Fokker F.VIIa

[Stunthenk]

Looking for a successor for my Koolhoven FK.43 models, the Fokker F.VII came to mind. This aircraft was first designed and built in 1923 as a larger successor to the F.II. It retained some design features of the previous model. After a small number had been built the design was altered; a more efficient wing with integrated ailerons, a simpler U/C and a longer fuselage. Later, in 1925 Tony Fokker wanted to expand his bussiness in the US and entered the Ford Reliability Tour. His US agent, Noorduijn, told him that US airlines wanted a multi engined plane for safety reasons, so the original single 400 hp Gnome-Rhone engine was exchanged for three 200 HP Wright J-4 engines. In this configuration, the F.VII 3M the type was a huge success. The - 3m was not a successor to the single engined model as multi- and single engined examples were built side by side. Each F.VII received the attachment points for the wing mounted engines. Some started with three motors but were converted to a single powerplant later in their lives. The designations a and b were introduced during the period when F.VII's were built with the b signifying the longer span wing achieved by inserting an untapered center section.
Well, that is quite enough history. I wanted a rubber powered model, so it was to be a single engined example. And I needed a decent 3-view to start with. This was found on the internet. As a bonus, an original F.VIIa survives in a museum in this country. This is construction number 5054, delivered to Denmark. This plane happily survived WW II and was bought by KLM and Fokker in 1953 and presented to the aviation museum in Schiphol aerodrome. I had the 3-view enlarged at a local copy shop, to 33 cm for possible use for a peanut model, and tot 51 cm. for an F4D model. It was then simply a matter of adding my own construction to the enlarged 3-view and the ususal mods of slightly larger tail surfaces, higher U/C for a decent size prop and a slight dihedral.