Fokker F.VII. Manual for Microsoft Flight Simulator

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Disclaimer

This flight manual is for the sole purpose of flying the Fokker F.VII within Microsoft Flight

Simulator.

The content of this manual should not be relied upon in any way to fly real aircraft and Orbx take

no responsibility for actions arising from using the content in the real world.

Fokker F.VII

Introduction

Fokker F.VII

History

The F.VII was designed as a single-engine transport aircraft by Walter Rethel. Five examples of this model

were built for the Dutch airline KLM. One of these aircraft, registered H-NACC, was used in 1924 for the first

flight from the Netherlands to the Dutch East Indies. In 1925, while living in the US, Anthony Fokker heard of

the inaugural Ford Reliability Tour, which was proposed as a competition for transport aircraft. Fokker had the

company's head designer, Reinhold Platz, convert a single-engine F. VIIa airliner to a trimotor configuration,

VIIa/3m. Following shipment to the US, it won the Ford Reliability Tour in late 1925. The Trimotor's structure

consisted of a fabric-covered steel-tube fuselage and a plywood-skinned wooden wing.

The Fokker F. VIIb/3m had a slightly increased wing area over the F. VIIa/3m, with power increased to 220 hp

per engine, while the F.10 was slightly enlarged, carrying 12 passengers in an enclosed cabin. The aircraft

became popularly known as the Fokker Trimotor.

“The Southern Cross”

The Southern Cross began life as the Detroiter, a polar exploration aircraft of the Detroit News-Wilkins Arctic

expedition. The aircraft had crashed in Alaska in 1926 and was recovered and repaired by the Australian

expedition leader, Hubert Wilkins. Wilkins, who had decided the Fokker was too large for his Arctic

explorations, met with Kingsford

Smith and Charles Ulm in San

Francisco and arranged to sell them

the aircraft, without engines or

instruments.

Having fitted the aircraft with

engines and other required parts,

Kingsford Smith made two attempts

at the world endurance record in an

attempt to raise funds and interest

for his trans-Pacific flight. However,

Fokker F.VII

after the New South Wales government withdrew its sponsorship of the flight, it looked as if the money would

run out and Kingsford Smith would have to sell The Southern Cross. The aircraft was bought by

American aviator and philanthropist Allan Hancock, who then loaned it back to Kingsford Smith and Ulm. The

three Wright Whirlwind engines were funded by Melbourne businessman Sidney Myer.

On 31 May 1928, the crew—Charles Kingsford Smith, Charles Ulm, and Americans Harry Lyon (navigator)

and James Warner (radio operator)—took off from Oakland, California, United States. The Southern

Cross stopped for rest and refuelling in Hawaii before setting off for Fiji. This leg of the journey

took 34+¹⁄2 hours of flight across open seas before gliding past the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, where a large

and enthusiastic crowd saw the first aircraft to land in Fiji touch down at Albert Park. She then landed at Eagle

Farm Airport in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, on 9 June, where a crowd of 25,000 people were waiting to

greet her on its arrival at the airport.

The aircraft was in constant radio communication with ships and shore during the flight using four transmitters

and three receivers powered by a ram air turbine attached to the fuselage below the cockpit. The first paid

commercial messages were sent and received during the flight and a new world record distance for radio was

set with a short-wave reception at Bloemfontein, South Africa, the long way around the world at 12,800 miles

(20,600 km). Direct short-wave aircraft-to-shore communications were maintained with the Pacific Coast until

the flight was four hours out of Honolulu which had been monitoring the flight from two hours after departure

with a similar reception overlap on the Honolulu to Suva leg.

Success on this flight

influenced Admiral

Byrd to equip his three

Antarctic Expedition

aircraft with similar

equipment.

Shortly before

Kingsford Smith's

death in 1935, he sold

The Southern Cross to

the Commonwealth of

Australia, for display in

a museum. The aircraft

was brought out of

retirement briefly in

1945 for the filming of

the movie Smithy. She

was refurbished in

1985 under the supervision of Jim Schofield, a senior aviation civil servant and air crash investigator.

