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Fokker D.VII OAW 1:48 Eduard Weekend The Fokker D.VII first appeared over the western front in the late spring/early summer of 1918, as the Great War was entering its final phase leading up to the November Armistice. Much has been written about it, but it was an outstanding fighter often awarded the accolade of being the finest such machine produced by any side in the conflict. It is also well known that it was the only aircraft specifically named by the allies in the Armistice agreement; such was its fearsome reputation as a killer. The Eduard Fokker D.VII has been around since 2005, and released in all major versions (Fokker, Albatros, and O.A.W). Much of the basic kits are the same but Eduard provides different fuselages on a separate sprue depending upon the version. In fact they supply two complete fuselage halves per kit. Although building the same aircraft, Fokker, Albatros, and O.A.W. each had their own variations, most notably in the front cowling panels and exhaust pipe location. And even within manufacturer, these features could vary, hence Eduard very welcome decision to provide two fuselage types per manufacturer. This is a much appreciated touch, as it makes building much simpler and easier. I find it sometimes irritating with other manufactures where you have to attach so many inserts and panel per version, that it is hard to get a neat airframe with everything flush, so full marks to Eduard here. I built this one from the Royal class boxing a few years ago. This latest release is a ‘Weekend’ edition which gives you a basic kit without the etched brass fret or kabuki masks of the top of the range ‘Profipack’ or ‘Royal Class’ kits. The simplified box art shows Jasta 19’s Wilhelm Leusch’s well known ‘Dragon’ scheme, and a side profile of Franz Meyers attractive MFJ III scheme. Lifting the box lid reveals the four familiar sprues, all of which are still as sharply moulded as ever and show no sign of flash or sink marks. The only change I noticed was that the usual olive coloured plastic has been replaced with a medium grey colour on three of the four sprues. Sprues A and B hold the wings and tail surfaces, with nicely defined rib detail. Also present are some interior parts and the Mercedes DIIIa engine. A selection of 4 propellers are provided, covering Axial, Wolff, Heine, and Niendorf types. Sprue C holds all the delicate parts such as struts, seat mountings, control column, rudder pedals, compass etc. Also included is Eduard's clever 'stitching' insert that fits in a channel on the fuselage underside, to represent the stitched fabric seam found there. Plus it has the benefit of hiding the fuselage join. Sprue D offers the manufacturer specific fuselage halves, other boxings have the Fokker and Albatros versions, but here we have the O.A.W ones along with the appropriate radiator and exhaust pipe. The Meyer machine uses halves 1 and 2 (with the semi-circle cooling gills) while the Leusch version uses fuselages 3 and 4 (with the long cooling gills). Meyer fuselage; Leusch fuselage; All the fuselages beautifully represent the fabric covering over the steel tube skeleton. There are subtly defined 'facets' of each section down the sides, which really need to be seen close up to fully appreciate. Decals. Most previous ‘Weekend’ kits I have seen offer only one decal option, but unusually we have two here. A. Wilhem Leusch, Jasta 19, October 1918. B. Franz Meyer, MFJ III, 1918. The welcome surprise is that a full set of upper and lower lozenge decals are supplied, along with a full set of rib tapes to go over them, in both salmon pink and blue. Having built many of these kits in the last 10 years or so, I can offer a few pointers to ensure a happy build; It is important to line up all the internal bulkheads to fit in their recesses in the opposing fuselage half, as the engineering is to very fine tolerances. Common sense really, but double check before committing to glue. Prime and paint the wings in a base colour such as pale blue underneath, and medium green on top. The lozenge decals need a painted surface to ‘bite’ onto and adhere properly. Putting them on to bare plastic won’t work. Glue all four undercarriage struts into the axle wing, and let it set before attaching to the fuselage. You can check right after gluing that the top of each strut finds its mounting hole on the fuselage, then put it aside. Depending upon final colour scheme, if possible attach the forward strut assemblies to the assembled, but bare plastic fuselage. This will ensure a strong join, and if like the two schemes here, won’t interfere with painting the final colours. Lozenge fabric colours are a minefield to wander in to, it seems everybody has a different opinion. I have a preference for toning my models down, just lightly. To this end I usually give lozenged surfaces a very light coat of thinned Tamiya ‘Smoke’, in one or two passes from my airbrush. I like the harmonised and blended look it gives, reducing the harshness of what can otherwise appear as a stark finish. It is however a matter of personal taste, and I offer it here as an opinion rather than a criticism. Conclusion. Eduards Fokker D.VII is one of the best 1/48 Great War aircraft kits ever produced. It assembles accurately and easily, and perfectly captures the look of the original machine. There is hardly any rigging (a cross brace in the undercarriage, and a few simple control cables), which further adds to its appeal for those who are put off by it. Stretched sprue will easily deal with this, and even a total absence is not very noticeable. It is in fact one of my all time favourite kits and subjects, and over the years I have purchased at least one of every release of it, from single kits, through Dual Combos, up to the beautiful ‘Royal Class’ edition. There are so many attractive colour schemes for the D.VII, many of them offered in the Eduard kits and even more can be found on aftermarket sheets. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of Also available is a Wheel mask set

