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Thread: Building a Fokker D VII

  1. #11
    Hi everyone,

    2/13/17, Anybody know what the first pic is?

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    My shipment of what should be all my metric 4130 carbon steel tubing to build the fuselage and sundry parts came today. Yep, I was out on the lathe and a tractor trailer showed up early with a 24' long, 550 lb crate. You can't see them as there are a bunch of 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2", oops 6, 8, and 10mm tubing on the second rack. First rack has the larger tubes and my 2 1/8" X 3/16" wall axle is on the third rack with what is left of the streamline tubing. Man I can't wait to kick Lori out of the garage, build my third work table and lay out the blocking and fuselage sides.

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    Rubbing my hands together like a greedy kid with a bowl of ice cream

    Jim

  2. #12
    2/19/17, The last weeks work. I made all the threaded weld ins for the N strut ends and cabanes. I also made the threaded ball screws. I fabricated the parts for the bungee boxes for the axle blocks but wasn't happy with an unstable arc on my TIG welder. Going to open up the manual and see what deferred maintenance needs to be performed. Oh yea, those bungee tubes have a 28 mm tube inside a 30 mm tube. The 29 pokes through the back cover and gets welded there. The 30 mm tube gets welded to the front and back cover. I was going to button weld the 30 to the 28 but at this point I think that will be redundant as I had to press the two tubes together.

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    I have to get an oxy/cet torch so I can do the bending on the threaded bungs.




    What a beautiful weekends weather to be out on the lathe this past weekend. I love 70's for working.




    Jim

  3. #13
    Think about switching from TIG to gas welding. Going to a friends house for an introduction tomorrow. I take it I can't use the ER70S rod for gas. Any hints from you guys?

    Jim

  4. #14
    Sam Buchanan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fokker Builder View Post
    Think about switching from TIG to gas welding. Going to a friends house for an introduction tomorrow. I take it I can't use the ER70S rod for gas. Any hints from you guys?

    Jim
    I used ER70S when gas welding the fuse for my Legal Eagle XL, it is recommended by the TinMan guys. You might consider renting their DVDs on gas welding.
    Last edited by Sam Buchanan; 02-25-2017 at 03:46 PM.
    Sam Buchanan
    The RV Journal RV-6 build log
    Fokker D.VII semi-replica build log

  5. #15
    Thanks Sam

  6. #16
    3/4/17, There is a field trip planned for today. I am taking my father in law to visit the Culpeper Neiuport team that are building an Aerodrome Aeroplanes Newp 28 as a 3 man effort. I was there last Fall but they have made considerable progress. I especially want to inspect the wheel hubs and get the skinny on which tail wheel they are using. When we get back I will put the tops on the new 3' wide work table.

    Tomorrow is the day I formally start the plane build. Until now the plane had an early start with an incomplete flugzeugwerke. The full work space with all three work tables end to end will finally be set up. I will be narrowing the other 2 work tables from 4' to 3' as well. Lessons were learned that mobility is a commodity in a tool full 13' wide work space and tables that are 4' wide. The fuse is only 28" wide and I as well as others need to be able to move freely through the garage.

    This next week I will draw out the fuselage side assembly on the work table. Man, this is getting cool.

    Jim

    Below is a picture of Brian Coughlin's D VII frame that Jeff Brooks bought and of what will be produced over the ensuing month or so.

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    Last edited by Fokker Builder; 03-04-2017 at 06:17 AM. Reason: Picture duplicated

  7. #17
    By the way, set up all 3 work tables and rearranged the shop over the weekend. Fokker paper today and drew out the fuselage halves and started cutting tubing. I have to weld up all the Fokker clamps for the left side and then I can start tacking up the fuse. Pics later this week when everything is tacked up.


    Jim

  8. #18
    3/7/17, Rainy day so I blew off working on the truck and mocked up the pilots left side fuselage half. All the tubes are notched and fit for welding. Tomorrow I am going to jam on the truck but my 00 and 0 Victor welding tips came in. I think I will squeeze in some welding time.

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    Jim





  9. #19
    Hi guys and gals,

    3/19/17, I was working on the second fuselage side today and and at the end of the day started working on jigging them both upright. I had family here from Texas for three days and then it was just plain cold. Mom isn't doing so well so not sure when I will be back on plane. We build when we can right?

    Jim

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    Last edited by Fokker Builder; 03-19-2017 at 08:19 PM.

  10. #20
    3/22/17, Back on plane today. Finished some welding and then started the jigging process.The fuselage starts to narrow right behind the cockpit so I think I am going to line up the front half parallel and weld all those cross tubes in before I start the narrowing process. I started with a center line, then found the center of the upper (plane is upside down at this point) longerons and then just started squaring everything up. I will finish locking down the front half tomorrow and start cutting cross tubes.

    Jim

    Name:  Fok fuselage jigging.jpg
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