The Southern Cross is now preserved in a special glass hangar memorial on Airport Drive, near the

international terminal at Brisbane Airport.

Fokker F.VII

A full-sized flying reproduction of The Southern Cross was built in South Australia between 1980 and 1987

and is the largest known reproduction aircraft in the world. Sergeant Anthony Lohrey of the Royal Australian

Air Force, Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU) oversaw its construction.

On 25 May 2002 at Parafield South Australia she lost a main wheel on take-off. The replica was landed on the

one good wheel and the tailskid with the pilot keeping the damaged undercarriage off the ground by keeping

the wing high in the air. When the aircraft stopped the wing came down and snapped off ~3 m of the wing tip.

After considerable negotiation the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) acquired the aircraft from the

SA Government in 2010, and the aircraft was transported to HARS facility at Illawarra Regional Airport, Albion

Park, New South Wales. The replica aircraft is being restored to full airworthy status by HARS volunteers and

recently ran taxi-out and back tests at the airfield facility.

We thank the HARS volunteers for assisting us with the production of The Southern Cross for Microsoft Flight

Simulator.

Fokker F.VII

“Friendship”

Though Friendship was equipped with aluminium pontoons for water takeoffs and landings, it was otherwise

the same type as Southern Cross.

She was the fourth aircraft to be produced in the series and her first flight was on February 16 1928.

On June 17/18 1928 she carried out a trans-Atlantic flight with Amelia Earheart as a passenger who would be

the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean. She was accompanied by pilot Wilmer Lower Stultz and

mechanic Louis Edward Gordon.

They departed from Trepassey Harbor, Newfoundland, and arrived at Burry Port (near Llanelli), Wales, United

Kingdom on the southwest coast of Wales, 20 hours, 40 minutes later.

Fokker F.VII

“Josephine Ford”

Josephine Ford is the first Fokker F.VIIa/3m monoplane. It was built by Anton H.G. Fokker’s N.V. Koninklijke

Nederlandse Vliegtuigenfabriek Fokker at Veere, Netherlands in 1925, and made its first flight at Schipol, 4 September

1925

The Josephine Ford was purchased for the Byrd Arctic Expedition by Edsel Ford and named Josephine Ford in honor of

his 3-year-old daughter, Josephine Clay Ford.

On May 9, 1926 with Chief Bennett as the expedition’s pilot and Lieutenant Commander Richard Byrd navigating they

departed Spitzbergen in the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway, on a round-trip flight to the North Pole. They flew

approximately 840 miles (1,350 kilometers) to the Pole and returned the same day. The total duration of the flight was 15

hours, 44 minutes.

For this accomplishment, Lieutenant Commander Byrd was promoted to Commander, and Chief Bennett to Warrant

Officer. Both aviators were awarded the Medal of Honor by President Coolidge.

The discovery in 1996 of a diary that Byrd had kept of his famous flight seems to suggest that he and Bennett may have

turned back 150 miles short of the pole because of an oil leak in the aircraft. The diary also contained erased (but still

legible) sextant readings that sharply differ with a later typewritten official report on June 22nd to the National Geographic

Society.

To this day, Richard Byrd’s expedition to the North Pole is still a disputed achievement.

Fokker F.VII

Left Instrument Panel

AS155 COM/NAV

AS87 ADF

Port Engine Pressures and Temperatures

Centre Engine Pressures and Temperatures

Starboard Engine Pressures and Temperatures

Airspeed

Attitude Indicator

Altimeter

Port Engine RPM

Centre Engine RPM

Starboard Engine RPM

Radio Compass

Turn and Slip Indicator

Horizontal Situation Indicator

Vertical Speed Indicator

Port Engine Manifold Pressure

Centre Engine Manifold Pressure

Starboard Engine Manifold Pressure

Fokker F.VII

Operational limitations

F.VIIa/1M

WEIGHT LIMITATIONS

Maximum Take-off Weight

3,500kg

CENTRE OF GRAVITY LIMITATIONS

FORWARD LIMIT

400 mm aft of datum

REAR LIMIT

600 mm aft of datum

The datum is the centre line of the wing front spar.

