templates have now been made.



With the use of this remarkable machine.

[William]

Langdon,
No apologies needed, real life does enter into the equation. If it didn't we'd have more on there ourselves. What sort of files does the Rover 22 accept? Looks very handy to have in a prototyping shop.
Best,
William