WW1 flying Downunder

[TAVAS]

just letting everyone know about a new Australian organisation to promote building and flying WW1 replicas in Australian skies.

The aim is to have as many of these flying as possible at various locations around Australia on 11/11/18 - the centenary of the Armistace.

Anyone can be involved, not just pilots and builders. Have a look at our website www.tavas.com.au (http://www.tavas.com.au/) and follow our regular updates on facebook at www.facebook.com/tavasww1 (http://www.facebook.com/tavasww1)

2 minute video at youtube -
TAVAS WW1 aviation today.wmv - YouTube

[boocs]

Thanks for posting TAVAS, looks great!!

b.

[outbacktourer]

Great idea wish you all the best with it, hopefully will be able to come along one day and see some of these beauties in action!

[boocs]

TAVAS,

When is the arrival date of your Red Baron Fokker??

b.

[TAVAS]

Hi boocs,

Should be in country as of today, I hope to see it in the next week or two

[boocs]

Thanks TAVAS!!

Would be keen to see any photos of its progress towards flying status if you are willing to post.

Keep up the good work!!

b.

[Biggles78]

Pun intended but still a serious question. How much would the little Fokker and other era aeroplanes cost? Obviously an exact amount is not expected and also any idea of running costs? Again this will depend on hours flown but just some general idea.

Finally, how much grief can one expect from the "safety" Gestapo if one owned one of the magnificient machines? Do they fall under the RAA banner?

[Amiri01]

Hi Biggles,

There are affordable replicas, both full sized and scale that are available as kits from Airdrome Airplanes in the US. They have a website at Airdrome Aeroplanes ~ Holden, MO (http://www.airdromeaeroplanes.com/).

That website will give you an idea about cost for these types of aircraft.

Most of these replicas could be built and operated under the RAA banner without too much grief.

Of course, there are quite a number of other replica aircraft kits available, but Airdrome seems to have the greatest following.

[boocs]

Can you post some photos of your Fokker Tri plane TAVAS?
Thanks,
b.

[hiwaytohell]

Here's the link to their newsletter http://tavas.com.au/resources/Contact%20Issue%208min.pdf (http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=N_M66&m=3jQCXtJEAlVP6AL&b=YloTrJpHcLLz3Kvq.gIn7g)

[TAVAS]

Hi all and thanks so much for your interest in what we are doing.


I will post some details on the Tripe shortly. I would suggest you have a look at our new website - it was only released 3 days ago and has all the picture and video content on the WW1 aviation scene in Australia, including plenty more pics of the triplane - www.tavas.com.au (http://www.tavas.com.au)


Also plenty more pics on our facebook page - and no you don't have to have a facebook account to view it - www.facebook.com/tavasWW1 (http://www.facebook.com/tavasWW1)


Biggles - how long is a piece of string? What do you want and how accurate do you want it to be and how much of it do you intend to build yourself?


At the low end of the scale, Airdrome kits (only the full size - don't worry about the scaled stuff) costs around US$12-15,000 for the complete kit and another US$10K for the engine and you could build that within a year part time.


If you want a cheap radial engine to look more authentic, you need about $25-35K. If you want a reverse engineered rotary engine (as we are having made up for our E.III Eindekker) allow closer to $60k.


At the top end of the scale, you can buy a 100% accurate Albatros D.Va for US$685k. I think you can buy an original Sopwith Camel for about 1 million pounds.


Yes many of the 100% reproductions and all of the Airdrome kits meet the RAAus classification. The triplane does not and so is registered VH-FXP


Plenty more info on the website and in each of our extensive newsletters available to members. You can obtain membership through the website.


How do you attach images to a post on this site? It only seems to allow you to link to a website URL which is why I haven't put up any pics in this post.


Andrew

[TAVAS]

Video of the first flight of the TAVAS / Fokker Dr.I Triplane can be seen here


TAVAS Fokker DrI - First Test Flight - 17th December 2013 - YouTube

[TAVAS]

On the 17th December 2013 (exactly 110 years since the Wright Brothers first history making flight), the TAVAS Fokker Dr.I Triplane took to the air for the first time in Australia, at Cabolture airfield about 45 minutes drive north of Brisbane.

This of course is the first Australian based Triplane to fly in Australia since The RAAF museum at Point Cook retired theirs. That particular aircraft was built in 1973 for use in the film 'The Great Waldo Pepper' and registered N864DR. Imported to Australia privately, then acquired by the Australian War Memorial and loaned to the RAAF Museum, it carried the registration VH-ALU.

