First WnW build, FOKKER D.VII (Fok) "Early"

[DaveyGair]

On joining this Forum nearly two years ago, after getting back into modelling after a long while, I did a few Group Builds, some successful, others not so. After giving up on my M3/M4 build a week or two ago I scanned my stash for a bit of inspiration and decided to start one of the WnW kits I have collected this last 8 months or so.  Now, I'm not generally into WW1 subjects, not that I don't find them interesting, it's just all that rigging, but still, somehow, have ended up with 1/2 a dozen of these fine kits. Not having read a bad review of any of them, and the quality of the engineering begs them to be built, I decided on the Fokker D.VII as this has no rigging apart from aileron wires. I decided to put this in a WiP as it will make me finish it but not under the pressure of a deadline!

 

So, here we go. First off, it almost seems sacrilege to start snipping off parts and laying out the instructions before you. Everything about these kits is excellent, the instructions are like a reference book and leave no ambiguity as to where parts go in relation to one another.

 

You have to decide early on which of the (5 in this case) subjects you are going to model as there are alternate parts/painting options to consider. I'm going to build option 'A', an early aircraft, just because I want to try covering almost a complete kit in decal (a first for me as well!)

 

 

 

I started at the beginning with the cockpit/interior parts, care needs to be taken when removing the fine framework from the sprue's and cleaning them up, not that there is much in the way of mould lines, but they are there. So, a little progress and nothing untoward to report, everything fitting as it should. 

Some parts have a basic coat of paint, (Vallejo ModelAir), Aluminium for the ammunition boxes, bulkhead and seat. I've used IJN Light Grey Green for the framework. Vallejo Wood plus Umber wash and Transparent Orange for the floor, but I haven't quite got the effect I was after, but it's all a learning curve!

 

 

 

More frame work ready to get primed and painted.

 

 

 

By the way, I'm not an expert on WW1 aircraft (or anything else for that matter!), just relying on WnW's good research and colour call-outs.

[Epeeman]

Hello, there mate 

 

Good for you having a crack at a ww1 aircraft!  Good first choice of aircraft that features minimal rigging. Your progress looks good so far so wishing luck on this one.

 

This (like all Wnw lists) is a great kit but take care on assembling the cockpit structure.  If you don't get it precisely right it causes problems when trying to close up the fuselage. The cowling panels can be a tricky fit as well.

 

Look forward to seeing your progress on this one.

 

Regards

 

Dave

[DaveyGair]

Thanks for the heads-up Dave.

 

A little bit of progress, started a GB as well, but I'm taking my time with this one.

 

So far so good, have attached the seat and floor assemblies into the framework, the fuel tank and ammunition magazines are just 'clicked into place at the moment. Some stunning detail on the two dial decals I have used, you can actually read them! Compass not inserted yet, as well as having to paint the instrument panel yet.

 

Any comments, suggestions welcome ( I notice I haven't painted the buckles on the belts!)

 

 

[DaveyGair]

Bit more done last couple of days. Basically assembled the cockpit, everything going together well, just the engine mounts were a bit fiddley. Care must be taken to line everything up and you do need to scrape paint off where parts join with locating pins, otherwise they don't fit! I just followed the sequence in the instructions but the compass would be easier to put in before joining the cockpit frame sides!

 

 The decals on the instrument panel are readable, if a bit fiddley to put on. The film around the two dials need to be trimmed in this photo, I did the best I could with the painting, but I'm getting a little shakey with age now!

 

 

 

I dry fitted the fuselage halves together to test the fit, it's very snug but everything seems to be in order. The bottom join goes together ok, top join behind the cockpit just needs a little pressure to hold together, probably something I may have done assembling the framework, but I was warned!

Before sealing up I'll add the rigging wires on the side frames, not so sure about the control lines though, little can be seen of them I think, you can barely make out the instrument panel!

 

 

[Epeeman]

Good progress!

 

You seem to have done better than getting the fuselage together.  I had to file away some of the outer side of the cockpit framing to get a reasonable fit here.  Once past this stage things should move a bit more smoothly.

 

Regards

 

Dave

[DaveyGair]

A year on!  Several other projects have interfered with this, not that I haven't lost interest in it. So here's where we are now.

Built up the engine, painted, added fuse wire plug leads, well, after a fashion anyway!

The fuselage was put together along with mounting the engine, also assembled and painted the wings and fuselage.

Ready for a coat of Gloss Varnish, before attempting the large decals simulating the roughly applied camouflage and the wing multicoloured hexagonal type covering.

 

 

[spruecutter96]

This is one very serious, detailed kit! Surely WNW have set a new standard for other manufacturers to aspire to. Your building and painting are looking great, BTW. 

 

Thanks for sharing with us. 

 

Chris. 

[BeltArmor]

Great looking build Davey very realistic love the engine with the oil marks and good luck with the large decals

 

Regards Lee

 

[DaveyGair]

1 hour ago, spruecutter96 said:

This is one very serious, detailed kit! Surely WNW have set a new standard for other manufacturers to aspire to. Your building and painting are looking great, BTW. 

 

Thanks for sharing with us. 

 

Chris. 

Thanks Chris, whilst they are probably the most expensive of plastic kits, they are what I would regard as the pinnacle in terms of quality of moulding, detail, the instructions read like a reference book, the number of options (one reason why this kit in particular is dearer than other single seat fighters, Four big decal sheets for the Lozenge), even the boxes are superb quality! I'm contemplating their Lancaster when they come out later this year, got to run that one past SWMBO first though!

 

1 hour ago, BeltArmor said:

Great looking build Davey very realistic love the engine with the oil marks and good luck with the large decals

 

Regards Lee

 

Thanks Lee, the oil is simply Vallejo Umber Wash liberally brushed on.  I had some difficulty with the large roundels on the camel which I have read others had a similar experience. Just about to look on the 'net to see if anyone has posted about applying these very large lozenge decals.

 

Davey.

[spruecutter96]

Hi, Davey. 

 

As for putting on the Lozenge decals, I would suggest that you very carefully divide them up into more manageable sections with a new-blade scalpel, before you put them in the water. As I'm sure you're aware, the big problem with very large sections of decals is that they can very easily stick to themselves when wet and can be are real swine to tease apart once they have folded over on themselves. The smaller the section, the easier it should be to get it into the right position. The best way to get the decals from the water to the kit is to leave them on the backing-paper as you move them over, get as close to where you want them as possible and then (very gently) slide the backing-paper away. You should then have around 5 seconds to very gently push the decal into its final position, in theory. Practice is the key in applying decals properly. 

 

Use of decal-softening and decal-setting products (eg: Microscale's Micro Sol and Micro Set) can make  the job a lot easier, as well. I would recommend using an old / spare model and left-over decals to practice using these products and get a real feel for how they work. From what I've read on various modelling forums, some manufacturers' decals love softening/setting solutions and others (occasionally) react very badly to them.  The age of your decals can play are role in how easy they are to use, too.  

 

Obvioulsy, the cutting-up-into-smaller-sections method calls for absolute precision when laying down the subsequent decal parts, to get everything to line-up with the first one.  You could argue that this method simply replaces one dilemna with a new one, but I will leave that up to more knowledable model-makers than myself to argue. 

 

I hope this is some help to you. 

 

Chris.