Fokker D.VII Cowling Questions

[TomR1981]

After finishing my Snipe I'm working on a D.VII (Alb), I'm going for option A, Uffz. Harbers of Jasta 73.

The photo in the manual shows some openings on the cowling, circled in the picture I've attached. Obviously these were done in the field as the cooling problems became apparent on the early machines. The kit piece is a smooth, solid part, so I'm going to have to add this detail myself. This is the only photo of this plane that I've seen so I'm going to assume these were duplicated on the other side, unless anyone is aware of a different picture.

It's also not possible to see from the photo if these are louvers or just slits cut into the cowling, does anyone have any thoughts on this? I suspect they're louvers, so does anyone have any tips for adding these to the kit part?

Another issue I have is the triangular cheek panel (parts K4 and K5). The manual says to fill the gap between this and the lozenge covered part of the fuselage, but it seems like a metal panel to me, anyone know any better?
Certainly the way it's painted would seem to suggest that, it would seem natural to only paint the metal parts. Also in the D.VII anthology 3 without any great effort I found another early Albatros built D.VII (Jasta 90) with the same type of cowl panels and they're definitely metal on that example. The other Jasta 73 machines pictured in the anthology seem to have lozenge covering there and factory painted cowlings, so no great help there. I'm 99% certain it is a metal cowl and that I don't need to fill the gap, just looking for some moral support.

Any help appreciated.

Cheers

Tom

[uncletony]

Do you have the Fokker D.VII anthology series from Windsock? Lots of blah blah on the various louvre configs...


Edit: duh, re-read your post... So never mind...

[TomR1981]

Thanks Bo, your post just inspired me to have a closer look at the anthology. It's shown in there as 3 louvres on the right side only, and triangular metal panels applied by 611/18, the one I'm building.

Just have to figure out how to do the louvres now.

[TomR1981]

Thanks Baron, I'd checked the other two kits but completely forgotten the D.VII F!

It's close but not quite what I need. Looks like I'll just have to modify the kit part, I'm sure I've seen tips in a windsock magazine on making louvres.

[kornbeef]

My thoughts on the openings are that they are louvres and I imagine only on this side to try to vent heat out from the enclosed exhaust. They are probably beaten into the panel itself as opposed to added.

On the subject of the cheek panel I'd go with how WNW advise personally IMHO.


Keith

[Mark]

On my D.VII F kit the triangular pieces show some fabric stress "folds" (for lack of a better word) so I would imagine that they were simply an extension of the fabric behind them; hence, the need to fill the gap as per my instructions . . . at least I'm going to attempt to fill mine.   

Mark G.