RE: Half Scale Fokker DVI
Wow, love that pilot... where's his girl friend ? Maybe if he wore a Stella head band you could get some corporate sponsorship... Ya know "powered by Stella"... I like that top wing, looks big and strong plus it looks straight. Marvelous job, I know you guys have been working overtime to get it done. See you soon... Glenn
Posted on: 7/2/2009 6:13 AM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "Giant Scale Aircraft - General"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8900144

RE: GTM 3rd scale Fokker D8 build
You can drill a slight angles so you miss the other rod. Also, note that you will file these rods flat and they should not show up once you paint the fuselage if you decide to do so. I used ZAP glue (Green bottle) to secure these into position. Once you have done the fuselage, wow, it is a lot sturdier than before.
Posted on: 2/14/2009 11:49 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8477991

RE: GTM 3rd scale Fokker D8 build
Once I had the fuselage sort-of framed up meaning all supports in glued in position. I added carbon fiber rod to the glue joints which really secured everything in place. A fellow builder, Barry Vogel, mention this to me and I thought I would give it a whirl. So, I found some 1/16 carbon rod and cut them to 1/2 inch length. You really need a handful as you will drill each horizontal and vertical member. Here is a picture of the carbon rod.
Posted on: 2/14/2009 11:45 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8477985

RE: GTM 3rd scale Fokker D8 build
Here you can see some of the dowels going into place, the use of the triangle and a clamp which worked pretty well. Also, you can see that I have secured the fuselage to table by screwing the wood blocks into the table top. All of these aids yielded good results. So, you work your way towards the tail doing one bay at a time. There is no hurry and yes I had to redo some dowels here and there as I did not drill them right the first time but after a while you sort-of learn where to drill and file to get that nice snug fit.
Posted on: 2/14/2009 11:33 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8477959

RE: GTM 3rd scale Fokker D8 build
One thing to note is that the firewall is not in place yet, as it really doesn't need to be... A nice feature is the firewall can slide front or back depending on your engine. I had a engine in mind, but the plane is turning out to be lighter than I thought. So, I am going to use a Laser 360V twin engine which will be a nice solution for this weight class, which I believe will be around 26-28 lbs. You will do each horizontal support, gluing and clamping as you go. The fuselage is pretty much a square until you past the cockpit area and then it starts tapering to the tail area. The first support pass the last top strut support is a 3/8 diameter dowel. This is where the machine guns mount which requires a larger tube so, we have a larger dowel in this area only. The rest will remain at 5/16.
Posted on: 2/14/2009 11:24 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8477923

RE: GTM 3rd scale Fokker D8 build
Some fuselage parts are fixed in sized. Which will get us started in the right direction. You want to start in the front and work back. The first photo shows the cowl support. I drilled some holes in these to help cooling. You glue the top cowl support in place as well as the two landing gear blocks and the two top strut supports. I used a large green triangle to ensure the fuselage was straight and over the plans. I used some sand bags that the wife made to hold everything in place while the Titebond glue dried. I also used blue painters tape to keep the fuselage together holding the top strut supports in place. Also, you can see the fuselage secured with wood blocks helping everything stay in position. I located the top strut supports by measuring from the cowl support and marking that on the top longerons and using a t-square to ensure they were straight.
Posted on: 2/14/2009 11:14 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8477880

RE: GTM 3rd scale Fokker D8 build
So, you build a left and right fuselage side. This didn't take all that long, although, I let the glue dry over night to ensure everything was going to stay in position. The next thing you will do will join these sides together. I prepare the landing gear blocks first by locating and drilling the 1/8 inch holes needed for the J-bolts which will secure the landing gear in place. You should follow the plans on the J-bolt locations as it ensures you don't have the J-bolts too close so you would have a hard time un-doing them. Also, note that the J-bolts really hug the groove as these J-bolts are designed to work with 3/16 music wire securely holding it in place. It is a lot easier to drill these blocks while they are out of the fuselage. There will be two J-bolts per strut.
Posted on: 2/14/2009 11:03 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8477842

RE: GTM 3rd scale Fokker D8 build
Here you can see the remaining supports in position. I used Titebond wood glue which is the "red" bottle. I found that Titebond II gets brittle over time and that the original Titebond seems to have some flex in it which is better suited for this application.
Posted on: 2/14/2009 10:52 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8477797

