It flies!

[It flies]

Following up on the "Silly names" thread where I explained my forum name, today I have finally been able to say:

It flies!

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Make sure to select 720p HD to see it in the best possible quality and turn up the volume to hear the sound of a 93 year old engine. :ok:

[Jan Olieslagers]

Congrats! The amounts of work, money, and determination that went into such a project must be gigantic.
I too noticed the operation from a hard runway - and suppose that is the reason why a tailwheel was added? Surely the original made do with a skid?

[vanHorck]

She seems to be coming down quite rapidly on finals.....

Great landing!

[It flies]

Thanks, Silvaire, Jan and vanHorck. The maiden flight was performed by a very experienced professional pilot. I was behind the camera as my 59 hours TT do not suffice for experimental test flying.:)

The amounts of work, money, and determination that went into such a project must be gigantic.This is very true. It took a couple of people about ten years to build this one. Also rebuilding a WW1 engine and getting it to run reliably has proved quite a challenge.

The flight went perfectly and we're very pleased with the result. There are no adjustments to make whatsoever.

[ChampChump]

Splendid!

I'd have thought they'd have made you a grass runway, at least, giving due respect to all that work and heritage...

We look forward to seeing her around.
Thank you.

[FleetFlyer]

Congratulations!
Thats one hell of a feat, doubly so as it has an original engine. Very nicely flown as well by your test pilot.
I'm in awe.

[stickandrudderman]

Superb, well done!:D

[shortstripper]

Well done indeed! You must be well and trully chuffed!!! :ok:

SS

[kevmusic]

Congratulations!! :D And, as others have said, beautifully landed. Was the wind straight down the runway? Any feedback on what she's like to fly?

[It flies]

Thanks to all for your comments. There was a couple of knots wind more or less straight down the runway. The first comments from the pilot were that it flies very nicely. A bit like an oversized Fleet 7.

I should stress that this was not at all a solo effort. I am a volunteer with the Early Birds Foundation in the Netherlands. A foundation dedicated to preserving old aeroplanes and aero engines in flying condition. Take a look here for some more info on our foundation:

http://earlybirdsmuseum.nl/en/planes

[fernytickles]

Love the engine sound!

Hope you don't mind, I posted your video on the EAA forums with a link to here. I'm sure folks would love to read the full story from you....

Great first flight! (http://eaaforums.org/showthread.php?370-Great-first-flight!&p=2717#post2717)

[It flies]

Hope you don't mind, I posted your video on the EAA forums with a link to here.Not at all. I'm glad you liked the video.

I hope to add some air to air video in a couple of weeks if we can find the time to finish the test program.

[It flies]

Today we flew the Fokker D.VII again. This time we managed to shoot some air to air video to give an impression of what it looks like in the air.

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The camera ship was our trusty 1928 Fleet 7 biplane.


http://www.airport-data.com/images/aircraft/small/039/039180.jpg

[L'aviateur]

What a beautiful aircraft, I agree that the sound of the engine is fantastic. It's strange how such a sound can have such a profound feeling.
Fantastic landing as well, I wish I could land like that!

[Moli]

What a fantastic project to have completed, she looks beautiful. The clarity of the air to air video close ups when paused is fantastic, what camera were you using?

Congratulations
Moli

[It flies]

Thanks, L'aviateur & Moli. It has been a very rewarding project to be involved with.

The engine is quite special. I think there are four running Mercedes D-III's in the world right now. It's a 14,7 liter watercooled straight six that makes 200hp at 1400 rpm. Our D.VII has the most advanced version with an altitude compensating carburettor. It has even got mounting points for a generator that was used to power an electricly heated pilot suit for high altitude operations (that's in 1918!). Starting it is quite interesting as it doesn't have a starter motor and it's to heavy to hand swing. Instead it has a special starting magneto. This video shows the full starting sequence including using the on board hand pump to pressurize the fuel system.


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The camera used is the Panasonic GF1 with the 14-45 zoom lens on it's 720p setting.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 Review: 1. Introduction: Digital Photography Review (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/PanasonicGF1/)

This was a quick improvised shoot that shows quite a lot of camera shake from buffeting. I'll try to make a better video from a more suitable platform next time.

[fernytickles]

Great footage! I posted it on the EAA forum again.

I see you've kept the N reg on the Fleet? Pretty aeroplane :ok:

[It flies]

Yes, the Kinner is just about the most 'vintage' sounding engine that I know of. :ok:

The Fleet has the earlier 125 hp B-5 version. If anyone has of a spare engine of this early type (not the later version as fitted to PT-22's) we would like to hear from them.

[fernytickles]

It might be worth posting the engine question on the Red Barn section of the EAA forums?

EAA Forums (http://eaaforums.org/)

[Jan Olieslagers]

Most interesting! Impressive how the engineers managed to squeeze that much power at only 1400 rpm. Or did it have a reduction drive? I don't think so, seeing the low position of the prop. The more curious that only a two-bladed prop is used, I should think more blades would be more efficient at such low speeds.

That giant engine must be incredibly heavy, though, especially with the liquid cooling. Any estimate of the weights (max gross, engine alone, empty, ...) ?

Curious too that they choose to use electricity for heating the pilot's suit, when there was ample heat available from the engine cooling liquid. Perhaps they were afraid of leakage from enemy fire, or of broiling the pilot like a lobster if anything went wrong? Yet at the time, electricity must have been a rare medium, and difficult to handle reliably.

[It flies]

The engine weighs about 350kg. The whole aeroplane weighs in at 750kg.

There is no need for a complex and heavy reduction unit. The large capacity engine has a lot of torque and is therefore able to swing a very large propeller with a diameter of 2,8m. This gives a high trust and that is what matters. You wouldn't be able to stand anywhere near behind the aeroplane even with less than full power.

More blades do not help as they would need to be be shorter to absorb the same power while most of the work is done by the outer part of the propeller thus reducing efficiency. More blades are only needed is when they can't absorb the available power at the optimum propeller rpm within the maximum permitted diameter. The maximum diameter is mainly determined by the propeller tip clearance.

I think the reason for electrically heated suits is that it has an open cockpit. Blowing hot air at the pilot doesn't really help and a suit lined with hot water hoses probably wasn't very practical...