Post on 04-Jun-2018
The Fokker-Flugzeugwerke Museum Plan
Achim Engels Engels Aeroplanbau
c/o Bau- Mietservice Schmid Remsstrasse 24
73614 Schorndorf Germany
Website: http://www.fokker-team-schorndorf.de
Gerry Mos The Retreat, Avoca Ave
Torquay Devon TQ1 4EE UK
Website: http://ww1-aircraft.info/
What is the Plan?
Our plan is to build both the production and final test
fight facilities of the Fokker Flugzeugwerke of the 1914-
18 period as per the two Schwerin sites to meet the
100th anniversary.
The museum site can be anywhere in the world, as long
as the whole complex can be constructed.
What is Needed?
The basic ingredient is money, large sums, followed by a
lashing of enthusiasm and dedication. What is needed is
a group of single-minded individuals who can contribute
financially to make this plan happen.
Money can be sourced from any one or group of
individuals, but it must come without any expectation of
a return on a short or medium term basis. The funds
would be locked up in land, buildings, equipment and
resources to build aircraft. People who contribute would
be members of the strategic board and would have open
invitations to the site.
Already there is a small core of interested individuals,
who will guide and develop the site within the
constraints and resources available. But without any
major funding, the plan will not happen. These
individuals would form the core of the operational board
to manage day-to-day activities and report to the
strategic board.
What is the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke Museum?
The museum will be a time capsule set in the 1914-1918
period, for all aspects across the site. It will be a place of
recreating a living working aircraft production factory
and test flight center, which will have the following key
features:
• Re-enactment of the time frame 1914-1918, including
dress, working tools and working practices. This will not
just be limited to the aircraft, but also other reenactment
societies catering to specialized areas such as vehicles,
motorcycles, and militaria.
• Museum staff will operate both sites as a unit with a
suitable hierarchy of management.
• A good research library will be accessible to the public
via a librarian. Historians should be encouraged and via
a small fee/donation would be allowed specific access.
The library would be both electronic and paper based to
ensure a wide variety of materials. A large quantity of
material is already available but not on one site.
Acquiring new material will also be one of the museum's
key goals.
• Links to other reenactment societies and individuals
will be encouraged. These could be special day or
weekend events. Hosting of these events would be
within the overall operational calendar.
• School visits should be encouraged to aid learning in
history and technology. This could extend to specialist
training in welding and other metal and wood related
skills for schools and higher education organizations.
• Links to other museums should be encouraged, to
allow placement of aircraft and information about the
Fokker Museum within the wider context of visitors and
museums.
Production Center
The museum's Production Center will be engaged in the
work of creating period aircraft, using appropriate tools
and methods of the timeframe. All aircraft will be fully
airworthy according to the required certification
processes by the appropriate civil flight authorities.
Where load tests are required, and that is in most cases,
testing will be carried out on site with the controls set by
a specialist engineer. Aircraft will be produced as
required, but one example will always be built for use in
the museum. Already the following aircraft are in works,
at Schorndorf:
• Fokker D.VIII (museum), this will be the first
completed aircraft, expected test flights 2011.
• Fokker D.VII (three off, one for the museum)
• Fokker E.III (three off, one for museum)
• Fokker Dr.I (museum)
• Rumpler C.IV (three wing sets, external customer)
• Pfalz D.III (three off, one for museum)
• Fokker C.I (three off, one for museum)
The range of hands-on activities for day visitors and
time bound volunteers needs to be defined focusing
around aircraft construction. Some volunteers may not
be interested in aircraft and thus want to work on the
vehicles or in the library for example.
The Production Center will also house the bulk of the
education facilities teaching individuals the various
skills required to build and maintain WWI aircraft.
Flight Test Center
The Flight Test Center will operate as a private airfield,
controlled locally. Pilots wanting to fly Fokker aircraft
should be encouraged. Pilot vetting and certification to
type would be required. Use of two-seater aircraft such
as the Fokker B.II and C.I would ensure a safer
transition for modern pilots. Other near period aircraft,
such as the Tiger Moth may be used to aid the training
program.
Flying displays will be arranged to suit both weather and
seasonal conditions. Public viewing would be
encouraged, and the original site had adequate facilities
for the public in the Tribune and Casio areas on the
northern edge of the field.
Visits by WWI period aircraft will be encouraged, with
special flying days being established in the calendar to
attract both pilots and the general public.
What Sort of People Will Visit the Fokker-
Flugzeugwerke Museum?
There would be a range of people, both local and
international such as:
• Day visitors - families and individuals
• Time bound volunteers, wanting to work in specific or
general areas
• Pilots
• Engineers
• Historians
• Reenactors
• Film and documentary producers
What Are the Business and Income
Opportunities for the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke
Museum?