RE: GTM 3rd scale Fokker D8 build
Your goal would be to make the joints gap free. I like to make the vertical dowel a wee-bit long and then file them down to make a snug fit. Don't force the dowel in place so you would push the top or bottom longerons out of position once you remove the support blocks. The dowels should slide into place without putting a lot of pressure on the other longerons. Here is a same joint that you can see a drilled vertical support and the other was cut / sanded into place.
Posted on: 2/14/2009 10:49 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8477783

RE: GTM 3rd scale Fokker D8 build
Once you have the main longerons in place, you will add the vertical supports. There are a couple of ways to add these supports, in that, you can notch the longerons or cup the ends of the vertical dowels. I decided to do the later. Your working with 5/16 dowel, so, you would drill the ends with a 5/16 drill bit. Here is a photo showing the end of the dowel drilled which clearly shows the correct radius. Also, you will notice a small 1/16 hole which I added for the future fuselage rigging cable. So, at the end the fuselage will have a cable threaded thru to help support the complete structure.
Posted on: 2/14/2009 10:41 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8477744

RE: GTM 3rd scale Fokker D8 build
Basically, you will build a left and right side first. I like using triangles and t-squares when needed as that ensure everything will be at the expected angle. This half moon looking part is the cowl support. The cowl has a cable groove which will be supported by this 1/4 inch ply piece. This piece is laser cut to fit the round dowels.
Posted on: 2/14/2009 10:35 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8477717

RE: GTM 3rd scale Fokker D8 build
I decided to use dowels for the fuselage. You can either choose dowels or sticks. Here you can see I made some supports to ensure the main longerons stayed securely in place. Not all that hard to do. I used a flat hollow door on plastic saw horses for a table, then covered it with some homasite which is the gray looking board from Home Depot or Lowes. I believe the board is about 1/2 inch thick. The goal here is to keep all longerons aligned to the outer edge on the plans as dowels might not be exactly the 5/16 diameter they say they are. The plans are absolute.
Posted on: 2/14/2009 10:31 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8477701

GTM 3rd scale Fokker D8 build
It has been a wee-bit since I did a build along, so, I thought I would give it a whirl again. My newest release is the 3rd scale Fokker D8. I thought I would release this before the SE5a kit. Here is the plane if your not familar with it. This particular one resides at the Army Musuem in Fort Ruckers, Alabama.
Posted on: 2/14/2009 10:20 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8477664

RE: Half Scale Fokker DVI
You guys didn't waste any time on this. Looks really good. For 1/2 scale it is large but not as large as you would think. - Glenn
Posted on: 2/9/2009 9:38 AM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "Giant Scale Aircraft - General"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8456273

RE: Glenn Torrence (GTM) 1/3 Scale Dr.1 Build Along
Yes, this is the time to raise the glasses and toast all involved. Del has definitely achieved his goal of creating a really scale Dr1 and going out with a touch of the flu in cold weather to get the maiden flight in is a testament to his dedication on this project. Yes, Tony Fokker and crew did design a lovely plane that we all can enjoy. With the new upcoming Red Baron movie coming out next summer this plane will help remember his legacy as well as the other pilots who flew such a simple design. Lee your the man ! Dead stick on the first flight and getting it down safely is accredit to your flying skills. This was a marvelous build along and has given us WW1 builders a lot of great ideas and looks into a prototype coming together. Once again thanks to everyone following this build and your dedication and interest in WW1. - Glenn
Posted on: 11/25/2007 10:13 AM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6670173

RE: Glenn Torrence (GTM) 1/3 Scale Dr.1 Build Along
Hey Del... I like seeing how the belly shroud lines up, especially with the j-bolts. The door looks like it will be pretty effective. I can not tell from the photo but not sure if a piece of electrical tape on the back side of the door would help "seal" things up. I did that on my D8 metal hood area to keep one from scratching the paint off the other... seemed to work well. Overall, the belly shroud / door looks effective... pretty big door, huh ? Looks like the ammo box went together well... for modeling purposes I think wood is still a good solution, in that, we can make the parts metal but that makes assembly a little complicated. Actually, with today's paints you can make wood look like metal easier than TIG welding up a ammo box... keep up the good work... the model looks marvelous... - Glenn
Posted on: 7/8/2007 9:44 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6086077