It was returned to Canberra in late January 2000 when Flight Lieutenant Peter Clements flew it from Point Cook to Canberra (via a refuel stop in Wagga) - a total flight time of 5.1 hours. It now resides as a static exhibit at the Museum of Australian Army Flying at Oakey in QLD.

The TAVAS example is a very comfortable and enjoyable aircraft to fly, not difficult as I had been led to believe. The controls are positive and responsive - firm, not twitchy. Only little control inputs are needed for general flying. At this stage no aggressive manoeuvres have been attempted.

Ground handling of this aircraft is better than the original, with the non standard tailwheel and differential disk brakes making all the difference.

I fly the final approach at idle power and 70 knots (a good 10 knots higher than it needs to be). Three and a half wings and full power gives great lift, but with no power, there is plenty of drag and so I find as I flare, the aircraft will develop a high rate of sink unless I carry 1300-1500rpm into the flare and back to idle just before touching down.

As we approach the centenary of the First World War, this aircraft and the others in our collection will attract a lot of attention as we use them to educate the Australian public on these remarkable machines and the people who flew them.

Now that the Triplane is complete, we can turn our attention to completing the Fokker D.VIII which just needs and engine and instruments fitted. We had fitted an Australian built Rotec radial engine to it, however that will be replaced with an authentic 160hp Gnome rotary engine which we have just purchased from the United States and hope to have early Feb.

Whilst work is being done on that, we will also be finishing off the E.III Eindekker. We have just obtained the authentic linen for that aircraft (made by the same family run business in Belgium who were producing it during the war). The Gnome 100hp engine we are having reverse engineered in NZ for this, should be completed and have had its first test runs around March.


Video of that exact engine being described by the builder can be seen at -
New Build - Monosoupape Gnome rotary engine. - YouTube

It is taking a long time to complete these aircraft as authentically as possible, but the finished result will be worth it. More details can be found at www.tavas .com.au

[boocs]

Thanks hth. That Red Baron looks amazing!!
b.

[boocs]

Thanks for the update TAVAS. Keep up the great work!!
b.

[rjtjrt]

TAVAS
The video of the first flight of the triplane. It seemed to be very squirily on the ground in that crosswind landing, from the look of it in the video.
Does the tailwheel help or hinder cf a skid?
I applaud all your efforts.

[ABusboy]

Well done and congratulations,
What about a rebuild of a Bert's arvo

[TAVAS]

Rjtjrt - Landing this is relatively straight forward. However I had been told so many horror stories about landing these things that I was prepared for the worst.


So much so that on landing I probably over reacted to every little movement. I can assure you that much of the squirreling you saw was pilot induced. All subsequent landings have been much smoother with much less use of rudder.


I assume a skid with a metal keel (as we have on all our other Fokker fighters) would be slightly better, but you can't use them on Tar runways and they'd be a lot harder in general ground handling.

[TBM-Legend]

What about a rebuild of a Bert's arvo

The Do'ers do...get to it ABusboy

[ABusboy]

TBM-
I think I have the right genes for it! Ie.my grandfather was a mechanic in Douglas Bader,s squadron.but I'm a flyer not a fixer,I'm limited to checking fuel and oil..

[mattyj]

Aircraft | The Vintage Aviator (http://thevintageaviator.co.nz/topic/projects/aircraft)

I guess we beat you Aussies in one thing then.. Theres about half a dozen of them flying in NZ as well as several other WW1 types

[rjtjrt]

In warbirds, vintage aviation and helicopters, NZ is amazing - such a dynamic scene (and scenery too!).

[TAVAS]

Hi Matty,


quite correct - as far as unique manufacturing of aircraft and engines, owning said things through syndicates and running airshows, nobody beats the Kiwis in my opinion and of course TVAL leads the way.


Nothing like that is here in Australia. In fact we only have one authentic Sopwith Pup flying and now 2 replicas. TAVAS was established to get more people building and flying these types and displaying them to Australian audiences.


Our IT guy just put together some touch and go footage which I include here so you can see just how sedate and stable this Triplane really is.


TAVAS - Fokker Dr.I Circuit Tests - 22nd December 2013 - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moSsCP8Puz0&feature=youtu.be)

[Dora-9]

A very nice You Tube guys.

Andrew, will you always do wheelers or do you intend moving towards three-pointers?

[TAVAS]

Hi Dora,

Everyone I have spoke to who flies these said that the small rudder is not effective between transitioning from tail down to up and vice versa and that’s why they all wheel it on, keep forward pressure to the last moment and then force the tail down quickly to maintain steering effectiveness at all times.

I saw 7 of these aircraft fly all together at Omaka and on landing every single one of them wheeled it on.