Hi folk,s my little pet project for the next few month,s is to build a few of Eduard,s WW1 subjects in 1/48 after recently completing an Airacobra and ME109 from said company.I bought this kit fully intending to build the Red Barons mount but when I saw the scheme for Friedrich Kempf's unusually marked machine I wanted to push myself to see if I could try it,and it was nice to do a fair bit of brush painting in the process too,so here she is,a really enjoyable vice free build(if you read the instructions properly)! WIP here.http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234999258-not-onenot-twono-five-wingseduard-fokker-triplane-and-friend/page-1 And the man. http://www.fokkerdr1.com/images/Dr1_213_17_kempf.jpg(withthank's to Ian) And the Model. Many thank's for looking.

This is the first time I have put something in RFI. I finished this about 3 weeks ago. I thought there would have been more of these to be seen on this site. Its a nice wee kit, very nice details and rather fragile. The rigging helps strengthen it. The fuselage stripes are decals. The top and bottom pieces do not align with the side pieces. I think whoever drew them forgot that a stripe cut an angle is wider than a straight across cut. The rigging is done with stretched polythene plastic sprue. Sprue from a set of Airfix figures. It can be stretched till its very thin and it has a small amount of elasticity to it: enough to pull tight for rigging, as here. The wires at the front of the wings were done with one long piece, as were the aft wing wires.

Hi all,with not a lot going on after the two Thunderbolt,s are finished I fancied a change of era so inspired and jealous by my eldest getting a box full of unbuilt WW1 biplanes from his wifes Grandad(OK he did give me Matchbox's Siskin) I got these two from King Kit at a fiver the Pair,I like to buy older boxing as the molds tend to be better(these two are still current releases).The obvious risk are the decals which due to the kits being fully sealed are in tip top condition so I am building the all red Albatross of Manfred von Richthoven and Goering's all white Fokker.Here's the box and sprue shot's.

Airfix have just released two new World War I aircraft models in 1/72 scale; the Fokker E.II Eindecker and Royal Aircraft Factory BE2c. Both are due to arrive into stock soon. These two kits look very nice indeed, and Airfix have produced very nice stop-motion videos showing the kits' construction.

Hello, I'm currently building Revell's 1/72 Fokker Dr. I triplane (WIP thread here). I'd be most grateful if someone could clarify if stretchers were used in the rigging and, if so, what type. I haven't been able to find pictures on line to clarify this. I have Eduard's 1/72 stretchers and control horns PE set and would like to use the most appropriate types. Thanks in advance Jaime