The initial business opportunities are small, as it will
take time to establish a fully operational site, however
the following would be considered:
• Short term employment for local builders, architects
and general trades for constructing the site buildings and
facilities. This would be over a 4-5 year period.
• Long term local employment for the maintenance
program for the site.
• Long term local employment for museum staff for the
administration, ticket office, restaurant, library and on-
site education. Part- and full-time employment would be
options for the various posts.
• Local and international employment for production and
hands on education staff.
• Local hotel and guest house accommodation, both
short and long term.
• Additional tourist revenue from visitors, regards of
duration of stay.
• Flying displays both daily and special annual events
would provide an additional platform for revenue and
short term employment.
• Provision of a site of special interest for film and
documentary makers, which in turn will provide
additional income streams both to the museum and the
local economy.
What would the site contain?
The complete museum would contain both the airfield
which was the final assembly site and the Production
Center. The later would be designed from the original
drawings to complement the airfield without interfering
with operations.
The original flight test center for Fokker at Schwerin-Görries from a circa 1917 plan.
It is recognized that to have the complete field is not
possible in one year or even two, so the airfield would
be built following the original timeline, Halle 1, then 2,
etc. This way the development of the airfield itself will
bring some interest and follow historic development.
With the 100th anniversary of the original site coming in
2013, it would be an auspicious time to open the site.
The completed site would look something like the
following images, from a virtual perspective:
Above: A 3D view reflecting the original photo below. Image: Gerry Mos
Above: Halle 1 left and Halle 2 right, with Fokker E.III aircraft. Photo: Achim Engels Archive
Images: Gerry Mos
Above: Walking around the site reveals fine and interesting views of the various buildings. Image: Gerry Mos
Above: In order to recreate the buildings as originally designed, the original drawings for all Halle have been used to create a virtual model which allows for a better understanding of the site, and how it will look. Image: Gerry Mos
Above: Each building has been recreated in 3D using original drawings. Here is a sample of one of the drawings for Halle 1, showing the dimensions for the timber roof truss structure. Image: Achim Engels Archive
Above: Using available drawings, a 3D model of Halle 1 was created. This 4 view shows both geometry and textured results. These illustrate the level of detail in the model, which can be used for the development of full structural drawings suitable for construction.
Image: Gerry Mos
Left: The 3D model of Halle 1 after the application of texture sheets. Image: Gerry Mos
Above: Exterior and interior views of the Halle1 3D model. All the buildings are fully modeled according to the original drawings. The real buildings will require appropriate architect and structural engineer approval to meet current building regulations. However, as the buildings are simple brick and wooden units, they would convert easily to meet current standards. The inside of the building would house the various workshops, which would be utilized to produce real aircraft using original tools and designs from the Fokker factory. There would be areas for engine maintenance, sheet metal working, testing of components and an R&D area for the important V model development and testing. Each area would use Fokker photographs to ensure accurate representations of the time and place. Images: Gerry Mos
Workers at the Fokker factory producing Dr.1 spars. There are a number of images of not just of the Fokker works, but also other German aircraft factories, such as LVG. These will all be used to aid in setting the correct tone for the various workshops. The following images are just some examples.
Photo: Achim Engels Archive
Building elevators in the LVG works
Image: Achim Engels Archive
Engine Test stand with rotary engine.
Photo: Gerry Mos Archive
How Can You Help?
Are you a sponsor?
We are looking for financial support from people
who share the dream and are willing to fully engage
with the plans. Day to day activities will be
managed by the museum as an operational board.
Other board members will be appointed according
to an agreed set of rules, both to cover legal and
operational needs.
Are you a local authority?
We are looking for local government support and
linkages to tourist and other agencies to help
support our objectives. This will happen once the
short list of sites have been defined.
Are you the flight authority?
Help us establish the flight space required for this
specialist flying.
Are you an individual willing to play a hands-on
role over an extended period?
What skills can you bring to the museum, equally
what skills would you like to learn? There is always
work to be done in the workshop at Schorndorf, for
those with the capability and/or the enthusiasm.
Carpenters, joiners, welders, sheet metal
fabrication, drawing and design reading are just
some of the skills required, in one person. It is a hell
of a list and is only part of the skills needed to build
aircraft the original way.
Are you a potential volunteer?
What are you interested in? What areas of the
technology, or is it in the archive and library?
Would you like to donate?
We will provide a facility to enable individuals and
organizations to donate.
Contact Information
For museum information contact Achim Engels at:
engels@fokker-team-schorndorf.de
For information on the virtual museum contact
Gerry Mos at: gerry@fokker-team-schorndorf.de
Credits
The dream by Achim Sven Engels
Historic Data and Fokker photographs by Achim
Sven Engels
3D Models by Gerry “Mossie” Mos
Tools used: 3D models – AC3D, Virtual work –
3DRad (soon to move to Targetware TW2)