SPEED LIMITATIONS

STALL SPEED

(VS)

61 Kmph

MAXIMUM SPEED

(VNE)

231 Kmph

MANOEVRE SPEED

(VNO)

185 Kmph

MINIMUM AIR CONTROL SPEED

(Vmca)

65 Kpmh

F.VIIb/3M

WEIGHT LIMITATIONS

Maximum Take-off Weight

5,300 kg

CENTRE OF GRAVITY LIMITATIONS

FORWARD LIMIT

400 mm aft of datum

REAR LIMIT

600 mm aft of datum

The datum is the centre line of the wing front spar.

SPEED LIMITATIONS

STALL SPEED

(VS)

81 Kmph

MAXIMUM SPEED

(VNE)

246 Kmph

MANOEVRE SPEED

(VNO)

213 Kmph

MINIMUM AIR CONTROL SPEED

(Vmca)

98 Kmph

Fokker F.VII

Start-Up

The aircraft can be started up using the in-game Checklists or by using the Quick Reference

Cards below.

Alternatively you can quick-start the aircraft by pressing Ctrl+E on the keyboard.

Taxiing

The F.VIIa/1m and F.VIIb/3m Southern Cross Original have a tail skid, no toe brakes and limited

maneuverability whilst taxing. It is therefore recommended to start at the end of a long grass

runway.

The F.VIIb Modern Retrofit planes have toe brakes and a free castoring tail wheel.

To enable the free castoring wheel it is required to push the control yoke fully forward during taxi

procedures.

Take off

After the run up and appropriate Pre-Take-off checks, briefing has been completed and the ATC

clearance obtained line up the aircraft on the center line of the runway as near to the end of the

usable length as possible.

With the left hand holding the yoke hard back, open the throttles smoothly

and continuously to the full forward position for maximum power, approx. 28” HG 2200 RPM.

After 25 knots / 46 kmph the yoke is pushed forward to lift the tail so that the aircraft is in a level

or slightly nose down attitude with the rudder in the slipstream.

At 55 knots /102 kmph the Captain will remove their right hand from the throttles to the yoke and

rotate the aircraft to lift off.

Gently adjust attitude to allow the speed to build up to the climb speed of 70kts / 130 kpmh,

when power can be reduced to climb power.

Fokker F.VII

Climb

Normal climb speed is 70 kts / 130 kmph indicated air speed (IAS).

Turn onto course should not be initiated below 500 feet. Turns must be carefully coordinated

with rudder leading into the turn because of the severe aileron drag. Turbulence will affect air

speed but maintain a constant attitude rather than chasing air speed.

Cruise

On reaching the assigned altitude, level out and allow the speed to increase to the cruise speed

(approx. 80 kts / 148 kmph IAS) before setting up the appropriate power setting -

21.5” HG or less and RPM between 2000 and 1850 RPM.

Decent

Descent from the cruise altitude should be planned 300 - 500 feet per minute to arrive in the

circuit area at 1500 feet above aerodrome level (or as per local aerodrome requirements).

This continuous straight-in descent may not always be possible due to terrain clearance and/or

ATC.

Power not less than minimum RPM should normally be set. Keep a check on cylinder head

temperatures (CHT’s) particularly in cold weather. An increase in power or slower speed will

reduce cooling but upset the planned descent profile.

Circuit Approach and Landing

Approaching the circuit, the Approach checks should be called. At non-controlled airfields, due

to possible light aircraft operation, it is required that all aircraft will join the circuit, for the landing

direction in use, at some point before the downwind turn onto the base leg, at 1000 feet above

the aerodrome altitude.

On down-wind leg, complete pre-landing checks. The turn onto base leg is commenced when

the engine rear support strut passes the threshold of the runway. Reduce power to 12-15” HG.

The pitch controls can then be moved fully forward to Full Increase. The RPM will be about

1500 RPM and maintain speed at 70kts / 130kmph. The turn onto final should be at 500 feet

and on lining up on the runway complete the final checks and aim to cross the threshold at 60 -

65k / 111 - 120kpmh IAS.

