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Constructors' Notes and Instructions for Use, Fokker D.VII-65Originally printed by Rousseau Aviation These are the notes and instructions which were written by the builders of the three full-size replica Fokker D.VIIs used in the movie The Blue Max. I republished them from use by F.A.C. (Fighting Air Command) pilots who checked out in the planes in the mid-1980s, when they were based at Hartlee Field, Denton, Texas.
Publication HBD/EAR.12 ROUSSEAU AVIATION
Aeroport de Dinard
Issue Two. DINARD FRANCE
NOTE: This publication has been reprinted by the Fighting Air
Command, the current owners and operators of the three Fokker
D.VII replica aircraft built by Rousseau Aviation for the film
The Blue Max. Some information contained in the original
publication and this reprint may not be correct for the aircraft
in their current configuration. Pilots should consult the F.A.C.
pilot's notes for these aircraft.
The Fokker D.VII is a single bay staggered sesquiplane and was
designed as a single seat fighter for the German Air Force during
1918.
The Fokker D.VII-65 is a modern copy of the original D.VII. This
version suffixed 65, has been produced by Rousseau Aviation at
Ateliers Aeronautiques de la Cote d'Emeraude, Dinard Airport,
France.
The design has been undertaken on the basis of being a copy of
the genuine Fokker D.VII housed in the French Musee de l'Air at
Chalais Meudon, this example being one actually captured in
flying condition during 1918.
Following a detailed examination and investigation of the
original aircraft and a study of various records and tests
conducted by official bodies a full and up to date stress
analysis has been undertaken to check the validity of the
original design. Following preparation of a Type REcord it has
been possible to submit the aircraft to the French airworthiness
authorities who have issued a Special Certificate of
Airworthiness in the Utiltiy Category.
The basis of Design Declaration has been the requirements of the
French Norme AIR 2052. A Type Certificate has been issued.
Except in respect of the engine installation the 65 version is a
true structural copy of the original type. In order to meet
customer requirements the aircraft has been fitted with modern
instruments calibrated in English, a V.H.F. radio has been
installed and the engine installation is changed from the
original Mercedes to a deHavilland Gipsy Queen 3A fitted with a
Fairey Reed metal propeller.
Flight test conducted by the manufacturer and by test pilots of
the French Centre d'essais en vol, the official flight test
centre in France, have shown the aircraft to have exceptionally
good handling characteristics. Tests have included stalling and
spinning and six turn spins to the right and left have been
conducted successfully.
The behaviour in flight conforms generally to modern requirements
except that no stall warning device is fitted. The stalling
characteristics are docile and straightforward with a gentle nose
drop and rapid recovery at the stall.
Fuselage
The fuselage structure is a jig built welded assembly in steel
tubing. The engine bearers and forward fuselage structure which
includes Port and Starboard top mainplane attachment tripods are
integrally welded and have no means of rigging adjustment. Aft
of the fuel tank bay the structure is formed of a series of
quadrilateral bays with a quarter ring welded into the nodal
points. The quarter rings are disposed in the transverse plane
and are used to accomodate the piano wire bracing of the rear
fuselage. Each side bay of the fuselage is braced diagonally in
side elevation by a piano wire loop passing over the quarter ring
in opposite corners and being tensioned by a turnbuckle. Each
bay in front elevation is braced in similar manner.
The rectangular section of the fuselage structure is varied by
the addition of a low curved turtledeck, forward of the cockpit
this decking is made in light alloy sheet while aft of the
cockpit shape is provided by a light plywood skin stiffened by
stringers and attached to welded metal clips on the top
transverse members.
The sternpost is blocked by a spindled wooden member.
Before covering the structure is etch primed with two coats of
sprayed Celomer P.50 primer and in addition all tubes in the
cockpit and forward are sprayed with a grey cellulose finishing
coat.
