Fokker D.VIII - an Historic Airplane Worth Modeling
Pattern a Fokker D.VIII RC model after the Pietenpol Air Camper
Fokker D.VIII at a flying field
The Fokker D.VIII is a German World War I single place fighter aircraft employing a characteristic parasol wing arrangement. The Fokker D.VIII was developed late in the war with the first aircraft arriving at frontline fighter squadrons in the fall of 1918. The first D.VIII combat sorties were flown on October 24, 1918, less than three weeks before the Armistice ending hostilities was signed on November 11th. A total of 289 Fokker D.VIII aircraft were produced, with the majority being scrapped when the fighting ended.
Fokker D.VIII uses a cantilever wing structure
The Fokker D.VIII remains a distinctive and significant aircraft from that early era of flight, and is a plane worth modeling. Unusual for that time, the D.VIII employed a cantilever wing construction method that did not require the use of wire bracing to achieve structural strength. The single high mounted wing combined with the lack of inter plane struts made for a small D.VIII frontal cross section, earning it the nickname “the flying razor” from Allied Pilots.
Side view of a Fokker D.VIII showing short nose moment and large, effective rudder
There are several design elements that make the Fokker D.VIII attractive as a scale RC model aircraft. First, the plane shows a simple and thought out arrangement. The parasol wing, landing gear and tail surfaces should be easy to replicate yet still retain the character of the full scale aircraft. Parasol wings are usually straightforward to design and install with the proper incidence. Surface areas for the wing and tails controls look adequate for a stable RC model. The wing chord is tapered which will require some effort fabricating different rib sizes, but this should not be a major obstacle.
Fokker D.VIII three views
Fron view of Fokker D.VIII showing large wood prop
You can save time and help ensure test flight success by following another model airplane design with a similar arrangement. For the Fokker D.VIII, the Pietenpol Air Camper fits this requirement well. The Air Camper’s cabane and wing strut design can be readily adapted to the D.VIII with minimal modifications. I would copy the three degrees of positive incidence used for the Steven’s AeroModel Pietenpol kit, and use zero incidence for the tail surfaces. I would plan on the ParkZone electronics and geared electric motor for the model version of the Fokker D.VIII, and build in right thrust of 3-4 degrees.
Large and effective rudder
The full scale Fokker D.VIII has a large rudder that allows for responsive and powerful yaw control, needed for the rotary engine powered aircraft of the day. This effective rudder would work well if you envision a three channel micro model control scheme. Note also the use of a sub-wing between the D.VIII’s landing gear wheels. Ensure that the incidence of this sub-wing matches that of the main wing.
Demonstrating Fokker D.VIII wing strength
The one area that might cause some amount of challenge remains achieving the correct center of gravity due to the D.VIII’s short nose moment. Many World War I fighter aircraft had very short nose moments, or length of the nose as measured from the wing leading edge to the propeller. This was due to the limited aircraft design knowledge of the time (the Wright brothers had first flown just 11 years before the start of the war), and to the relatively heavy weight of rotary motors of that era compared to the light weight wood and fabric aircraft structures.
To keep the CG in the proper range with a short nose moment you will need to employ three design techniques: Keep the tail section structure as light as possible; locate the RC gear far forward in the fuselage; and consider making the nose of your D.VIII micro model slightly longer than the full size version. A slightly longer nose moment is not noticeable yet is a simple method for locating the center of gravity a bit further forward.
Fokker D.VIII paint schemes
Cowl and rotary engine details
The distinctive Fokker engine cowl should be easy to fabricate from balsa. It would not be difficult to make a dummy rotary engine from scrap balsa parts. You could even make the engine cylinders rotate while the model is in flight. Recall that with World War I rotary engines the cylinders rotated around a fixed crankshaft, unlike a radial engine employing fixed cylinders and a rotating crankshaft.
A nice benefit from making an RC model of the Fokker D.VIII is the incredible range of paint schemes documented for this aircraft. There were a large number of colorful and distinctive renditions of this aircraft. Many of these coloring layouts can be replicated without much difficulty, and will certainly set your model apart from others on the flight line.