Fokker DR.1Triplane 1:24 Merit International Instantly recognisable as one of the most distinctive aircraft of The Great War, the Fokker Triplane's fame far exceeds its actual contribution to the war effort. It's service life barely stretched to 6 months, and the number built was tiny (320) in relation to other contemporary fighter aircraft such as the Albatros D.V /Va (around 2,500 built). Undoubtedly it was the association with Manfred Von Richthofen 'The Red Baron' that made it such a famous aircraft. Even members of the public with no interest in aviation will surely be aware of the man and his blood red Triplane. It was not particularly fast, but Its greatest assets were its rate of climb and exceptional manoeuvrability, which made it a deadly opponent in a dog fight. Coupled to the fact that most were only issued to elite units and flown by the most skilled pilots, it is perhaps easier to appreciate why it built up such a formidable reputation in a short space of time. Roughly speaking, it was in service with the Jastas from the end of 1917,and gone from them by the middle of 1918. Very few aircraft of any type have ever had such a short lifespan. There have been many plastic kits available, almost from the start of the hobby. There cannot be many of us who did not build an Airfix or Revell Triplane in our early years of modelling. It has been well covered in all the main scales, with noteworthy examples from Eduard (1:72 and 1:48), Roden (1:32) , and even a 1:28 version from Revell which has been around for many decades. This new kit from Merit is however the first version that I am aware of in 1:24 scale, and seems to herald the beginning of a new range of Great War aircraft, as their website lists an SE.5a to join it soon. The kit. Until recently I was not aware of the 'Merit International' brand, but they are apparently an off-shoot of the well known Trumpeter company. They specialise in large scale kits such as the 1:18 scale F-86 Sabre, Bf 109, Me 262 and AV-8B Harrier amongst others. The DR.1 kit comes in a sturdy cardboard box with a separate base and lid, which is well filled with five individually wrapped sprue trees, an etched brass fret, two sheets of decals, colour profiles for the finishing option, and an A4 sized instruction booklet. First impressions are of a well packed and presented product. Sprue A. This holds the two fuselage halves and many of the interior components. Everything is cleanly moulded with good detail and virtually no flash. The under fuselage stitching along the centre seam is moulded on, rather than being as a separate strip as Eduard do it. It should work well, but will require care when gluing the fuselage halves together. Sprues B and C. Each of the three wings are split into upper and lower halves. The fabric effect is really well done, with the underlying structure and ribs being subtly portrayed. The fabric itself looks nice and tightly 'doped on' without the excessive sag that many manufacturers mould on. I'm impressed with how Merit have done it, and it should look very good under a coat of paint. Sprue D. The welded steel tube fuselage interior is fully supplied in the form of two side pieces with separate upper and lower cross members. The instructions suggest building it all around the interior components such as floor, seat, ammo tank, etc. Personally I would be tempted to see if I could build up most of the tubular skeleton and then fit in all these parts afterwards. It would make painting of all these parts easier, but might be risky! A bit of dry fitting should give some idea of how feasible this might be. Also on this sprue are all the cylinder heads and pushrods for the engine, and the cabane and interplane struts for the wings. The moulding is all very neat with no flash and the tiniest of seams to scrape once off the sprue. Sprue E. Engine halves, firewall, cowling, axle wing, wheels, rudder, tailplane and propeller are all here. Again the moulding is neat and almost flash free. None of the sprues show any sign of sink marks and are competently produced. The Axial propeller is moulded with nice thin trailing edges and blade cross sections. It is however a little bit 'pinched looking' at the rear of the blades near the roots. It is nothing too serious, but I will build mine up a little with Milliput and blend it in. The wheels are nicely defined as single piece mouldings with sharp hub to tyre definition, which will make painting a simple easy task. The engine has nicely defined detail, with separate spark plugs. Many of us will want to add some very fine copper wire for the plug leads. I do this on