Arizona model aircrafters: Fokker

Model Airplane News, Jun 2002 by Johnson, David

FLIGHT TEST

WW I three-wing ARF

in the past few years, there has been a tremendous resurgence of interest in WW I aircraft. The Fokker triplane is among the most popular and recognizable aircraft of that era. The plane is most closely associated with WW I's leading ace, Manfred von Richthofen-"The Red Baron." In speaking with spectators at various events, I've found that most modelers would love to own a WW I model, but many believe they are too much work. The Arizona Model Aircrafters' Fokker Dr.1 is your chance to own a red triplane just like Richthofen's, with a minimum of fuss.

WHAT DO YOU GET?

When I opened the box, I found a nicely fabric-covered, sport-scale Fokker Dr.1. When I looked through the contents of the box, I found that it included the plane, a dummy engine kit, machine guns, a painted fiberglass cowl, vinyl decals and a very complete-looking set of hardware. I could no longer control my enthusiasm, so I got busy at once! Within 40 minutes of opening the box, I had an assembled triplane sitting on its wheels.

ASSEMBLY

To make sure I got it right, I began by reading the included instructions. As I stated before, there really is not a tremendous amount of work involved in getting this plane ready to fly. I began by hinging and installing the ailerons and elevators. The hinges were among the few parts not included in the package. I chose to use medium Robart hinge points.

The triplane's wings all come in one piece and can be easily attached with the supplied metal bolts. The cabane struts and interplane struts are also formed and ready to bolt into place with small L-brackets and screws. The landing-gear wire is already bent to shape; all you have to do is insert the wires into the mounting slots in the bottom of the fuselage and into the sub-wing fairing between the wheels and then secure them with the supplied straps and screws.

The instruction sheet was a bit unclear about how to install the tailskid; it simply said to install the tailskid and spring with the supplied bungee. A quick call to the folks at Arizona Model Aircrafters cleared everything up. The tailskid should be installed with the supplied angle brackets and screws. Next, attach the hooks to either side of the fuselage and then attach the spring to the skid by running the bungee through it and looping it around the hooks. Arizona Model Aircrafters did inform me that I had received an early version of the model and that the directions have since been modified.

ENGINE INSTALLATION

This is the only part of the assembly that might be difficult for a beginner. I elected to use an O.S. .52 4-stroke engine in my plane. Because this is a good-size plane with a lot of wings, it took a great deal of willpower to resist the urge to install something larger. I suggest that you also resist this urge.

The plane is designed for either electric or glow power, but glow fliers will need to slightly modify the model. You must enlarge the hole in the firewall so that the 4-stroke carburetor can extend back through the firewall-a requirement if the engine is to fit inside the cowl. Laminate the two 1/4-inch plywood engine mounts together. While they set, enlarge the center hole of the cowl to fit your engine and mount the cowl on the plane.

Next, set the fuselage upside-down, tape the engine mount into place and mark the exact location of the engine on the mount. Drill your mount holes, attach the engine to the mount and then epoxy the mount/engine assembly into place, making sure to center the engine's crankshaft in the cowl hole. It actually sounds more complicated than it is.

At this time, I modified the plane to assist in the balancing process. I made a plywood tray and set it in front of the firewall over the engine. This allowed me to place my receiver as far forward as the cowl would allow. Last, I boxed in the carburetor with the supplied pieces. Don't forget to fuelproof these areas.

The dummy engine goes together quickly and easily with the provided laser-cut parts. I assembled the machine guns as directed.

RADIO INSTALLATION

I elected to install a JR radio in my triplane. I began with the installation of the aileron servos. The model came with all of the necessary linkages. The thoughtful folks at Arizona even inserted strings to help pull the leads through. The only problem I had was that a standard-size servo didn't seat flush with the wing. I recommend that you install a mini or a low-profile servo.

I next installed the throttle, elevator and rudder servos immediately behind the firewall and over the 8-ounce fuel tank (not included). The kit includes dowels to make the pushrods. The directions were unclear about how to hook up the surfaces, so I decided to take the provided dowel and attach two pieces of the included threaded rod to one end with some CA and thread. I then spread the threaded rod to make a "V." Next, I cut slots in the rear of the fuselage to correspond with the length of the elevator horns. I then inserted the V-rod through the fuselage and attached it to the elevator horns with the provided devises. Last, I attached the dowel to the elevator servo using another piece of the provided rod.