Fokker F.VII

Without flaps, the approach is relatively flat and the aircraft is put on to the runway with a slight

flare coordinated with power being reduced to idle in a “wheeler” type landing. After the wheels

are on the ground hold the aircraft in a level or slightly nose down attitude. Do not apply brakes

until the speed has fallen below 45k / 83 kmph IAS when slight braking can be employed to hold

the aircraft in the level attitude. Below 30k / 55 kmph IAS the tail can be lowered gently to the

runway. If the brakes are applied too early, when the wing is taking most of the weight, the tires

could be badly scuffed and the plane could pitch forward causing a prop-strike on the ground. If

the tail is lowered quickly or at too high a speed the wing will regain lift and the aircraft could

become airborne again.

Fokker F.VII

Credits

This aircraft has been lovingly created by a multi-cultured international team of experts,

enthusiast and friends.

We hope you enjoy it!

Art Director: Marcus Nyberg

Project Management: Ellise Christopher

Art Team:

Sebastian Darrell

Rob Brindley

Smit Parmer

Aaron Grieve McGuirk

Karl Høybye

Nawfal Benbennasser

Russ White

Flight Model and Systems Model:

Daniel Dunn

Mitchell Williamson

Sounds by Dynamedion with assistance from Sam Packer at Orbx

We would also like to thank our tireless QA and Testing team across the Globe.

Fokker F.VII

Pre-Flight Inspection

Doors

Closed and locked

Control Yoke

Fully Aft

Chocks (Parking Brake)

Set

Throttle

Advance until 2500RPM

Battery Switch

Off

Magneto

Set to Right

Fuel Valve

Closed

RPM Indicator

Check for decrease in RPM <90

Mixture

Lean

Magneto

Set to Both

Magneto

Off

RPM Indicator

Check stabilised

Fuel Pump

Off

Magneto

Set to Left

Engine Master

Off

RPM Indicator

Check for decrease in RPM <90

Magneto

Set to Both

Before Starting Engine

RPM Indicator

Check stabilised

Throttle

Idle

Chocks (Parking Brake)

Set

Control Yoke

Centre

Doors

Closed and locked

Engine temperatures

Check within limits

Battery Switch

Flight Controls

Free and Correct Movement

Normal Take Off & Climb

Starting Engine

Flight Controls

Free and Correct Movement

Chocks (Parking Brake)

Remove (Release)

Magneto

Both

Throttle

Advance

Mixture

Rich

Manifold Pressure

24 InHG

Fuel Valve

Open

RPM

2050

Fuel pump

Rotation

Greater than 112 KMPH

Throttle

Open ½ inch

Carb Heat

As Required

Engine Master

Propeller area

Clear

Cruise

Primer

Hold for 20 seconds on a cold day

Engine Starter

Flight instruments

Check

Engine gauges

Check within limits

Fuel pump

Off

Manifold Pressure

21.5 InHG

Engine Run Up

RPM

Between 1850 and 2000

Carb Heat

As Required

Chocks (Parking Brake)

Set

Fokker F.VIIa - Quick Reference Cards

Descent

Fuel pump

Throttle

As required

VNE

250 KMPH

Normal Landing & Roll Out

Fuel pump

Threshold

120 KMPH

Touchdown

Greater than 111 KMPH

Control Yoke

Aft less than 60 KMPH

Throttles

Idle

Tail Skid

Contact with the ground to allow for slowing and stopping

After Landing & Shutdown

Chocks (Parking Brake)

Set once come to a full stop

Throttle

Run the engine up to 1400RPM for 20 seconds

Throttle

Idle

Mixture

Lean

Magneto

Off

Engine Master

Off

Fuel Pump

Off

Fuel Valve

Closed

Battery Switch

Off

Fokker F.VIIa - Quick Reference Cards

Pre-Flight Inspection

Propeller area

Clear

Centre Engine Starter (Back Wall)

Chocks (Parking Brake)

Set

Engine gauges

Check within limits

Fuel Valves

On the Back Wall, All Closed

Throttles

Idle

> Engine 1 Start - Port

Magnetos

Off

Magneto 1 (Port)

