BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

Every year we (Northern Aces Show Team) set up at the kid venture tent with our R/C flight simulators and do alittle flying at the EAA Oshkosh and get kids involved with R/C. We also build a 1/4 or 1/3rd scale plane on site so people can see what its like to build one.
These kits are generously donated by Balsa USA and built by Mark Enderby himself. Unfortunately, Mark couldn't make it this year so I volunteered to do the build.

This years plane is going to be a 1/4 scale Fokker D-VII. I took some pics and thought I'd might as well do a build thread on it for those that might be interested.

I've built several Balsa USA kits in the past and all were fun to build and turned out to be good fliers.

The build starts out with the upper wing. So far so good. Everything is pretty well straight forward.

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

Hi bird man , Whats the span on that quarter scale ?

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

Upper wing span - 88"

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

what size are the two pups on display?

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

Did you have the upper wing rib 7 fit ok? that one used to not lineup quite right, and gave people a need to scratch their heads.

Thats quite a build you are doing ..for that kind of atmosphere !

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

Hey 800mZero, All the planes in the picture are BUSA that have been built in past years. ( exept the park zone T-28 in the far corner) The 2 pups are 1/6th and 1/4 scale. The Dr-I is 1/4 and the clipped wing Cub is 1/3rd scale.

Foodstick, yes the # 7 rib(s) are a bit off, had to do alittle modifying to make it fit right.

Yea it's pretty cool to be at EAA building and flying. Although, the tent is set up right next to the Helicopter rides. You can imagine what that's like all day long.[sm=spinnyeyes.gif]

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

Got the upper wing center section done and outer panels. Started the lower wing today.

It's amazing how many people from all over the world come up and talk R/C.

Found acouple replica WW I birds this morning out on the flight line.

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

Well I managed to complete all the wing panels and center sections before Air venture came to a close.

Met and talked to alot of people that came through the Kid venture tent about R/C.

I'll continue the build at home once I get everything unloaded and re-organized.

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

Finally got re-organized and set up in the shop. Got alittle time in last night.

Have the lower wing panels setup and glued together with the center section. I used 9/16" blocks at the wing tips inorder to get the proper dihedral. On D-VIIs, the top of the wing is straight across and the taper is underneath.

A 6' level or straight edge works good for this.

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

Have you thought about engine choice yet? Also what about covering and finish? After building mine with losenge fabric and scaling it out, I though it would be neat to build one for more sport use. Light, with more power and an easier finish.

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

Vertical, You are a artist as well as a craftsman. Beautiful job on your D-VII! Ltn. Stark Jasta 35b?

I'll be installing a Zenoha G38 w/ spring starter and covering with solartex. The Glenn Torrence Lozenge fabric is nice but out of my budget.
Besides, I'll be flying the plane with the showteam and we sometimes fly at some rough fields and less than ideal conditions, so I won't be going over board with the scale details. This should be a good plane for that as it's built like a tank.

Planning on doing Carl Degelows scheme Jasta 40

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

Thanks for the comments and you are correct, Rudolph Starks mount. I have a G38 in mine as well along with the spring starter. THis engine works perfectly all of the time I love it except I feel it is a little underpowered. Prop is important. I have settled on a 19-6 Xoar.
This aircraft has been flying now for 4 seasons and has many awards and trophies. Qualifying for scale masters last year.
You will enjoy your plane. One tip, I would replace the Axel with 1/4" wire. You will be glad you did. My stock wire bent easily until replaced. This is easier done initially.

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

I got to see the three Fokkers fly but the guy with the SE5a did not have the right weather for his taste. I guess if you spend 11,500 hours building something, you are going to protect it. I never got to your side of the airport, but I would have if I had known there was building going on. While visiting someone at the camp site, I met someone who flew with the BUSA guys and with him was someone who worked at Sig so modelers were everywhere.

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

If I am not mistaken, the DVIII and the triplane are both from Colorado. They have 2 SE5as and a Fokker DVII as well. I had heard they are working on a sopwith camel as well. We have a great ww1 museum here. They must have flown those over.

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

Must have been a heck of a ride going that distance in a WWI bird.

Vertical,

Thanks for the tip. I'll definetly upgrade to a 1/4" axle. Suprised to hear you think a G-38 is underpowered on this bird. I also use Xoar props. 18X6 be a better choice? I do have a G-45 I was going to put in my Spad XIII, but I don't know if I can shoe horn that in the DVII or if it's even worth the try.

What did you come up with for an exhaust system?

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

I have a poulan 46cc in my 1/4 balsa usa, and I have seen a da 50 in one as well. Neither plane was butchered..only an opening for the carb throat on mine...

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

I used the stock muffler and let it exhaust underneath my dummy engine. It has worked fine. It is such a clean burn now, it does not matter.
I fly at 5,000'. The G38 is fine, I would just like a little more for certain manuevers. Flying in competition requires them and sometimes a little more power would be nice.

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

The upper wing now put together and rough sanded. I installed paper tubes in the wings before all three sections were glued together.
This makes it much easier to fish the servo leads through the wings. Simple, light weight and effective.

Also got the horizontal stab and elevator framed up.

So far the build has been a piece of cake.;)

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

Doing alittle work on the fuse. Going together nicely.

Added a cross brace in the rear to help keep it square.

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

Got the fuse framed up and top sheeting on.

Also installed a 1/4" axle in the sub wing instead of the 3/16" one provided for extra strength (incase of those not so perfect landings)

The cheesey wire tail skid provided with the kit just ain't going to cut it on this one. So I made up a wood tail skid and made it functional.
Not exact scale, but much better looking.

Mounting lower wing and getting cabane struts made up.

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

Finally got the struts all soldered up, wings aligned and set to the proper incidence.

This was alittle tricky and probably the hardest step to complete of the whole build as any movement of the "A" stuts can throw off the wing alignment until all the parts are soldered together. To help this from happening, I soldered a small washer on the "A" strut were it entered at the fuselage and secured the other side with wheel collars. Patience and checking it all over and over is a must inorder to get it right.

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

G-38 installed and cowl radiator built. The radiator took alittle more time than I thought to get it right.
The engine is mounted cocked over to clear the dummy engine that will be mounted above it. The last pic shows how I notched the cowl out underneath to clear the spark plug wire.

I'm building and early D VII with the 6 into 2 type exhaust that exits out the side of the cowl. Also added a right top engine cowling panel for this type. In order to do this I made a new CF-2a crutch that goes all the way across the top of the radiator.

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

I got alittle side tracked and decided to build the dummy engine to make sure it all fit in there with the G-38.

The way the kit plans show how the dummy engine is built, just ain't gonna cut the mustard on this one either.

I decided to spruce it up abit. Not exact scale, but far better looking. It's all built from parts I had laying around the shop and from the kit.

I down loaded acouple of pics of what a real Mercedes 180 HP D III engine looks like.

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

Pics of it all together.

RE: BUSA D-VII BUILD @ EAA 2010
 

You do nice work,
hope you keep this thread going
I just ordered this kit and I would
like to follow your progress