back in action....

Erik Pilawskii (xopowo@u.washington.edu)
Tue, 2 Jan 1996 16:02:24 -0800 (PST)

Hiya Fellows!

Good to be back from the Holidays. Had a nasty run-in with that
appalling flu going around-- hope you guys manage to avoid it!

I saw some comment on my use of the word "spurious" in regards to the
internal finish on SDAM's Dr.I 425/17. I thought I might comment. What I
had meant was that I found the application of the color, done in the way
that it was, to be somewhat questionable. Not the use of that specific color,
per se [I know it was used on NASM's D.VII, etc.], but rather on the fact
that it was applied over the entire cockpit interior.
I mean, we *are* talking about Fokker-Schwerin, here, the same enterprise
that suffered from all manner of chronic difficulties with poor workmanship.
I just cannot see Fokker applying a nice even coat of internal paint (the
SDAM machine's was obviously sprayed-on, not even brush applied) over all
the surfaces, implying further that this was done prior to major assembly
(note how the fuselage former is 'inserted' into place). Perhaps the
steel tubing was so coated (for obvious reasons), but Tony Fokker paying
someone to carefully apply a special internal doping? I just don't buy it.
Further, I don't even recall if NASM's D.VII was built by Fokker. I'd
bet it wasn't. Why should Fokker paint things in this grey shade, anyway.
What ever happened to Fokker-green? It seems to me more likely that if
any part of the internal Dr.I structure was painted, it would be in this
color, given that it was made in 1917. And you can bet that it would be
slapped on by some poor slob making 11 pfennings a year!
So, anyways, Grey color I might accept, but this beautiful fully-covered
job on the thing is pure bunkum (though, of course, fully forgivable in the
case that somebody built the machine by hand and was very proud of it). I
would bet heavily on painted steel tubing (color? Fokker green, perhaps),
unfinished but lacquered wood former, and clear dope fabric surfaces.

Hope that clarifies, Erik

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"WARNING! DO NOT SPRAY IN EYES OR MOUTH." --Caution Label seen on spray-can
containing road-line paint.
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