I have seen footage of the great Mikael Carlson 3 point his and he does land very slow – but he does manage to hit each wingtip as well. So I’m going to stick to wheeler landings.

[Dora-9]

Oh please, definitely no criticism implied with my question! Thanks for the response.

Wheelers seem really "in" for warbirds, oddly last time I was at Omaka I was quite surprised to see the Fw 190 being three-pointed though.

Cheers Andrew.

[TAVAS]

No criticism taken - it's a fair question. TAVAS aim is to raise awareness of these aircraft and the men who designed them, built them and flew them and of course to raise questions and hopefully answer them.


I'm learning as I go along too, so I can answer the questions as to how and why I do it, but that doesn't always mean that was the how and why it was done back in the day.


Through forums like this and others, I'm expecting other people to share their knowledge and help grow mine in the process. There are some truly amazing people who have dedicated incredible amounts of time and talent to producing extremely accurate replicas and learning all about the period and the people from that experience.


All questions and comments welcome.

[j3pipercub]

Hi TAVAS,

Beautiful looking machine. Is it the aidrome with a rotec?

J3

[TAVAS]

Hi J3


No this is an accurate build - from the Ron Sands plans. Like the original, it has a welded steel tube fuselage and built up wooden wings with the proper full cantilever wooden spars.


At this stage it has a Lycoming O-320 (150hp) engine fitted to it.


The intention was to fit a Rotary to it (we have two coming) but one of those will be fitted to our E.III Eindekker and one to our D.VIII.


So I may look at fitting a Rotec radial to it at a later stage.

[TAVAS]

more details and pictures here


Fokker Dr1 (http://www.tavas.com.au/fokker-dr1.php)

[boocs]

Bloody Kiwis.
b.

[TAVAS]

http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab281/TAVASWW1/886c9c54-c123-48f3-9a50-c670f259482b_zpsf1ecb5b9.png


Just letting you all know that for those of you who will be around S.E. Qld at this time, you are welcome to come along to this -


On Sunday the 26th January, we are holding a seminar at the QVAG building at Watts Bridge, on WW1 aviation builds in Australia - those in our collection and the many others under construction. There will be a complete seminar on building Airdrome Aeroplanes kit aircraft as well.

We have run these several times before and they have been very well received – especially when engineer Dave Walsh talks about the technical issues we have faced with these aircraft and describes the rotary engines in detail (of which we will soon have 2!).

If the weather is kind on the day, I will be flying the Dr.I to Watts Bridge and it will be on display with Bruce's Pup (see picture). This is the only time in Australia in the last 14 years that a Pup and Triplane have been seen together.


Full details at this link -
http://www.qvag.org/pdf/Special%20event%20-%20early%20aviation%20seminar%20Jan%202014.pdf

[boocs]

Thanks Tavas!
b.

[TAVAS]

Hi guys,


just a reminder that this coming Sunday (26th Jan), we will be holding a talk on the TAVAS collection and on building WW1 quick build kits. This is open to anyone who can get to Watts Bridge by 10:30 that morning.


If the weather is fine, I will be flying the only DrI flying in Australia to the event. The other picture is of our Fokker D.VIII, which we will be fitting an original 160 hp Gnome Rotary engine to (this pic shows it with a Rotec radial fitted).


An engineer will be giving a talk on rotary engines (as we have 2 of them coming this year) and other aspects of working on our 100% accurate reproductions.


Then a member of Watts Bridge airfield will show people his Sopwith Pup and Nieuport 24 aircraft built from the Airdrome Aeroplanes kits and answer any questions about that style of building.


I hope to see many of you there. For full details click on this link -
http://www.qvag.org/pdf/Special%20event%20-%20early%20aviation%20seminar%20Jan%202014.pdf

http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab281/TAVASWW1/d6d69607-c8da-4713-aad9-6b7ece82404d_zps6c9e09c1.png?t=1390265591

http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab281/TAVASWW1/2f16ad5a-d5e3-422e-aec7-a99b1c4a9781_zpsb1be1ba6.png?t=1390265513

[boocs]

Thanks TAVAS!!

b.

[TAVAS]

Hi guys,


just letting you know we have an incredible opportunity to get the only full size reproduction of a 1909 designed Johnson Monoplane. We desperately need you help to get it here.


More details on it and the offer here - Package and Post a Vintage Aircraft | Indiegogo (http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/package-and-post-a-vintage-aircraft)


Please help and forward this to everyone you can.


Thanks so much

http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab281/TAVASWW1/1911_monoplane-960_zps5aac557a.jpg