all my Wingnut Wings and Eduard kits, because once you have done it you feel obliged to do it to all your builds! Etch. The etched brass sheet supplies a pair of cooling jackets for the twin Spandau machine guns, and control horns for the elevators and ailerons. Decals. The smaller of the two sheets contains all the national markings and subjects for the two individual finishing options, along with some instrument faces and propeller logos etc. A larger sheet offers a representation of the Fokker 'Streaky' camouflage for the upper wing surfaces and fuselage. If you are not familiar with this, the Fokker factory applied a streaky effect to many of their aircraft types. It was hand painted by wide brush using a green/olive colour, and deliberately streaked in one direction. If you are not confident in doing this on the model, then the decals will do all the hard work for you. I have worked out a way to do this with oil paints described here, as I personally prefer to be able to vary the tone and shade of the streaking over what most decals provide. Well done to Merit for giving the modeller the choice though. Options. Both are well known, but it is pleasing to note that Manfred Von Richthofen's overall red DR.1 has been avoided. Instead we have one of his earlier DR.1s 152/17, which in my opinion is far more attractive in its streaky green with red sections. The second option is Jasta 2's Fritz Kempf 'Kennscht mi noch?' which translates as either 'Remember me?' or 'Do you know me?'. It was something of a taunt to allied pilots, and to make sure, Kempf had his name painted in large letters on the top wing. Although not mentioned in the instructions, it would be possible to create several other DR.1s using just the basic 'Iron Crosses'. Many had simple designs painted on the fuselage which covered most, if not all, of the serial number. Guns. The LMG 08/15 machine guns are supplied with etched brass jackets, but further comment is needed here. The kit supplies solid mouldings for the guns and the builder is instructed to wrap the etched jackets around the solid barrel. While this will work, I don't see the point in it, as the advantage of the etched 'slot' openings will be all but lost. I therefore modified mine to how easy it would be to improve them. Firstly I cut off the solid barrel, leaving a lip at each end for the etched jacket to glue on to. Then I drilled a hole in each end for the new barrel. The barrels on the Spandaus were only thin tubes, the purpose of the slotted jacket was to act as a heat sink and cool it down. A new barrel was cut from 1mm brass wire, and put in place. The etched jacket can then be slid over. Finally, there is a trigger/cocking mechanism on the right side of the gun, which is not represented at all. I built this up from rod and strip to give a reasonable representation of what I can see from photographs. A simple and effective improvement that took all of 10 minutes to do. I also drilled out the solid sight on top of the muzzle, and cyano'd on a cross hair from fine copper wire. The cross hairs were 1 cm long, trimmed off when set. I feel that these modifications/additions are essential in this scale, as the guns supplied ok in shape but lacking in detail. The other item that will need dealing with is the lack of seat belts. In this scale they are essential as they are such a prominent detail in the open cockpit. I was a little surprised that none were included on the etched fret. However, it is not too difficult to fabricate a set. A simple remedy might be to photocopy and enlarge some from a 1/48th set, and use the copy to cut some from tape or wine bottle foil. Alternatively the aftermarket may offer such items. Conclusion. An interesting model in the large 1:24 scale, which won't take up too much space. It will perhaps make a good companion to those similarly scaled 109's from Airfix and Trumpeter, showing the evolution of the German air force over the space of 25-odd years. Don't be put off by omission of seat belts or need to enhance the guns, this is a very nicely moulded kit and a good first entry into Great War modelling by Merit. The DR.1 has none of the complications of biplanes as the mid and lower wings fit directly to the fuselage, and the top wing fits easily onto the 4 struts. Rigging is simple, just 2 wires between the cabane struts and 2 more on the undercarriage. The unpainted but built up example in 'The Rumourmonger' shows a very accurate looking model. The proportions all look right and captures the look and feel of the DR.1 very well. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of UK distributors for