Heavy grade linen fabric is applied to the fuselage being
cemented to a longitudinal tape wrapping of the longerons and
boundary members. The fabric is doped with red oxide dope with a
sprayed silver sealing coat after which the camouflage paint
scheme is sprayed.
Access to the interior of the rear fuselage is provided by a
laced up seam running along the ventral centre line of the
fuselage.
Undercarriage
The undercarriage consists of two steel tube vee members with
ball and socket attachments to the fuselage. At the lower end of
each vee the axle beam is fitted. The axle beam is a steel box
structure through which the wheel axle proper is threaded and
held in place by rubber cord so that when load is applied the
axle moves vertically inside the beam straining against the
rubber cord attached to the beam and passing over the axle.
The whole structure is braced against sideways loading by two
crossed cables, tensioned by turnbuckles, across the forward bay.
Wire braced wheels with high pressure smooth tyres run on plain
bronze bearings.
A large aerofoil section fairing, made of light alloy sheet, is
fitted over the axle box.
The tailskid is a laminated beach wooden member of club shape.
It is pivotted to allow vertical movement of the cup shaped steel
skid shoe and at the forward end, inside the fuselage, attaches
to two steel tension springs which absorb the landing loads. A
check cable is fitted to prevent over travel and a light return
spring is also fitted. The tailskid pivot is a "U" section
fitting with a plug type attachment to the sternpost.
Empennage
The empennage, with the exception of one member in the fin
structure is manufactured entirely in metal tubing.
Each member is welded in place.
The fin is a simple triangle with the base rib being in wood.
The fin spar tube provides a hinge bearing attachment for the
rudder.
The rudder consists of a vertical tube with light section steel
tube welded to it to form simple ribs, the boundary member
forming the trailing edge is also in light section tube. The
spar tube is bronze faced at the hinge points and a steel wrapper
strip picking up on to the fin provides a hinge at each hinge
point.
The tailplane has a spanwise spar tube at the elevator hinge line
and two heavy section tubes are swept forward from the tips to
the front fuselage attachment. Small diameter tubes are welded
to form simple ribs and are brought together at a steel tube
leading edge member.
The Aerodynamically balanced elevators are of similar
construction with a continuous tube forming the mainspar and
hinge bearing surfaces. Two control king posts are welded to the
elevator spar.
The whole empennage is fabric covered with the rib to fabric
attachments being strung through.
Mainplanes
The mainplanes are of entirely wooden construction. Each
mainplane is composed of two box spars tapering in both forward
elevation and plan view. Simple I section ribs consisting of a
gaboon ply web flanged on each sides with spruce or poplar strips
are threaded over the spars. The leading edges are gaboon ply
covered the ply being spliced spanwise on the heavy section
leading edge member. Tip bends are in heavy section spruce
laminations. The trailing edge is formed of a ply strip on both
top and bottom surfaces and glued to a poplar or spruce spanwise
trailing edge member. To imitate the wire trailing edge used
originally the trailing edge is shaped to a scalloped pattern.
Both mainplanes are of parallel chord and are of full span one
piece construction. The spars are plan braced with heavy gauge
piano wire from the root ribs to a point adjacent to the
interplane "N" struts. The top mainplane is fitted with an
auxiliary spar which serves to carry the aileron hinges, this
spar is not full span. Attachment brackets to the fuselage are
substantial "U" section brackets bent up from sheet steel, these
have a single bolt pick up at each main fuselage fitting of which
there are four. Smaller "U" brackets are fitted outboard to
accomodate the ends of the interplane bacing "N" struts.
The whole structure is fabric covered with heavy grade linen
fabric doped with red oxide dope. Rib stringing is standard with
subsequent taping. The mainplanes are then painted with a heavy
coat of silver dope as anti-actinic protection before the
application of the final paint scheme.
There is no external bracing wires to the mainplanes which are in
fact cantilever structures.