RE: GTM Hanriot HD1 #6252
Hey Mark ... Looking really good... I wish I had a laser cutter at work... [:)] I'd be cutting a lot of neat parts. I have access to one now and should update some parts to laser cut ones, such as all the flying wire connections and some other plates. Once things settle down here I think I will revisit some of them... Keep up the great work, I like that engine mount too. See you in Dayton - Glenn
Posted on: 4/1/2007 10:15 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5651268

RE: Glenn Torrence (GTM) 1/3 Scale Dr.1 Build Along
Hey Del... Looks like the parts are fitting pretty nice. How do you like the hole sizes in the plywood parts C1-4 ? I am working on getting your parts rounded up tomorrow; which will include the cabane struts, ailerons and other goodies. Then I am off to California for several days. We have been stuffing the kit boxes now... a lot of parts... fun for all involved [;)]
Posted on: 3/23/2007 11:33 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5607839

RE: Glenn Torrence (GTM) 1/3 Scale Dr.1 Build Along
Hey Del... Your struts look good and your description and procedure are right on. No real easy way to apply the JB Weld but tooth picks or a stick seem to work fine. You will chamfer the strut ends a wee-bit and might have to touch up the JB Weld a little but it will be rock strong. Bruno - Yes, it is a great time for Fokkers right now; between Tommy's D8 and Del's Dr1 it's Fokker madness. You will be able to order this kit with dowels or square longerons; basically, have it your way. The price is the same, just some parts are laser cut a little different so they can mate better either to round or square longerons. Personally, I like the dowels but most builders still desire the square longerons. - Glenn
Posted on: 3/20/2007 11:13 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5593333

RE: Glenn Torrence (GTM) 1/3 Scale Dr.1 Build Along
Hey Del... Looking real good.. I think you have the dowel procedure down just fine... Notching dowels is the ticket. Wondering what were your thoughts were on painting the fuse ? Is that something you will do later or soon ? The frame should probably be painted prior to adding the turtledeck, fairings, fuselage cabling and similar parts. - Glenn
Posted on: 3/16/2007 11:37 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5573065

RE: Glenn Torrence (GTM) 1/3 Scale Dr.1 Build Along
Hey Del... I like all the triangles and squares. That will ensure all the parts line up just fine. Looks like everything is fitting well. Is the firewall glued in place now ? I was wondering what nuts are you planning to use to hold the engine in ? I used t-nuts where I added them prior to permanently installing the firewall. If I recall you mention 10-32 size screws were planned for the engine.... - Glenn
Posted on: 3/14/2007 9:58 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5562541

RE: Glenn Torrence (GTM) 1/3 Scale Dr.1 Build Along
Hi VG... the 5 color fabric looks great... just a word of warning, that the camouflage really works. In that, when I fly my D8 using the 4 color fabric and if the plane goes in front of some green trees, you need to wingle the wings to make sure to see the plane and don't loose sight of the D8. So, keep an eye on your D7. One of the reasons I picked a Fokker D6 from the red tail squadron was that the red tail really stands out, helps me see the plane. - Glenn Del, I did the same sort-of thing. I used Zap, titebond and epoxy depending on what was being glued. I agree with Tom that hardwoods like Titebond, actually I use that for laminating my props together. Although, I have seen Zap do just as well with certain woods. Sounds like you have some experience with your method and a couple of hard landings to test out the glue joints. One thing that will help with the glue joints will be the fuselage cross-bracing. I noticed the dowel construction get very strong and sturdy. I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised. [:)] - Glenn
Posted on: 3/12/2007 9:31 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5552136

RE: 1/2 Scale Fokker D-8
Hey Tom... the new parts look great. I love that wind screen. These details are really adding the icying to the cake... Oh, appreciate the kind words, but really all the kudos should go to all the WW1 designers back in 1917 as they were the mechanical, aero-engineers and pioneers that deserve to be recognized. I am just thrilled to be able to recreate some of their work and bringing it to life. - Glenn
Posted on: 2/20/2007 8:43 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5449466