Valom is to release a 1/72nd Fokker T.V bomber kit - ref.72102 Sources: http://www.valom.net/pripravujeme_en.html http://www.aviationmegastore.com/fokker-tv-bomber-expected-december-2015-72096-valom-vaclav-lomitzk-859405429096-nederlands-militair/product/?action=prodinfo&art=132048 V.P.

Fokker E.II/E.III 1:48 Eduard ProfiPACK The Fokker Eindecker (monoplane) owes its origins to the original M.5 monoplane. The E.III was basically an E.II fitted with newly designed wings with a narrower chord of 1.8m to the old 1.88m. Both aircraft used the 100hp Oberursel U.I engine. The E.III having a larger fuel tank to give a 150min endurance. Most aircraft were fitted with a Single 7.92mm Spandau with 500 rounds, though some aircraft gained twin guns. The E.III arrived in significant number in 1916 and were allocated in singles to reconnaissance squadrons. Later they would be used in single seat fighter Squadrons (Jagdstaffeln). Aircraft were operated in WWI by Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey. Only one aircraft has survived to this day which is in the Science Museum in London. The Kit The kit is produced to Eduard's usual excellent standards. In the box the modeller gets three sprues of plastic, two photo etched frets and a small sheet of masks. Construction starts naturally in the cockpit area. This area is actually quite complicated as Eduard have gone to great lengths to give the modeller an excellent representation of the real thing. Separate side and floor panels are added to the detail already present on the inside of the fuselage sides. A read fabric panel is also added to the cockpit area. Flight control featuring the stick and rudder, as well as the control linkages are added. A throttle, the pilots seat, and seat belts are also added into the cockpit. Once all of the detail is inside the fuselage can be closed up. The area directly behind the pilot can be opened up and a fuel tank is provided for this area should the modeller wish to do this. An oil tank for the engine mounts underneath the decking in front of the pilot. On the front of the aircraft a detailed radial engine is added along with PE wiring details. A choice of engine cowling is supplied depending on which decal option is to be used. PE detailing is supplied for the inside of this part. Once all of the engine work is complete construction can move back to the main airframe. The prominent stitching is replicated in PE and this effectively covers the main seam on the underside. The complicated tail, tail plane, and rear skid assembly can then be completed and added to the rear of the aircraft. Next step is to complete the machine gun and add it to the top decking in front of the pilot. A PE jacket is supplied which will need to be rolled to fit the gun. Additional detailing parts are then added in this area including an ammunition belt. The prominent A frame to hold the wing bracing wires is then added as is the pilots windscreen (though I suspect most modellers will leave this until last. The fuselage can then be flipped over to install the main gear. Each wheel is a three part affair and they attach to a complicated cradle which holds them under the main fuselage. It is then left to attach the main wings to each side. The left wing is the same for all marking options, but the right one does differ so make sure you select the right one. The propeller can then be added. A full rigging diagram is supplied for all the bracing wires. Decals All the aircraft have the same doped linen exterior with metal panels in the engine area. Large crosses are supplied for the wings and tail. There are markings for five aircraft in the kit. E.II 68/15 Lt Brückman, late 1915. E.II 69/15 Lt Kurt von Crailsheim, late 1915. E.II Vfw Ernst Udet, early 1916 (Used on box art). E.III Leopold Anslinger, Summer 1916. A.III 03.42 KuK Luftfahrtruppen 1915/16. Conclusion This is another great WWI aircraft from Eduard. The kit is complicated but should make up to a good looking model. Highly recommended. Kit - If you like more then one decal option then a full set of overtrees are available from Eduard; Overtrees - Review samples courtesy of

Fokker F27 Friendship. F27-200 with the Dart Mk 532 engine. Ex Air UK aircraft G-BHMY, at The City Of Norwich Aviation Museum, pics mine.

As announced (http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234973406-merit-cataloguefolder-2015-2016/?hl=merit), Merit is to release 1/24th Fokker Dr.1 kit - ref. 62403 Release is expected for 3rd Quarter 2015 Source: https://www.facebook.com/MeritIntlLtd/photos/a.117819558309628.25722.117797744978476/881469738611269/?type=1&theater Box art V.P.

New airfix kit in progres is a 1/72nd Fokker E.II/E.III Eindecker Source: http://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/workbench/workbench-behind-the-scenes-at-airfix/ V.P.