Ailerons are fitted to the top plane only and are steel tube
welded construction. No mass balance is fitted byt large area
aerodynamic balance surfaces are fitted at the ouboard tups. In
plan view the ailerons have an inverse taper. Hinge bracket
wrapper plates of "U" section pick up at each point by two bolts
on to the false spar of the mainplane. As in other control
hinges the spars are built up by brazing and machined to form
hinge surfaces.
Maintenance of the airframe structure is simple being in general
confined to regular inspeciton of welded joints at appropriate
intervals, rectification of corrosion as may become apparent, and
making good any damage to doped fabric.
FLIGHT MANUAL
Aircraft : FOKKER D.VII - 65
Construction by Ateliers Aeronautiques de la COTE D'EMERAUDE of
the Fokker D.VII fighter of 1918 adapted for installation of a
Gipsy Queen III engine.
Authorised Constructor: Ateliers Aeronautiques de la Cote
d'Emeraude Claude Rousseau,
Aerodrome de Dinard-Pleurtuit,
(Ille-et-Vilaine),
France.
________
SPECIAL CATEGORY CERTIFICATE OF AIRWORTHINESS
Category : Utility
________
Type Certificate No: Issued: July 1965
Applicable to aircraft Nos. 1, 2 and 3.
________
Certification Basis : Requirements of AIR 2-52
(November 1959 edition with
amendments up to and including
15th June 1963).
DESCRIPTION OF THE AIRCRAFT
Single seat biplane.
Fixed undercarriage with tail skid.
Single engine.
Wooden Mainplane structure with fabric covering.
Fuselage and Tail Unit structure of welded steel
tubes with fabric covering.
1. - BASIS OF CERTIFICATION
1.1. Limiting Speeds
Vne Never Exceed Speed 240 kph - 149 mph
Vno Normal Operating Limit 180 kph - 112 mph
Vc Structural Cruising 180 kph - 112 mph
Vp Manoeuvring 180 kph - 112 mph
Vs Stalling, Vso or Vsl sole
configuration 96 kph - 60 mph
1.2. Limiting Accelerations based on Maximum Total Weight
Authorized of 2,310 lb / 1050 kgs for Utility Category
manoeuvres.
Maximum positive Plus 4.2
Maximum negative Minus 1.68
1.3. Weight and Balance
Maximum Total Weight Authorized for Take Off
1160 Kgs - 2,552 lb.
Minimum Landing Weight 1160 Kgs - 2,552 lb.
These weights are those appropriate to structural
strength in the Normal Category.
Levelling Datum : Top longeron tubes of the pilot's
cockpit set horizontal.
Center of Gravity Datum : Leading edge of Lower
Mainplanes.
Loaded Centre of Gravity Limits.
Forward Limit: 30.9 per cent mean chord, i.e. 54
mm / 2.12 ins aft of datum
Aft Limit: 38 per cent mean chord, i.e. 6.2
ins aft of datum.
Mean Chord as defined on Page 16 of Type Record F.DVII.
Weight kgs Moment Arm Weight Moment Arm
(Metres) lb (inches)
Aircraft Empty Weight
(Tanks Dry) 905 Minus 0,024 1991 Minus 0.94
Pilot and parachute 86 Plus 1,27 189 Plus 50
Usable Fuel 86,400 Plus 0,34 190 Plus 13
Usable Oil 11 Minus 0,11 24 Minus 4.3
Various Equipment
(Camera etc) 72 158
_______ _____
1.160 2552
2. - EQUIPMENT
2.1. Engine
Number: One Manufacturer: de Havilland
Type: GIPSY QUEEN 3A
Fuel: Aircraft Fuel Minimum Octane rating 70.
Oil: 100 Grade Summer 100 Grade Winter (DERD 2472
Non Det.)
Max. Continuous Power Limitations: 2150 r.p.m.
Minimum Oil Pressure: 2.1 kgs.sq.cm. i.e. 30 p.s.i.
Minimum Oil Temperature: 90 deg. Centigrade 190 deg
Farenheit.
