¼-scale FOKKER E.V.

Model Airplane News, Mar 2005 by Johnson, David

* WING INSTALLATION Put the wing upside-down on your workbench, and mark the attachment-bolt locations for the cabanes. Put the fuselage on top of the wing, and line up the strut holes as closely as possible to their marked positions. Make sure that the distance from the tail post to each wingtip is the same. Drill through the strut mounts and into the wing, and then install the 8-32 blind nuts. Drill one hole at a time, and secure each strut with a nut and a bolt as you go. This helps to maintain the proper hole alignment. When the wing is completely attached to the cabanes, check its alignment again and sheet the top of the wing.

Sand the leading edge to shape, and then glue the wingtips into place. Add scrap filler to the front of both tips, and sand the bottom of each until it's flush with the bottom of the wing. Sheet the wingtips with balsa. Once the glue has dried, cut and sand the balsa to match the wing's top contour. Sand the wing sheeting carefully, as you won't be adding covering; the finish is just dope and paint.

* AILERONS The ailerons are fairly straightforward to make. Match the aileron's leading-edge angle to that on the ribs by setting the correct angle on your band saw before you cut the leading-edge pieces. When you've built the ailerons, install hinges and trial-fit them into place. The remaining tasks associated with the fuselage are pretty easy to do. Install the top decking at the front and the rear of the fuselage. Glue the decking into place, starting from the central stringers and working outward.

* LANDING GEAR AND SUB-WING Bend the landing gear as shown on the plans, and screw it to the attachment blocks. Build the sub-wing onto the bottom sheeting, and then add the leading-edge material. Don't sheet the top until you've made the axle assembly.

To properly set the sub-wing's incidence, prop up the tail until the main wing incidence is at -2 degrees. Then epoxy the legs to the sub-wing and the angled ribs. Add basswood pieces as reinforcements for the outside of the gear struts. Now sheet the top of the sub-wing and sand the leading edge to shape.

* FINAL ASSEMBLY Put the 24-ounce fuel tank into position, and then install the radio gear. Install the battery and receiver as far forward as you can. Install the rudder and elevator servos underneath the pilot seat. If you don't add a scale interior, install the servos as far forward as they can go. I glued the aileron extension wires to the left rear cabane-strut wire, and then I covered the struts with balsa.

I used Arizona Model Aircrafters' fourcolor lozenge fabric, but the choice of covering is up to you. The aluminum engine cowl is also from Arizona Model Aircrafters. Hook up the throttle linkage, and install the pull-pull rudder and elevator control cables and linkage. I made my wheels from scratch, but you can get a nice set from Flair Products.

RECOMMENDED CONTROL THROWS

Ailerons: 1 inch up and down.

Elevator: 1½ inches up and down.

Rudder: as much as you can get, left and right.