1/72 Fokker D.VII by Eduard confirmed here: http://ipmsnymburk.com/forum/viewtema.php?ID_tema=11559

These feature three dimensional open louvers on the engine panels. Separate engine access doors that fit into recessed openings. Multi part throttle quadrant, multi part floor compass, fretted machine gun jackets, ammunition chutes, seatbelt and shoulder harnes with optional separate hardware if you choose to use masking tape for belt material, instrument panel with separate switches, and on and on. Nearly one hundred different parts to detail every section of your Fokker D.VII. See the complete photo/text instructions at www.ww1aircraftmodels.com Go to the forum and click on Hints and Tips section. Click on Barry Berman's photoetch. Choose from early Fokker built, late Fokker, early Albatros, late Albatros, mid production OAW, or late OAW. Each set contains two large brass frets(about 17 square inches total). The price is $12.50 USD which includes worldwide shipping. PayPal accepted at [email protected] Questions answered at [email protected] Note: If you are building a Roden kit, you must sand down the lower wing roots. An overly tight fit to the fuselage will cause the lower wing to bend downward. Tip: Use Blu-Tac on a cocktail stick(toothpick) to hold small photoetch parts for placement.

Fokker Dr.I Kagero Legends of Aviation in 3D - Casemate Publishing Inspired by the Sopwith Triplane which entered frontline service in 1916 which was able to outperform the Albatross, (the Germans most effective fighter at the time); the Fokker Dr-1 Triplane became one of the most famous fighters of WW1, particularly in the hands of pilots such as Manfred Von Richthofen and Werner Voss. This publication from Kagero via Casemate publishing covers all aspects of the Dr-1s inception, design, paint schemes and combat history within the first 36 out of a total of 140 pages. The rest of the book is filled with wonderfully rendered pictures of the aircraft in various states of deconstruction, showing all parts in beautiful detail, excellent for the superdetailer. The depth of detail shown is pretty amazing, right down to the machine gun fixings, wing design and rigging. The final 8 pages of pictures look really odd, looking like they are out of register. Until, that is, you use the provided 3D glasses and all becomes clear as the drawings jump out of the page. Whilst these last 8 pages do not add much to the book, they do not detract from it either. The glasses themselves are not the best, and you have to hold them on your nose, they do add a bit of fun though. Conclusion This book is certainly a good read. The history section is excellent on its own. The series of 2D and 3D drawings will be of immeasurable value to the modeller. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Fokker Dr.1 Eduard 1:48 Weekend Edition The Blood Red Fokker DR.1 Triplane made famous by the Red Baron needs no introduction to nearly everyone. This kit has been previously reviewed by my collegue Dave here. The plastic in this boxing is exactly the same, just the markings have been changed. Decals For a weekend eddition surprisingly two decal options are supplied, along with set off superfabric seatbelts. First is the Red aircraft of Baron von Richthofen. Second is an Streaked Olive machine flown by Lt Freidrich Kempf, this has his name on the top wing. Conclusion This is a lovely little model of a very famous aircraft type. There is enough detail for most people and would make a great kit to keep the mojo a kick start if in a rut or just as a fun build over a weekend. This is now the second weekend kit I have reviewed which has come with more than one decal option and a set of Eduard's fabric peel off belts. It looks like the value for money in these weekend kits has been improved by Eduard, something we can all applaud. Overall highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Fokker F.27, Air Anglia Welsh Models 1:144 Vacform The F.27 was Fokkers very successful entry to the twin turboprop regional airliner market, first flying in 1955. Very few remain in service,, but it had a long and varied career with a wide range of operators The Welsh Models vacform is one of my favourite kits, this one being my third to be completed. The Air Angliadecals come with the kit and are designed & produced by Twosix decals and performed beautifully. There is no white printing on them so the 'Air Anglia' titles are clear printed in the black area. The bottom of the fuselage then needs painting in black. I scratch built my own props from sprue runners for the spinners and 10 thou sheet for the props. And finally 'with something else', more F.27's! Thanks for looking, John