Minimum Fuel Pressure: 0,138 kgs.sq.cm. i.e. 2 p.s.i.
2.2. Propeller
Manufacturer: Fairey Reed Drg. No: A.67967/X5
2.3. Fuel Tank
One tank in fuselage
Capacity: 120 Litres i.e. 26.4 Imp. Gallons (26 galls
usable)
2.4. Oil Tank
Maximum Oil Capacity: 14 Litres i.e. 3 Imp Gallons.
2.5. Special Equipment
Nil
2.6. Gauges
Read direct from instrument scale, indications
corrected on instrument panel placards.
3. - LIMITATIONS
Within the limits of operation in the UTILITY category.
3.1. Air Speed Indicator Graduations
Indicated Speeds are correct and in Statute Miles per
Hour.
3.2. Limiting Speeds (IAS) Statute m.p.h. k.p.h
Never Exceed 149 240
Normal Operating Limit 112 180
Cruising Speed at 2,150 r.p.m. 105 169
Stalling Speed, Level Flight 60 96
3.3. Loading Instructions
In utility Category for aerobatic manoeuvres total
weight authorized is 2,310 lb. (1050 kgs).
3.4. Smoking Not permitted
3.5. Minimum Crew: One Pilot.
4. - LEADING PARTICULARS
Dimensions
Span 8.93 m. 29 ft. 3 1/2 ins.
Length 7.00 m. 23 ft. 0 ins.
Height 2.79 m. 9 ft. 2 ins.
Mainplane area 21.83 m.2. 235 sq.ft.
Undercarriage
Track 1.84 m. 6 ft.
Unbraked mainwheels,
pnuematic tyres Section 7.00 x 125
Tyre Pressure 38 p.s.i. 2.6 - 2.8 kg/cm2.
Shock absorbers by Rubber Cords
Tail undercarriage / Skid
Rigging
Tailplane Incidence : Plus 3 deg. to horizontal datum.
Control Surface Movements:
Elevator UP plus 30 deg
DOWN minus 30 deg
Ailerons UP plus 30 deg
DOWN minus 30 deg
Rudder PORT 30 deg
STBD 30 deg
5. - OPERATION
5.1. Indicated Air Speed for Climb
Recommended Climb Speed 85 m.p.h.
Recommended Final Approach Speed 85 m.p.h.
5.2. Special Instructions for fuel system
None applicable.
5.3. Engine Fire in Flight
Fuel OFF
Throttle OPEN
MASTER Switch OFF
Generator switch OFF
Magnetos OFF
(when fuel from Carb is exhausted)
FOKKER D.VII - 65 CHECK LIST
BEFORE FLIGHT TAKE OFF VITAL ACTION
Walk Around Inspection Throttle Friciton SET
Fuel Tank Replenished Fuel ON
Oil Quantity Checked Gauges IN LIMITS
Battery Cannon Plug Secured Harness and Chute Locks LOCKED
Cowl Access Panels secured
Pitot Covers Removed
Wheel Chocked BEFORE LANDING VITAL ACTION
Operate Fuel Tank Purge
Fuel Contents CHECK
BEFORE START Gauges IN LIMITS
Magneto Drop at 1800 rpm CHECK
Mag Switches OFF
Master Switch OFF
VHF Switch OFF SHUT DOWN VITAL ACTIONS
Throttle CLOSED
Harness & Chute SECURE Fuel Supply OFF
Seat Raise Lever LOCKED Throttle Closed CHECK
Rudder Pedals ADJUST Mag Switches OFF
Altimiter SET VHF Switch OFF
Camera Switch OFF Camera Switch OFF
Master Switch OFF
STARTING
Master Switch ON AFTER SHUT DOWN
Generator Switch ON
Battery Volts 24 Walk around Inspection
Fuel ON Record and Report Defects
Fuel Gauge Indic. CHECK Check Controls locked
Primer OPERATE Check Wheels Chocked.