RE: Glenn Torrence (GTM) 1/3 Scale Dr.1 Build Along
Hey Del... The Fedx truck showed up with some goodies today... I have to admit that laser cutter is just awesome... I grabbed the parts and test fitted all the different rivets, screws, etc.... crossing my fingers hoping that everything would fit. Great news, everything fits just fine. Whew... I was a wee-bit concerned... Here are some photos, see what you can recognize. I will be sending these fiitings, mating hardware and the fuselage parts here shortly... - Glenn
Posted on: 2/20/2007 8:22 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5449328

RE: 1/2 Scale Fokker D-8
Hey Tom - The gauges came out really nice. I like that tach... I am now convinced that I need to have one too in 1/3 scale. Oh, I went ahead and added a link to your build-along from my website www.flygtm.com. Looks like your wrapping up the cockpit area. Any thoughts on the dummy engine ? Or should you just go all out and make a 1/2 scale Oberusel... as you did everything else scale. [:)] - Glenn
Posted on: 2/7/2007 11:17 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5387075

RE: Glenn Torrence (GTM) 1/3 Scale Dr.1 Build Along
Hey Del - you seem to have more building room than me... what's up with that ? looks real good. Having you stand by the wings does give us the size of things. 1/3 scale does open some doors for more scale detail, in that, you can find some off the shelf parts that can plug right in... at 1/4 scale a lot of them have to be fabricated which does run up costs. Actually, the triplane is rather small compared to some other 1/3 scales out there. You look at the wing chord and wonder is it really 1/3 scale. Meaning you multiple by three and now it's full scale and your climbing in to fly it. Not that much wing... but times three wings, there is plenty...
Posted on: 2/4/2007 11:41 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5372389

RE: 1/2 Scale Fokker D-8
Hey Tom - glad to see you got around to post some photos... Looks good. I noticed the compass and quadrant are now mounted. How about some photos ? Like to see some more detail comments on some of the photos you have. It's sort-of hard to judge the size of all of this. Looks rather large. Now we just need the AMA to raise the weight limit. Oh, I will add this link on my website so all can see your marvelous work... - Glenn
Posted on: 1/31/2007 8:27 PM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5352956

RE: Glenn Torrence (GTM) 1/3 Scale Dr.1 Build Along
Hi Abufletcher - I really want to keep this kit in the $700 range. I want it to be sort-of affordable for a lot of builders. The good news is our hobby does not follow the full scale costs. As a full scale replica would cost around $120k and here you can get a 1/3 scale model under a $1000. So, we can tell our wives we're saving a lot of money and the insurance is really cheap. [:)] - Glenn
Posted on: 1/9/2007 12:33 AM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5235054

RE: Glenn Torrence (GTM) 1/3 Scale Dr.1 Build Along
Hey Del... Really doing a good job on this project. You got a nice camera and you have all the steps covered. I got mine started but I keep slowing down because I got to cut the next batch of parts for you. I like how all the parts are coming together and that the wing is not that difficult to build. From all the Fokkers I worked on, it is the simplest, in that, almost all the ribs are identical and the wings are flat. The weight seems to be in line if not on the light side... but I guess when all said is done I suspect the plane to come in around 28-30lbs. Glad to see you have a nice shop, that long table surely helps out. Have you thought about radios and servos yet ? I plan to put a servo for each aileron as shown on the plans. I guess if someone wanted to add pulleys you could. - Glenn
Posted on: 1/9/2007 12:16 AM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5234976

RE: Glenn Torrence (GTM) 1/3 Scale Dr.1 Build Along
Yes, don't you hate that ... having servos mixed up... I have seen it a couple of times and I think I have done it once although, it was caught on a pre-flight check. 1/3 scale kits are not really exponential costs of a 1/4 scale kit as it sort-of depends on detail. Things can add up quickly as you start adding those really neat details. Hard to resist but you do need to keep in mind the big picture. I think though, on this 1/3 scale DR1 kit I might just have to go a little waco and add a decent amount of detail. I think the DR1 deserves the attention and kudos goes to the Red Baron. As the DR1 is probably the best known WW1 plane out there. Ask any non-WW1 civilian and they can probably come up with the Red Baron in a three winger... even though historically he shot down more planes in an Albatros than the DR1... - Glenn
Posted on: 7/11/2006 12:40 AM by Author "flyingrazor" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4486988