Fokker D-VII Project Visit

[@foehammergaming309]

Man the knowledge these men have on WW1 era planes is amazing! And the passion and drive to pull it off is admirable.

[@user-dg7sy8cz3b]

Sharing your toys with others is a sign of outstanding character. Thank you Kermit!

[@irishshintoshi8213]

Wonderful project. Great people working on her. Thanks for sharing Kermit

[@gakalbrecht5208]

Jeff Brooks also had some leaks in his brass Fokker D.VII tank. They were located at a couple rivet locations and also at the fuel pickup fitting. He sealed the tank by draining it and using a low pressure pump to create a vacuum. With the pump on, he added a sealant to the exterior of the tank. The vacuum sucked the sealant in wherever there was a leak.

[@TheRaptorXX]

D7, great plane, great job, great all-round in fact!!

[@artd.]

"tremendous craftsmanship" is kinda an understatement! WOW what a craftsman. Thanks for the excellent video Mr. Kermit.....:-)

[@Uliio]

Very cool. Hope to see a flying video of the Fokker one day.

[@David-yo5ws]

Those magnificent men in their flying machines! A nice tour of the vintage plane. Lovely details and stories about it's restoration. Being a Kiwi, I was interested in the story of the engine. Just can't wait for My Jackson to release his movie of the Dam Busters. Thank you Kermit for this gem of, life 8 odd years ago.

[@williampinney1258]

I had the good fortune of dropping by Fantasy of Flight recently during Sun N' Fun, and had the opportunity to chat briefly with Kermit. It's always a pleasure to be around a pilot who loves airplanes as much as I do. Two of his docents were also there, and the three of them seemed slightly amazed, while standing in front of the B-24, to hear that my Dad flew the photo conversion model of that airplane, designated the F-7B (F for photo back then, P for pursuit of course) in Japan right after the end of the war.

[@zigzag4068]

I am in the process of building a MicroAces Rc-Version of a D.VII, so thank you for that fitting post! Keep them flying!

[@terrygrady7683]

Clearwater Executive airport , in the 90s. There was a white D-7 in plain view . I rode by it everyday to and from work. It had the original Mercedes engine. Reminded me of Goering's plane. I heard that it was later crashed. Could have been a survivor of the Hell's Angels movie. I have a photo of it. No kidding.

[@frez777]

Thanks for bringing us all back 100 years Mr Weeks. Maybe someday I'll visit your facility.

[@brandonneely9982]

Very cool airplane Kermit. It really shows how much engineering went into these vintage planes. They are like any other, wings engine and everything else has to be designed and redesigned like the new ones. An airplane is an airplane. Awesome.

[@MrWarwick15]

Thanks Kermit! Always a pleasure! Rich.

[@jackharris4697]

Super job. can not wait to see the finished airplane.

[@edwardlove4300]

Thanks Kermit, as an old pilot I really appreciate all the details. ✨

[@JamesBond-xq3tw]

Fantastic workmanship

[@e-rj8984]

Really BEAUTIFUL work they have done!

[@pbyfr]

Wow, that's very interesting. Now I understand a lot of details of my Fokker Dr.I model kit. Tanks for sharing.

[@klesmer]

Ahhhh! Wood wings! I am in love. God's composite.

[@darkredvan]

Good to see the D-VII naked. Great project for sure.

[@HeidiLandRover]

What an amazing project! I love how you make the "chka - chka" noise when you sit in the pilot's seat.

[@abundantYOUniverse]

Fantastic

[@WellsLarry]

Thank you. Stunning attention to details. Not just an airplane, a jewel.

[@P61guy61]

Excellent. Thank you for posting. I especially liked the wire on the trailing edges. I’ve seen that but assumed it was plywood or something cut to shape.

[@rubensandri740]

Congrats

[@sargepent9815]

Oh man.....the Dvii is one of my favorite WW1 aircraft (next to the Spad Xlll and S.E.5 A) and shows the quantum leap aircraft came by the end of the war.

[@fpvoslo]

:) Its coming along Looking forward to see the heart beating Thanks for sharing :) Yf....

[@murraykriner9425]

Could see how livery choices might make finishing this a chore? Each and every squadron had quite distinctive colors and designs that were specific to the air unit that flew them. Guessing its polyester to keep deterioration to a bare minimum, as cotton would have ills in moist environments, literally rotting off the frames once the dope became compromised with age or wear. Best of luck with the long crawl forward.

[@gregaussie5254]

Bloody amazing build , well done guys , cant wait to see it fly .

[@joshboy1st]

Amazing to have such power to be able to order these beautiful planes its just amazing, the nearest I'll ever get is building models and flying in VR on il2 flight sims. Love it all kermit!!