Propeller TURN
Ground Crew CLEAR
Mag Switch 1 PLUS 2 ENGINE FIRE
Start Button PRESS
Oil Pressure CHECK Fuel OFF
Mag Switch Dead Cut CHECK Throttle OPEN
VHF Switch ON Master Switch OFF
Generator Switch OFF
RUN UP Magneto Switch OFF
(when fuel from carb is exhaused)
Fuel Press. Light EXTINGUISHED
Oil Temperature CHECK
Mag Drop at 1800 rpm CHECK
Full Throttle rpm CHECK
Oil Pressure CHECK Ets. Ateliers Aeronautiques de la
Charge Rate CHECK Cote d'Emeraude CLAUDE ROUSSEAU
Slow Running CHECK Dinard Airport, Dinard, France.
Throttle Response CHECK
Switches, Controls and Instruments
Magneto Switches Port side of instrument panel. Lowest
position of knob is OFF, positions 1 and
2 are independent magnetos, marking 1+2
means CONTACT both mags.
Battery Master Switch Grey knob Starboard side of instrument
panel. Push for ON, pull for OFF.
V.H.F. Radio Switch On front face of set. Turn swich clock
wise for ON and volume increase, turn
knurled collar behind switch for
Squelch. Socket marked "Casque" is for
phones, socket marked Micro is for
microphone.
Press to Talk At top of control column.
Generator Cut Off Tumbler switch on Stbd side of instument
panel.
Throttle Normal type fore and aft movement lever
at Port side of cockpit and fitted with
plastic friction knob.
Harness Aerobatic type with centre lock. With
harness locked lever is vertical. If
"O" on lock is visible at top then
harness is not locked.
Seat Raise and Lower Lever at Stbd side of seat with push
button lock on top of lever.
Rudder Pedals Parallel action, fitted with toe straps,
adjust by two knobs on top surface of
control box. N.B. Pull Left knob for
Stbd pedal and vice versa.
Fuel Cock Stbd side of cockpit, a simple lever
moving fore and aft. Lever forwards is
ON, to move OFF lift safety catch.
Primer Kigass pump type. Unscrew knob, pump
until resistance is felt then prime as
required. Important to ensure screwed
down after use.
Camera Switch Stbd side of instrument panel.
Starter Button Stbd side of instrument panel adjacent
to fuse box. Fitted with spring loaded
safety cover.
Airspeed Indicator Left side of centre panel, graduated in
Statute M.P.H.
Altimeter Kollsman Sensitive 3 pointer type with
Mb scale. Graduated in feet.
Turn and Slip Reid and Sigrist Mark 1A two needle type
venturi operated.
R.P.M. Tachometer Electric Two pointer type, small hand
thousands, big hand hundreds of r.p.m.
Fuel Contents Jaeger Type graduated in fractions of
tank capacity. For Imp. Gallons
conversion consult calibration card on
instrument panel.
Oil Pressure Jaeger Type graduated in Kgs.Sq.Cm.
Normal Pressure is 4.9 Kgs.Sq.Cm.
equivalent to 70 p.s.i. Minimum in
flight with 5 minute limit is 2.1
Kgs.Sq.Cm. equivalent to 30 p.s.i.
Oil Temperature Jaeger Type graduated in degrees
Centigrade.
Ammeter Standard A.M. Type on Stbd lower side of
instrument panel.
Voltmeter Standard A.M. Type on Stbd lower side of
instrument panel.
Fuel Pressure Warning light at top left hand side of
Warning Light instrument panel.
Magnetic Compass Vion Type Direct reading with vertical
presentation, installed at top centre of
instrument panel.
EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT
First Aid Box Stowed on Port side floor board under
seat.
Fire Extinguisher Stowed in clip above V.H.F. set.
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All material not specifically credited is Copyright © by Randy Wilson.
All rights reserved.
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