I have decided that the new Model Airways Fokker DR.1 will take the place of the Camel on the trailer as it just fits in better with the storyline.I will build the Camel kit in sections and use a lot of the parts as generic aircraft parts from the era.I will modify the parts to become experimental in design.
Because this diorama is bound for a museum that caters to the general public(mostly kids in an educational setting)
the historical accuracy feature is secondary to holding their interest ,if only for a minute or two.The wind tunnel and the wing stress tester will be accurate as I can make them with the information that I have available to me.Because this is a shadow box I have more opportunity to direct the views attention to where I would like it to go using lighting and viewing angles etc...

This certainly is a very interesting concept John. I look forward to seeing more.

Sorry about all the missing pics but I had some photobucket problems.They are however still available in my photobucket site under Diorama #9.

Model Airways 1/16th Fokker Triplane.

I received this kit just in time for the holidays.I hope you guys enjoy the build.

th_Fokkerbuild048_zps74ae67c2.jpgI usually start the build with the fuselage.

Hello John ,

fantastic work and very interesting !

Greetings Kurt

This diorama will depict the Fokker as an accident victim due to upper wing failure.I have notice on most Fokker aircraft of steel tube fuselage construction usually survives even the most severe accidents,especially aft of the cockpit.A model of the picture above could be adapted to allow parts of the upper wing to survive ,which would fit in nicely with the storyline of an accident inquiry investigation as the Fokker test facility .

I have decided I would like to experiment a bit with leaving some of the fabric on around the fuselage steel box construction aft of the cockpit area.I will therefore deviate a lot from the Model Airways method of construction right from the start.There will be no internal wiring of the fuselage as it would never be seen under the fabric.I will modify the fuselage to accept the fabric so that I can glue it to wood rather than metal.I am planning to use a pre-glued iron on fabric that will cover a very thin plywood base.

The storyline is starting to come together.It will center around a crashed Fokker Dr.1 being hauled to the Fokker test facility on a flatbed ,to try to resolve the upper wing/aileron failures experience in the field.As usual I will be widely deviating from the kit example and it's instruction booklet.Anyone interested in building this kit "out of the box"the instructions are in the box and there is no sense in my repeating it here.

Wing failures
Heinrich Gontermann's crashed Dr.I (serial 115/17)

On 29 October 1917, Leutnant der Reserve Heinrich Gontermann, Staffelführer of Jasta 15, was performing aerobatics when his triplane broke up.[20] Gontermann was fatally injured in the ensuing crash landing. Leutnant der Reserve Günther Pastor of Jasta 11 was killed two days later when his triplane broke up in level flight.[20] Inspection of the wrecked aircraft showed that the wings had been poorly constructed. Examination of other high-time triplanes confirmed these findings. On 2 November, Idflieg grounded all remaining triplanes pending an inquiry. Idflieg convened a Sturzkommission (crash commission) which concluded that poor construction and lack of waterproofing had allowed moisture to damage the wing structure.[21] This caused the wing ribs to disintegrate and the ailerons to break away in flight.[21]

In response to the crash investigation, Fokker improved quality control on the production line, particularly varnishing of the wing spars and ribs, to combat moisture. Fokker also strengthened the rib structures and the attachment of the auxiliary spars to the ribs.[22] Existing triplanes were repaired and modified at Fokker's expense.[23] After testing a modified wing at Adlershof, Idflieg authorized the triplane's return to service on 28 November 1917.[24] Production resumed in early December. By January 1918, Jastas 6 and 11 were fully equipped with the triplane. Only 14 squadrons used the Dr.I as their primary equipment. Most of these units were part of Jagdgeschwadern I, II, or III.[25] Frontline inventory peaked in late April 1918, with 171 aircraft in service on the Western Front.[11]

Despite corrective measures, the Dr.I continued to suffer from wing failures. On 3 February 1918, Leutnant Hans Joachim Wolff of Jasta 11 successfully landed after suffering a failure of the upper wing leading edge and ribs.[26] On 18 March 1918, Lothar von Richthofen, Staffelführer of Jasta 11, suffered a failure of the upper wing leading edge during combat with Sopwith Camels of No. 73 Squadron and Bristol F.2Bs of No. 62 Squadron.[27] Richthofen was seriously injured in the ensuing crash landing.

Postwar research revealed that poor workmanship was not the only cause of the triplane's structural failures. In 1929, National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) investigations found that the upper wing carried a higher lift coefficient than the lower wing — at high speeds it could be 2.55 times as much.

The triplane's chronic structural problems destroyed any prospect of large-scale orders.[28] Production eventually ended in May 1918, by which time only 320 had been manufactured.[29] The Dr.I was withdrawn from frontline service as the Fokker D.VII entered widespread service in June and July. Jasta 19 was the last squadron to be fully equipped with the Dr.I.[30]

Surviving triplanes were distributed to training and home defense units. Several training aircraft were reengined with the 75 kW (100 hp) Goebel Goe.II.[31] At the time of the Armistice, many remaining triplanes were assigned to fighter training schools at Nivelles, Belgium, and Valenciennes, France.[32] Allied pilots tested several of these triplanes and found their handling qualities to be impressive.[

My diorama will not be about the crash depicted in the pic above.I don't like to recreate pics in 3D as it is too artistically confining.I like to have the maximum of artistic license when doing dioramas.My stories are based not upon fact but are intentionally fictional , however, they do represent events that "could have happened "during the era.
A good example is the wind tunnel that will be part of this diorama.I have researched Fokker's use of wind tunnels and I can't prove either way ,that he did or did not use one, however my guess would be that he did at some point when he was developing his ideas on wing structure design.
Wind tunnels were important to aviation starting with the Wright brothers bicycle experiments and I want to include it for educational purposes.

There is a slight change in plans.My research has it that Fokker Fok.DR. 141/17 was the aircraft that the baron had his accident in due to wing problems.It was this airplane that was sent for testing at Adlershof on Nov 5/17.In the diorama I will show this airplanes wing being tested on the hanger floor.It should make a nice addition with its red fabric and insignia.I have learned that the 141/17 may have survived the war and ended up in Cooksfield USA.Somehow it was sent back to German museum but was evacuated to Poland when the allies were pounding Berlin.Someone from the Polish town said that during WW2 he remembers a kid cutting it up for firewood.
The other crashed airplane on the trailer bed will be a different aircraft altogether with no insignia whatsoever.It will be stripped of its fabric except for the area on the fuselage between the pilots seat and the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer.
Adding the Baron's wing being worked on ,just helps me add to the storyline without any major changes.

I have decided to paint the crashed aircraft all black as per the Jacob's scheme and the wing being tested red & white like the Baron's wing.By doing this I hope to balance the two stories for visual impact.(small colorful object=large dark object).
I am working on the fabric covered plywood experiment for the fuselage, so far so good....