[@neillh]

Thanks for sharing your video 👍

[@ronjon7942]

Nice work!

[@johndavey72]

Hi Kermit. Thanks for showing this , l hadn't subscribed in 2012 . The craftsmanship is truly breathtaking ! I do recall you doing a deal with the engines .......no brainer ! Although l'm sure you enjoy your own company , l guess you must be looking forward to normality . And l guess the Covid has compromised progress on your maintenance and builds. Thanks for sharing . Take care and stay safe.

[@bondisteve3617]

Thanks.

[@parrotraiser6541]

Not only do modern motors sound different, they smell different. Rotaries, in particular, used castor oil for lubrication.

[@joelkaysen2452]

I know I am kinda off topic but does anybody know a good place to stream new movies online?

[@chandlermohamed2392]

@Joel Kaysen try Flixzone. Just google for it =)

[@brianjulio2273]

@Chandler Mohamed Definitely, I have been using Flixzone for years myself :)

[@joelkaysen2452]

@Chandler Mohamed Thank you, signed up and it seems like a nice service :D I really appreciate it!

[@chandlermohamed2392]

@Joel Kaysen no problem xD

[@didierhautant7128]

Super très intéressant👍

[@billvoorvaart7206]

hi kermit twice i tried to visit your museum, two years in a row only to find out fof closed for the month, really wanted to see fof. guess i will never get to see it. still a big fan. Bill V

[@KermitWeeks444]

Sorry about that. Check our dates and times on the FoF website when you’re planning your next trip.

[@MrBook123456]

how cool

[@cal-native]

Seeing the D-VII bare bones makes me appreciate how advanced it was for its time, although it's certainly a mix of the old and new. Wonder if the originals had any of the same fuel tank issues?

[@thurin84]

glorious!

[@robertinscoe2379]

Thanks Kermit for sharing. If I may, any updates on that Boeing project you had going on?

[@TheDanielJauch]

I‘m very sorry to tell you that there is a typo on the panel...you can see it at 1:07...on the top it reads ‚biede‘ on the bottom it reads ‚beide‘. It‘s supposed to be ‚beide‘ both times. Nonetheless....it‘s going to be an amazing restauration. Greetings from Germany

[@reckemroysrc3764]

Very cool 😎👍

[@tenlittleindians]

I'd still love to see a FLYING demonstration at Oshkosh someday. How about you fly it up to the show rather than crate it there and document the journey and airports along the way?

[@gakalbrecht5208]

Late production D.VIIs had double control horns on the rudder. If your friend in NZ was Gene, you may want to double check your inventory ;)

[@dllmpb06]

Probably ex friends now.

[@TheCraftedMine]

I love seeing actually authentic replica aircraft! I always dislike "replicas" of WWI aircraft that use aluminum frames and such. (I'm looking at you Aerodrome...)

[@964cuplove]

Looks like a typo on the top right switch rondel in the cockpit…. BIEDE AUS should be BEIDE AUS which means both off (lower part seems correct saying BEIDE EIN = both on)

[@odonovan]

A question for Kermit. I didn't think I remembered a D-VII on the FoF website, as one of the planes in the collection, and I was right. This video is from 2012. It's eight and a half years later and no D-VII? What happened? Did you trade or sell it? OR, is it still only partially completed?

[@mikeryan6277]

He probably forgot he owns it.

[@KermitWeeks444]

Yep, have had it built and in the hangar for a couple of years. Still dealing with an ongoing fuel tank leak, that keeps reappearing. COVID and staff retirements haven’t helped the situation either lately.

[@KermitWeeks444]

Here’s a link to a taxi run of the plane. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYC3aXRoj71pjq8

[@MarkInArizona]

Hi Kermit. Any news for your activities/planes for EAA/Oshkosh 2021?

[@KermitWeeks444]

Still up in the air!

[@bradmullins229]

Really cool project, all most like a giant RC model build.... Color scheme needs to be determined soon, builder seemed a bit miffed

[@stevemadak6255]

He did seem a little put out. He had attitude

[@HeavensGremlin]

Where are the videos of this aircraft flying...? I can only find the taxying-test videos.....

[@KermitWeeks444]

That’s all there is. We’re still dealing with a fuel tank issue, that we thought we had fixed a couple of times

[@blackbirdpie217]

What happened to the red one? He did some taxi runs and modified the tail skid, it looked like it had only a little left to finish then never heard about it again and that was years ago!

[@KermitWeeks444]

This is it. It’s been one problem after another since the tail skid run. Dealing with a fuel tank leak now. Been a bit tough dealing with issues across the board with COVID and staff retirements.