Fokker D.VII (Alb) 1:32 Wingnut Wings. The Fokker D.VII was the most succesful German single seat fighter of the Great war. Such was the demand for it that not only was it built by Fokker, but also Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke and Albatros, hence the suffix (Fok), (OAW) and (Alb) often used to denote the manufacturer of a particular airframe. In fact Albatros produced more D.VII's tha Fokker themselves, and to a better standard of quality. One of the things I like about aviation modelling is not just the aircrfat themselves, but also the people who maintained and flew them. The Great War is full of personalities, and Carl Degelow is a shining example. He was a 30 victory ace, and the last winner of the 'Pour le Merit', commonly known as the Blue Max. By all accounts he was a chivalrous 'knight of the air', and served with honour and distinction. I can thoroughly reccommend the book 'Black Fokker leader' written by Degelow and translated/edited by Peter Kilduff. Degelow survived the war, and was later jailed for a few days for refusing to give the Nazi salute! He served in the Luftwaffe in World War 2, and died in Hamburg in 1970. The Wingnut Wings kit is superb, I have now built all 3 (the Fokker, OAW, & Albatros versions), and throughly enjoyed all of them. Original review of all 3 here Hers is the latest, Carl Degelows 'White Stag' ; With cowling panels fitted; Cowling panels detached; Read the book, build the model! [edit for a late addition] All 3 Wingnut Wings together. Left to Right, Willi Gabriels (Fok), 'Sieben Schwaben' (OAW), and Carl Degelow (Alb). Not easy to photograph together![/edit] Thanks for looking, John

Two weeks till the end of the GB. Enough to build little Fokker

Next 1/32nd Silver Wings (http://www.silverwings.pl/) resin kit will be a Fokker D.XXI. Release expected this autumn Source: http://www.aeroscale.co.uk/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=17655&mode=thread&order=0 V.P.

Fokker D.VII (OAW) Seven Swabians 1:32 Wingnut Wings Got a week off work so plenty of time to pull a 'big' build out of the stash and make a decent start. I've been itching to do the Wingnut Wings Fokker D.VII (OAW) for a while now, but had a massive problem in that I could not decide on which colour scheme to finish it in. It is a problem in a good way, because there are so many really attractive ones to choose from. For sure I want to do 3 OAW versions, Franz Buchner's and Willhelm Leusch's...... ...and the 'Seven Swabians' from Wingnut Wings own 'aftermarket' decal sets. I knew that if I chose just 1 of these schemes and stared the kit, I would regret not choosing one of the other 2! I solved this problem by dipping my hands deep into my pockets and ordering 2 more of the OAW kits. 'A modellers got to do what a modellers got to do' and I can't get enough of Fokker D.VII's. Anyway, good progress has been made, and this week has reminded me why I enjoy Wingnut Wings kits so much. This has been pure modelling pleasure, such a beautifully engineered kit. All this is out of the box, apart from the stretched sprue bracing wires & control runs, plus the ignition leads on the engine from black and yellow twisted thread soaked in white glue. Cockpit & engine bay; Daimler-Mercedes 200hp D.IIIau engine; Engine & Prop in place; In one fuslage half. Note the 'faded interior' side of the external lozenge fabric. Although this aircraft has a painted pale grey fuselage, it was delivered in lozenge fabric which was the overpainted on the outside. Wings will be covered with lozenge decals, but I have undercoated these with sutable base colours. A painted finish is essential to give the decals something to bite on to. The 3 builders of the D.VII (Fokker, Albatros, & OAW) all had their own distinctive cowling panels. I've prepared the OAW specific ones, and airbushed the insides with Citadel 'Runefang steel'. Next stage is to zip up the fuselage. Thanks for looking, John

Hi all, Here's my entry to the GB, Rodens take on the Fokker D.VII. No progress to date but heres's whats in the box. I'm intending to do the aircraft of Oblt Erich Loewenhardt, Pulsieux, France, August 1918. The instructions say the fuselage should be overall 'Lemon' with the lozenge camo on the wings (may need some advice on using the decals!). Was the fuselage wood on these or fabric covered? Anyway, heres the lovely box art and whats in it: cheers Simon

Hi folks another £3:25 mega kit! Revell,s little monoplane and a couple of friends,old kit but great simple build my attempt at rigging using stretched sprue last photo shows all three WW1 builds total cost £11:50,cheap and cheerful entertainment many thanks for looking.

