View Full Version : WW1 Replica aeroplanes
LowNSlow
24th Oct 2007, 14:52
It's been a slow day in work and I ended up finding a site called Airdrome Aeroplanes who make 3/4 and full size replicas of various Fokkers and Nieuports. They are powered by a Revmaster VW conversion and the kits supply all the airframe components for around $11,000. They have a useful load of 340 lbs which is sufficient to drag my bulk plus fuel. Does anybody know any more about these neat little aircraft?
There's a book by Dick Stark titled "You want to build & fly a what?"
Which although not a technical guide will be an interesting read.
He built a Nieuport 11 replica & flew it to Oshkosh.( he's based in the USA BTW...)
gasax
24th Oct 2007, 15:48
A few years ago there was a great series of articles in Kitplanes about IIRC the 'Kansas City Dawn Patrol' which are based on the Graham Lee replicas. 30 seconds goggling should find it
It all looks to be great fun, shame the designs are not approved in the UK (and probably very unlikely ever will be....).
Tall_guy_in_a_152
24th Oct 2007, 16:29
Some of these types fall into the new deregulated class - I forget what it is called. There is an article in this month's Flyer magazine. They look like a lot of fun and cheap to operate, especially if you are not in a hurry!
gasax
the same guy- Dick Starks
http://www.kcdawnpatrol.org/index.php
grow45
24th Oct 2007, 22:24
There is also The Noon Patrol at http://www.eaa292.org/noonpatrol.html
Known as the Noon Patrol because " The "Dawn Patrol" name was already taken and Dawn is too damn early anyway".
g45
My EAA chapter has a Nieuport as a chapter project. This one is being build as a US ultralight and has a little rotax 2-stroke on it. It's not really my cup of tea. The structure is primarily small aluminum tubes pop-riveted together using gussets. It looks cool, and could probably be a lot of fun. As far as I know, they haven't had structural problems, but I'm just not a pop-rivet guy.
I was going to post some pictures but I don't have them with me. If I remember I'll put them up on this thread.
-- IFMU
LowNSlow
25th Oct 2007, 07:25
The Fokker VIII is just on the 115kg weight limit for the SSDR regulations!! The skies could be filled with little Fokkers!!!! ;)
I can just see/hear it now,
ATC "G-**** be advised slow moving traffic in your 12 Oclock, height not known"
Me "Roger, I have the little Fokker in sight..."
:ooh:
TommyOv
25th Oct 2007, 10:37
I think the Airdrome Aeroplanes company has been discussed on here before, some time ago.
I'd absolutely love to fly one of these, the full scale Nieuport looks brilliant! I don't know much about home-builds...would any engineering types on here care to explain why the designs aren't approved, and what sort of modifications would be required to get them a permit to fly?
Floppy Link
25th Oct 2007, 12:08
re SSDR check out BMAA SSDR Doc (http://www.bmaa.org/upload/techdocs/20075201714590.045_1_SSDR_handbook.pdf)
It's not just max weight 115kg, max empty wing loading 10kg/sq.m as well. I looked at the E111 Eindecker but the wing loading precluded SSDR. Perhaps the biplane models would fit the requirements.
Their "Dream Classic" would be an SSDR possibility.
...would any engineering types on here care to explain why the designs aren't approved, and what sort of modifications would be required to get them a permit to fly?...
Not an " engineering type" but....designs aren't approved because nobody has gone to the immense amount of work required to get one through the PFA system for unapproved designs. During that process the PFA (soon LAA) will decide what mods are required, if any.
J.A.F.O.
25th Oct 2007, 12:16
Doesn't their Dream Classic fall within the SSDR requirements?
£1500 for the airframe kit, about the same again for a Rotax 447, group of twenty. You've got an aeroplane for £150 and could operate for maybe £20 an hour all in.
Blimey.
LowNSlow
25th Oct 2007, 13:57
Floppy Link unfotunately all the biplanes and the triplane have an empty weight higher than 115kg. :hmm:
Floppy Link
25th Oct 2007, 15:50
Thanks, I didn't check. And anyway the E111 was the only one I fancy. Pity the PFA/LAA approval process for new designs is a pain...
But if you did the application with/as a group surely that would help minimise the pain & cost a bit.
And also increase th fun factor of a "squadron" or "Jasta" to play with....
Sounds like fun:D
Here's some pictures of my EAA chapter's nieuport. They are building it as a US ultralight, less that 254 lbs, 115 kg.
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa72/Aerowerk/Neuport3.jpg
It's actually a little further along than these pictures. They have fabric on half the fuselage. The wings have been all rib stitched. I bend up the instrument panel for them on my brake.
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa72/Aerowerk/Neuport2.jpg
Work goes slow on it. It's just a hobby to some of the members. It was donated to the chapter by a member who had given up the project for some reason.
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa72/Aerowerk/Neuport1.jpg
-- IFMU
LowNSlow
27th Oct 2007, 12:53
IFMU that's a really neat machine. Is it one of the Airdrome Aeroplanes 80%(?) scale kits which they don't have on their website anymore?
CDH I would imagine that Airdrome aeroplanes wouldn't want to be bothered with jumping through all the PFA hoops to sell a few aircraft in the UK. It would be a tiny market for them compared to the USA. :sad:
IFMU that's a really neat machine. Is it one of the Airdrome Aeroplanes 80%(?) scale kits which they don't have on their website anymore?
I'd have to ask. But I'd guess it is. I've seen a nieuport at the Olde Rhinebeck Aerodrome and it seemed bigger than this.
-- IFMU
wulf190a
29th Oct 2007, 15:48
These aircraft are coming to England, check out
Grass strip aviation limited
Some examples will be on show at the splash show in november, I know the guys.