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          FS98 Avia Fokker F.VIIb-3m, C.L.S. (OK-ABT)
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                   Original AFX  by Doe&Joe
                    Reworked by Rob Bennis
              Repainted by Jiri Masnik (12/1998)
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Installation
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    It's simple, only unzip the file in the aicraft-directory and enjoy! 
    (you must have MS converter instaled)

History
---------

In November 1918, revolution broke out in Germany. Anthony Fokker, builder
of the famous Fokker fighters and father of the 'Fokker scourge' in World
War I was arrested by the revolutionary forces in his aircraft factory in
Schwerin. Weeks later he succeeded to flee into his home country, the
Netherlands. After the revolution broke down, he returned, but aircraft
production in Germany was forbidden by the Versailles Treaty of 1919.
Fokker built a new factory, the Nederlandse Vliegtuigenfabriek Fokker near
Amsterdam, and managed to smuggle the remains of his Schwerin factory
from Germany to the Netherlands. Aircraft parts and machines were transported
in six large freight trains under the eyes of the Allies. From those parts,
the first Fokker F.I passenger transports were built, soon to be followed
by the famous F.II. The single-engined F.II stood at the beginning of a
very successful series of Fokker airliners, culminating in the Fokker F.VII.

The first five F.VII built in 1924 were a disappointment. The performance of
the single-engined plane with its typical high cantilever wing was good, but
the engine was not powerful enough and the passenger capacity (6) was too
small to be of commercial interest.
The improved F.VIIA, with Gnome-Rhone, Bristol, or Packard engines of
400 to 450 hp, enlarged passenger capacity and a smaller wing became a
phenomenal success.

In 1924 the Dutch airline KLM was looking for a plane that was able to
continue its flight even when one engine failed. Fokkers answer was to
put two additional engines to the F.VII in separate engine nacelles below
the high wing, creating the F.VII-3m. And this type made aircraft history.
F.VII-3m flew in nearly every country, in nearly every larger airline of the
world and even some air forces, including the US. It was the most famous
plane of its era, comparable to the Super Constellation a quarter of a
century later, or to the B747 fifty years later. It was the plane which
opened the first really long-distance routes to air traffic. In 1925 a
Fokker V.II won with ease the Ford reliability contest. Henry and Edsel
Ford were so impressed, that they acquired the winning plane for Commander
Richard E. Byrd's north polar expedition. Years later Ford itself produced
a very similar looking aircraft, based on the Fokker F.VII design - the
Ford Trimotor.

Airplanes used by C.L.S. (Ceskoslovenska letecka spolecnost) were made under
licence in Avia factory in Czechoslovakia. Because they were reliable they 
were used for a long time (1930-1939) on the european routes.

	Crew: 2
	Seating capacity: 8-12
	Length: 14,50 m
	Wing span: 21,72 m
	Max. cruising speed: 208 km/h
	Power: 3 x Avia R-17 187 kW (255 hp)
	Range: 960 km
	Weight: 5500 kg MTOW


Flying the Fokker F.VII
------------------------

Give the Fokker enough runway to take off. Push the stick a bit forward
at 50 kts to lift the tail off the ground. Then release gradually and
the Fokker will be in the air at 70 kts. Watch your speed during climb.
The stalling speed is about 60 kts. Max. speed is about 110 kts.
Don't try aerobatics with her. In turns the Fokker tends to loose much
height. On final approach, cut back the throttle and come in not too
high and fast, she has no flaps. Best approach speed is 70 kts. Try to
touch down with 65 kts. If you bring her in with this speed, this will
be a almost perfect 3-point landing due to the high angle of attack.
Treat her good, and she will be a fine old lady.

Credits
-------

Doe&Joe for original AFX 
Rob Bennis for rework
Ian Donohoe, for his ADE98 utility
Kai Wang-Erlandsen, for his FS98 Texture Converter


Legal disclaimer
----------------

    This package may be freely copied and distributed as long as no 
charges are made for the distribution.  
    Selling this package or part of it is not allowed without the written 
permission of the author.
    Putting this package or part of it on CD-Rom is not allowed without 
the written permission of the author.


The author of repaint
---------------------

Jiri Masnik
Address: Hogerova 677, Praha 5, Czech Republic
E-mail: jmasnik@periskop.cz

Other Czech, Slovak and Czechoslovak airplanes and scenery you can find on:
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http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hangar/6866/  (these pages are in English)
http://www.periskop.cz/pocitace/  (and these are in Czech language)

Any comments??? If yes, send me e-mail.