[@blackbirdpie217]

@@KermitWeeks444 Thanks Kermit, hopefully things begin to improve now. I'm looking forward to this project in the air again!

[@williamwilson2696]

I'd love to fly into Fantasy of Flight. I see it's "permission required prior to landing". How dows one arrange to fly into teh museum? Thanks!

[@dalecomer5951]

Looks like they used zinc chromate primer on the fuselage structure. What would have been used on the original?

[@Love2FlyKAP]

Are these the ones Achim Engles built? One of these D.vll was done in Willy Gabral's colors but on the incorrect version.

[@gakalbrecht5208]

According to Achim, this one was built by Fred. Fred also finished the two that Achim built. Achim built an early version and a late version. Unfortunately, when they were sent to Fred for finishing, they mixed up the wings and fuselages in each shipment. Each machine ended up being a hybrid.

[@emmettbaker5024]

What was the other WW1 aircraft sitting in the hanger?

[@skunkworks2059]

Mr Weeks what’s going on with the big tri motor that was being built?

[@brentfellers9632]

Uh , we're the aircraft not delivered with lozenge and painted over for personal marking? So the inside of the structure should have a ghost lozenge pattern 🤔

[@ignaciorodriguez5001]

What happend to this plane? It was delivered to FoF 4 years ago or so but never flown, has it?

[@KermitWeeks444]

No. Been sorting out a fuel tank leak.

[@thomasharvanek2411]

Meet the Fokker

[@happyhome41]

Where is the D-VII now ?

[@KermitWeeks444]

In my hangar. Still dealing with a fuel tank leak

[@happyhome41]

Nearing retirement, and you’re on our bucket list. Thank you for everything you do !

[@hdaviator9181]

What happened to that Boeing 100?

[@1201suddenturn]

Nice 😁 „Biede Aus“ corectly spelled = „Beide Aus“ 💁

[@steveshoemaker6347]

Thanks Kermit....Are you doing OK ?

[@KermitWeeks444]

Doing great!

[@steveshoemaker6347]

@@KermitWeeks444 Super

[@Tadrjbs]

Kermit, I'm a little confused. Is this not the same aircraft you were taxiing on 5/11/2016?....Moses

[@galdramadur1]

The inscription for the pumps is incorrect. It has to mean "Beide aus" not "Biede aus".

[@fw1421]

Sadly,Peter Jackson’s WWI model kit company,Wingnut Wings closed during the COVID shutdown. They were the best in the world at what they did.☹️☹️☹️

[@markjenney8808]

I see that Meng has produced sow kits.

[@markjenney8808]

some

[@fw1421]

@@markjenney8808 Yes,Meng was doing the molding on the Fokker DR1 kit and took over the Wingnut Wings molds and released it as their own. It’s supposed to be a beautiful kit,typical of Wingnut Wings quality. Wingnut Wings was working on a 1/32 scale Afro Lancaster kit but I’m not sure weather Meng is planning on releasing it. It would be a very pricy kit.

[@TumzDK]

I prefer the sound of a Honda ;-)

[@donaldholman9070]

Tight cockpit.

[@dimitrymadsen3622]

my museum is eventually going to make our dr1 taxi able

[@thecitizen49]

Never feel sorry for anyone that owns an airplane.

[@drifter503]

November 2012?

[@guaporeturns9472]

7.92 mm

[@MrchampionsLeague141]

Hi

[@jeffery7756]

IF your fuel gauge isn't working, reach out to me. My fuel gauge is made by the same guy and I got it working correctly.

[@mysterymete]

This feels like Fred was "inconvenienced" by your visit and felt like you were intruding upon his territory - even though he was late and it was your airplane. Smells fishy.

[@robh4671]

It always confuses me at the casual way these aircraft restorations are being done..no sense of urgency no wonder the incredible amount of time it takes to complete these restorations..a prime example the A26 invader..18 years ???and still not done..

[@KermitWeeks444]

There are not a lot of qualified people with the knowledge and experience to work on vintage aircraft. In most of these cases you’re talking about one maybe two people working on the whole restoration, so it’s going to take time.

[@P51]

November 2012? Hmmm....

[@306champion]

I thought it was a Fokker not a Folk-er

[@jamesrogers5277]

Maybe the American pronunciation makes ‘Fokker’ sound like something else... as in the joke whose punchline is: “Ja! Dees fokkers vos Messerschmitt!” Reminds me of the way serious people now say the name of the seventh planet, with accent on first syllable.

[@ldnwholesale8552]

Learn to read german,, easier than modifying the plane!