Hi folks,even those of a non aviation calling would instantly think of the red baron on seeing this plane.I think for a fiver this Revell kit is a little beauty! second WW1 subject I have had a go at and really enjoyed,thanks for taking the time to look and do a bit of reading up on Richthofen, incredible man.

Fokker T.IV(a) Dutch Float Plane Pacific Crossroads 1:350 The Fokker T.IV was developed to meet the requirements of the Royal Netherlands Navy for a maritime patrol/torpedo bomber aircraft for use in the Dutch East Indies. The original design was for a twin engined float plane with a thick, cantilever, high mounted, monoplane wing and a deep, slab sided fuselage with an open cockpit housing the two man crew. The aircraft was powered by two 450hp Lorraine-Dietrich 12E W-12 engines and made its maiden flight on June 7th 1927. The aircraft was fitted with three machine guns and could carry either a single torpedo or 1,764lb, (800kg) of bombs. A total of twelve were built and delivered to the Dutch Naval Aviation Service in the Dutch East Indies. In 1935 Fokker developed an improved version, the T.IV(a), with 750hp Wright Cyclone radial engines replacing the original units. The other improvements included an enclosed cockpit and enclosed nose and dorsal turrets. A total of twelve were newly built and the original aircraft re-built to T.IV(a) standard. All the new builds were also to be used in the Dutch East Indies. The T.IV(a) proved to be a reliable and seaworthy aircraft and was used for local patrols and air-sea-rescue operations from Java until 1941, when the Japanese attacked the Dutch East Indies. All remaining aircraft bar one were either scuttled or destroyed by Japanese bombing. The last aircraft was damaged in an accident and written off in May 1941 The Model This is the second aircraft in Pacific Crossroads 1:350 range, having released the Do24 last year and reviewed HERE. The kit is packaged in a sturdy hinge top opening box with a depiction of the aircraft in skimming across the sea and the Dutch Flying Cross in the right hand corner. Once again on opening the box the modeller will initially think that he has bought a box of polystyrene peanuts, but lurking in the safety of these peanuts is a small poly bag of resin parts and a small sheet of etched brass. The resin includes a single piece fuselage, two wings, single piece horizontal tailplane and the two floats. The parts, with the exception of the fuselage, are only tentatively attached to their casting blocks, so they should be pretty easy to remove with minimal clean up afterwards. It appears that Boris has been able to make a better positioning of the casting block on this kit as it is is attached to the mating surface of the wing/fuselage join this time making them a whole lot easier to use, since the fuselage has quite deep, (it’s all relative), indentations to receive the wings they should make for a nice clean fit. The casting is very nice and cleanly done with some very fine engraved details. Although the canopy frames look like they’ll be really fun to paint cleanly they are so fine. The build is quite simple, but it will be fiddly, as anyone who has built 1:350 aircraft before will testify. With the wings and tailplane glued into place it’s straight on with adding the etched parts. The most testing area will be the struts for the two floats as they are a complicated affair utilising six different parts. The other etched parts are simple to add, being the tailplane struts, aerial mast, three machine gun barrels, (which for some unknown reason were missing on the review example). The two propellers slide onto spindles in the cowlings, but the port side one was broken on the review example, but it may be best to replace them with suitable metal rod. The cowlings appear quite empty as seen in the photo above and would benefit from being filled as at this scel any engine detail would be difficult to ascertain. Decals The small decal sheet contains a number of different sized orange and black triangles, plus four identification flags, but the single colour scheme of overall khaki green with silver undersides of the wings, floats and fuselage, shown in the instructions, requires just four of the large triangles for the wings and two small ones for the fuselage. No other markings are provided, if any were applied, the modeller will need to do some research. The decals appear to be well printed, in register and with good colour density. Conclusion This is a really unusual aircraft, and one that I had no knowledge of before receiving the kit. It’s another great little kit and Boris of Pacific Crossroads should be proud of it and also congratulated for keeping the memory of the Dutch East Indies forces alive. Once again I can see this as part of an overall diorama displaying the aircraft at anchor just offshore of a Javanese dock. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of