Both

Before Starting Engine

Throttle

Open ½ inch

Propeller area

Clear

Chocks (Parking Brake)

Set

Port Engine Starter (Back Wall)

Doors

Closed and locked

Engine gauges

Check within limits

Flight Controls

Free and Correct Movement

Engine Run Up

Fuel Panel (Back Wall)

Chocks (Parking Brake)

Set

Starboard Tank

Doors

Closed and locked

Port Tank

Control Yoke

Fully Aft

Star / Port Centre Tank

Engine 3 Throttle

Advance until 2500RPM

Magneto 3

Set to Right

Starting Engines

RPM Indicator

Check for decrease in RPM <90

Magneto 3

Set to Both

> Engine 3 Start - Starboard

RPM Indicator

Check stabilised

Magneto 3

Set to Left

Magneto 3 (Starboard)

Both

RPM Indicator

Check for decrease in RPM <90

Throttle

Open ½ inch

Magneto 3

Set to Both

Propeller area

Clear

RPM Indicator

Check stabilised

Star Engine Starter (Back Wall)

Throttle

Idle

Engine gauges

Check within limits

Control Yoke

Centre

Engine temperatures

Check within limits

> Engine 2 Start - Centre

Repeat Procedure for Engine 2 (Centre) and Engine 1 (Port)

Magneto 2 (Centre)

Both

Throttle

Open ½ inch

Fokker F.VIIb Southern Cross / Josephine Ford / Friendship - Quick Reference Cards

Normal Take Off & Climb

Port, Centre, Starboard Fuel Valves

Off

Flight Controls

Free and Correct Movement

Chocks (Parking Brake)

Remove (Release)

Throttles

Advance

RPM

2050

Rotation

Greater than 112 KMPH

Cruise

Flight instruments

Check

RPM

Between 1850 and 2000

Descent

Throttle

As required

VNE

250 KMPH

Normal Landing & Roll Out

Threshold

120 KMPH

Touchdown

Greater than 111 KMPH

Control Yoke

Aft less than 60 KMPH

Throttles

Idle

Tail Skid

Contact with the ground to allow for slowing and stopping

After Landing & Shutdown

Chocks (Parking Brake)

Set once come to a full stop

Throttle

Run the engine ups to 1400RPM for 20 seconds

Throttles

Idle

Magnetos 1, 2, 3

Off

Fokker F.VIIb Southern Cross / Josephine Ford / Friendship - Quick Reference Cards

Pre-Flight Inspection

Starting Engines

Parking Brake

Set

> Engine 3 Start - Starboard

Battery

Off

Alternators

Both Off

Engine 3 Master Switch

Strobe Light Switch (Beacon)

Off

Engine 3 Magneto (Starboard)

Both

Nav Light

Off

Engine 3 Fuel Boost Pump

Pitot Heat

Off

Engine 3 Prime

Approx. 20 seconds on a cold day

Magnetos

All Off

Engine 3 Throttle

Open ½ inch

Fuel Boost Pumps

All Off

Engine 3 Mixture

Rich

Engine Master Switches

All Off

Engine 3 Prop Pitch Lever

Fully Forward

Radio / Inst Master

Off

Propeller area

Clear

Throttles

All Idle

Engine 3 Start

Mixture

All Lean

Engine 3 Gauges

Check within limits

Prop Pitch Levers

All Aft

Throttle 3

Idle

Fuel Valves

All Closed

Carby Heat

All Off

> Engine 2 Start - Centre

Engine 2 Master Switch

Before Starting Engine

Engine 2 Magneto (Centre)

Both

Parking Brake

Set

Engine 2 Fuel Boost Pump

Doors

Closed and locked

Engine 2 Prime

Approx. 20 seconds on a cold day

Flight Controls

Free and Correct Movement

Engine 2 Throttle

Open ½ inch

Battery

Engine 2 Mixture

Rich

Alternators

Both On

Engine 2 Prop Pitch Lever

Fully Forward

Strobe Light Switch (Beacon)

