Airfix Fokker E.II Eindecker 1/72

[Kasparov]

Hello guys.

 

I saw this little kit come around quite a few times since it came out, here and in the magazines. Since the local shop had it stocked, it was dirt cheap and I wanted to give a bit of rigging a first try, it went home with me. Just the little box with the nice box art and the sleek elegant lines of this plane makes you want to build a an oldie for a change!

 

I do have to say that Airfix is really stepping up their game lately! When I restarted this Hobby 2 years ago the first kit I bought was a big old cheap 1/24 Airfix Mustang, it was horrible and I didn't even finish it. I was used to lots of flash and shitty fit from my youngster years when cheap Revell kits were the only thing my grubby little hands hacked together with thick blobs of the nearest glue they could find. Being older and wiser I also knew that my hard earned 30-something paycheck could be better spent on the good brands like Tamiya and Hasegawa that quickly became my favourites and never looked back. This little kit, and many others they've put out the past years are really redeeming the bad reputation these cheap old kits they keep reboxing had given them here in The Netherlands. I paid €6,- for it and I've never had such a pleasure of a kit for so little money. The fit is superb, flash virtually nonexistent, the decals are top quality and the detail is lovely. If I had to name one gripe with it would be that the detail is almost too delicate in combination with the sometimes brittle PS used. I almost broke off the tailplane/stabiliser twice, but I'd rather blame myself.

 

My methods this build:

• Painted with Humbrol Sand from the rattlecan (had to improvise because the Airbrush was out of use)
• Other details with Tamiya; Hull Red, Olive drab, Aluminium, Copper, Flat Black, Gun Metal, Yellow and Brown, plain and mixed applied with brush or rattlecan
• Tried giving the propeller a wood grain with a little piece of sponge
• Drybrushed wings, stabilisers and hull with Vallejo Deep Yellow
• Drybrushed the green landing gear and struts with Vallejo Uniform Green
• Weathered with Flory Dark Dirt, and Vallejo Model wash Sepia, Brown and Black
• Rigged with dark metalised sewing yarn through holes in the wings and struts
• Decalled with Tamiya Markfit and sealed with Mr. Hobby Superclear gloss from the rattlecan
• Two Edouard PE 2mm landing lights as details on the hull from the spares box
• Made a base out of a Tamiya 100mm round base with Added Faller Summer Grass premade surface
• Finished the complete model on its base with Tamiya satin laquer from the rattlecan

 

I don't like the way the Humbrol sand colour looks. I would have liked it a bit more bleached yellow, but it was not enough for me to merit a respray. A few of the top rigging lines started sagging after the final sealing layer so I made two little brass tubes around the top threads to tighten them up a bit again. This was clumsily improvised by filing it open with a diamond file and clamping it over the threads filled with medium CA glue. It's definitely not perfect but I'm happy regardless, I've never build this scale or subject before and for the minute dimensions it has with a wingspan just over 100mm it looks good enough to me.

 

Without further delay, onwards!

 

Artificial lighting:

 

Natural lighting (grey and cloudy outside):

 

Thanks for watching guys.

Comments, feedback or advise are much appreciated!

 

Cheers,

Kas

Edited December 14, 2016 by Kasparov

[stevej60]

Well I for one love it,splendid little build!

[Meatbox8]

A great looking little Fokker.   I particularly like the metal finish on the cowling. 

[Brandy]

Nice job! My first rigged aircraft when I restarted the hobby was the Revell version. It helps if you can get all your finishing done before rigging, which of course means a rethink of "standard" procedures. Some rigging wires pass through wing markings so a little forward thinking may be needed. I'd also go for the thinnest monofilament fishing line you are comfortable with, as the thinner it is, the less of a curve you will get where the lines enter the wings.

 Looking forward to your next rigged one....

 

Ian

[Kasparov]

2 hours ago, stevej60 said:

Well I for one love it,splendid little build!

 

1 hour ago, Meatbox8 said:

A great looking little Fokker.   I particularly like the metal finish on the cowling. 

 

1 hour ago, limeypilot said:

Nice job! My first rigged aircraft when I restarted the hobby was the Revell version. It helps if you can get all your finishing done before rigging, which of course means a rethink of "standard" procedures. Some rigging wires pass through wing markings so a little forward thinking may be needed. I'd also go for the thinnest monofilament fishing line you are comfortable with, as the thinner it is, the less of a curve you will get where the lines enter the wings.

 Looking forward to your next rigged one....

 

Ian

 

Thanks guys. This wil definitely not be my last rigged build, I'm eyeballing a Wingnut Wings

 

The cowling was sprayed very thick in one go on purpose. The grainyness it gives to the aluminium is sometimes a nice effect and the cowling had little detail to lose. It does take some luck/skill, just leep spraying in controlled wipes untill the whole surface is uniformely 'wet'. You have to wait ages until it hardens and don't even look at it before then!

[celt]

Lovely little Fokker,well tidy.

[invidia]

Great little model. Paint looks great, not sure about the gloss finish.

[Kasparov]

3 hours ago, invidia said:

Great little model. Paint looks great, not sure about the gloss finish.

 

Me neither, the satin finish came out too glossy to my taste too. I might go over it again with a pure matt. Still contemplating, it looks better in reality, cameras have a hard time getting the detail right on such a small subject. But thanks for the feedback!!

Edited December 15, 2016 by Kasparov
Spelling and additions

[polo1112]

A really delightful little model !!!

Beautiful build.

[steve4536]

Nce job!...did you have much trouble stretching the material over the wing ribs?? Joking..good realism.

[kapam]

Excellent job!

I'm bracing myself for my first subject with substantial rigging involved.  Your Eindekker certainly inspires.

[Kasparov]

53 minutes ago, kapam said:

Excellent job!

I'm bracing myself for my first subject with substantial rigging involved.  Your Eindekker certainly inspires.

 

For a first try this kit is perfect! It's brand new, excellently molded and dirt cheap. It builds well and fast, if you want, into a nice little model. When just doing the top and bottom wing the rigging is natural, intricate and easy.

 

First you have to drill out the four holes in each wing with the smallest drill you have (<0,5mm). Then build paint and finish the model, make sure you have a first layer of topcoat on the model and it's perfectly cured. Fix the wire with tape on one side, thread it through the wing and over the strut you need, back trough the other wing and fix there when tense. After you've done all wires just fix all the holes with a spot of Medium CA on both sides and snip off the exces. Then give your finished model a final coat of topcoating. If you don't have slightly springy rigging material that is tensed well it might sag when wet or when painting so beware. 

Edited December 16, 2016 by Kasparov

[Robin-42]

Lovely job on a tiny kit. If I might suggest EZ-line for rigging. It is elastic, so will never sag. As to the tailplane, even in 1/32 scale on the Wingnut kit, it is very fragile. Be careful with Wingnut kits. Once you start, the rest of your stash might never get built!

Edited December 16, 2016 by Robin-42

[glatisant]

Great little build.Rigging is excellent.

[ArmouredSprue]

Really nice model. I'm still to try my first rigged model in 1/72nd