Schwarze Teufel  FVA-1 by Theodore Karman & Wolfgang  Klemperer
 built at Flugwissenschaftliche Vereinigung Aachen, 1920

by Smigley Riggs
Flying Aces Club - Event #30
If you've been here before - PRESS REFRESH
CLICK on any photo for large view in a new tab
Winter 2023
Flying Aces Club Scale Towline Glider - 36in wingspan
Documentation    

Flying Aces Club - Winter Folly

Some more FAC history and tradition... It was called a Winter Folly! You would spend most of the winter months building some crazy wild crate that probably wouldn't fly, but you had to to build it.

Never Ready Eddie
FAC Historian

Klemperer on left   Schwarze Teufel and the Blaue Maus (background)
     
Enhanced to highlight the plane Wasserkuppe 1920, winning time was 2:22 Enhanced to show both versions
     
First sailplane to be bungee launched 3 spars, cardboard packed leading edge, piano wire trailing love those spats
     
in 1920 they achieved only "Downhill Coasting" Front view Enhanced version
     
Fokker congratulates Klemperer for new Record in 1921 Soaring mag. article by Peter Riedel Enhanced
     
The 1922 Rhon Contest - video

Sport Gliding in the 1920s - video

The Wings of Wasserkuppe - A Brief History

German Footage 1920s - video

Wizards of the Rhon

3-view, of course it's wrong in places Clark YM-18
     
Everyone around the Blaue Maus in 1921 Klemperer Eugene von Loessl plunged from an altitude of 150 meters and crashed on the west slope of Wasserkuppe, the first pilot to die on the mountain.
     

Contemporary gliders in 1920, The Bird Feathers on the wings - been there, done that!, The Senator 5 Eugene von Loessl plunged from an altitude of 150 meters and crashed on the west slope of Wasserkuppe, the first pilot to die on the mountain.
Final Photos    
The Money Shot with pilot MoneyShot #2 - 3/4 view with pilot  
     
The Money Shot MoneyShot #2 - 3/4 view MoneyShot #3
     
cockpit is in the wing No markings anywhere Spats per the 3-view, different than the actual photos
     
front half of the 2-part fuselage   up-side down
     
     
     
234 sq.in. of wing area all trailing edges are wire, so scalloped the glare shows every mistake
     
no instruments in cockpit seat back shape as in photo This pilot looks better
     
 
  needed pants, navy blue pin-striped  
Pilot    
test fit - will try again a little too big hate the blue shirt - do something different shirt is too big
     
 going with a white shirt - Haute Couture 4 parts to the white shirt shirt seam down the back - collar seam is hard to see
The Build    
Plan - not yet complete, I will post updates center section 1/32 vertical grain sheer web - one strong spar
     
  all ellipses first time wing and spats
     
     
     
wing built above the board, only the tabs touch 36 in wingspan  
     
2 part fuselage left half of the clam shell build showing off the spats
     
    dihedral looks right
     
  cockpit cutout here  
     
Required a male and female template    
     
1/32 laminated balsa formed on templates 5 bent laminated 1/32 strips make the nose cockpit cut out of the wing
     
    no control panel, no instruments
     
Stab from the 3-view all cap-striped to prevent twisting  
     
cap-stripped the rudder too. First time all parts are together  
     
    blunt nose
     
     
     
    1920 spats
     
  the bones photo  
     
    short nose
     
cockpit before paint    
Covering, Paint and Assembly    
36" wingspan wing   rear fuselage
     
nothing straight, all curves sailboat tail the jaws of a T-Rex?
     
  tried to capture a blunt nose with curve at windscreen scalloped wire traiing edge
     
per 3-view only 1 horizontal spar, scalloped wire traiing edge   from this angle - what are those things?
     
Rubber skid bumpers for the spats 1st coat-mist Krylon Flat, 2nd coat-mist Matte Sealer Chalky Finish Flatter
     
No control panel, just a seat and  stick    
     
    Red Mahogany skids and seat back
     
   
guessing 21g of lead, adjusted when trimming    
     

Home - to see my other projects