Propeller area

Clear

Fuel Valves

All Open

Engine 2 Start

Carby Heat

All Off

Engine 2 Gauges

Check within limits

Throttles

All Idle

Throttle 2

Idle

Mixture

All Lean

Prop Pitch Levers

All Aft

Fokker F.VIIb Modern Cockpit - Quick Reference Cards

> Engine 1 Start - Port

Parking Brake

Set

Engine 1 Master Switch

Doors

Closed and locked

Engine 1 Magneto (Port)

Both

Control Yoke

Fully Aft

Engine 1 Fuel Boost Pump

Engine 3 Throttle

Advance until 2500RPM

Engine 1 Prime

Approx. 20 seconds on a cold day

Magneto 3

Set to Right

Engine 1 Throttle

Open ½ inch

RPM Indicator

Check for decrease in RPM <90

Engine 1 Mixture

Rich

Magneto 3

Set to Both

Engine 1 Prop Pitch Lever

Fully Forward

RPM Indicator

Check stabilised

Propeller area

Clear

Magneto 3

Set to Left

Engine 1 Start

RPM Indicator

Check for decrease in RPM <90

Engine 1 Gauges

Check within limits

Magneto 3

Set to Both

Throttle 1

Idle

RPM Indicator

Check stabilised

Prop 3 Lever Cycling

Fully Aft

After Engine Start

Oil Pressure Gauge

Check for Pressure Decrease

RPM Gauge

Check for RPM Decrease

Alternators

Check Both On

Prop 3 Lever

Fully Forward

Radio / Inst Master

Throttle

Idle

Transponder

Control Yoke

Centre

Radios

Engine temperatures

Check within limits

Taxiing

Repeat Procedure for Engine 2 (Centre) and Engine 1 (Port)

Parking Brake

Off

Normal Take Off & Climb

Control Yoke

Fully Aft

Throttles

Advance 10%

Radios

Set

Toe Brake

Check After Movement

Transponder

Set

Control Yoke

Fully Forward During Taxi

Nav Light

Throttles

As Required

Pitot Heat

Flight Controls

Free and Correct Movement

Engine Run Up

Position Aircraft

Into Wind

Fokker F.VIIb Modern Cockpit - Quick Reference Cards

Control Yoke

Centred

Threshold

60 KIAS

Rudder Trim

Half Right

Aim for 3 point landing

Tail Low Attitude

Elevator Trim

Set as Required

Touchdown

55 KIAS

Parking Brake

Release

Stall Speed (VS1)

45 KIAS

Throttles

Advance

Throttles

Idle

RPM

2050

Control Yoke

Fully Aft less than 32 KIAS

Rotation

Greater than 60 KIAS

Tail Wheel

Contact with the ground

Toe Brakes

Gentle Pressure Applied

Climb

Taxiing Back

Manifold Pressure

24 InHG

RPM

2050

Parking Brake

Off

Carby Heat

As Required

Control Yoke

Fully Forward During Taxi

Throttles

As Required

Cruise

Fuel Boost Pumps

Off

Nav Lights

Off

Flight instruments

Check

Pitot Heat

Off

Manifold Pressure

21.5 InHG or Less

Carby Heat

Off

RPM

Between 1850 and 2000

Fuel Boost Pumps

Off

After Landing & Shutdown

Carby Heat

As Required

Parking Brake

Set once come to a full stop

Descent & Approach

Throttle

Run the engine up to 1400RPM for 20 seconds

Throttles

Idle

Fuel Boost Pumps

Magnetos 1, 2, 3

Off

Throttle

As required

Mixtures 1,2,3

Lean

Prop Levers

Fully Forward

Prop Levers 1,2,3

Fully Aft

Approach Speed

70 KIAS

Radio / Inst Master

Off

Trims

Set as Required

Engine Master Switches

All Off

Carby Heat

As Required

Strobe Light Switch (Beacon)

Off

Alternators

Both Off

Normal Landing & Roll Out

Battery

Off

Fokker F.VIIb Modern Cockpit - Quick Reference Cards