Another nostalgic Aurora Fokker D7

[Ratch]

I'm on a nostalgia trip at the moment. When my dad worked at Mettoy they distributed Aurora kits. I don't remember which specific kits I built, but I liked the look of this.
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The kit is moulded in green and black styrene. 

As was the style in the 1950s, markings are moulded on the surface detail as raised guides. There are a few ejector pin marks, especially on the two figures, and there is a sink mark behind the radiator. 

It looks to be about 1/48. A quick scan of google images reveal no all green aircraft though I read that Factory fresh D7s were in streaky green before the Jastas brightened them up. 

[matti64]

Pointlessly repeated pictures removed- Link

Unless you would like to  build it as a Dutch aircraft, they were in service  as trainers well into the 1930's and were overall dark olive green.

 

Edited December 5, 2019 by Greg B
Repeated pictures removed

[Ratch]

Was there any need to quote all those pictures?

I'm not too bothered with the accuracy or not. I'll build it pretty much how it would have been built in the 50s 

[Ratch]

I have started by filling the ejector pin marks in the two figures using Vallejo Model 70400 Plastic Putty. I put them aside to allow the putty to harden. I then started painting the propeller with a base coat of Dark Earth. The seat was treated to a similar base of Green Brown. As acrylics do not take long to dry, and I quickly went over both with Transparent Woodgrain using a stiff stippling brush, almost dry brushing to give the woodgrain effect. 

[Ratch]

I cleaned up the filler on the figures and started the painting process.

[Brandy]

I think you have one pilot, and one waterskier!

 

Ian

[Ratch]

After cleaning up the filler on the figures I painted them. I also painted the base, spread PVA on it and added grass scatters and static grass. I then painted the chocks and ropes. I also added the figure reaching to grab a rope.


A trial fit

[Ratch]

The instruction sheet is the old ‘Locate & Cement’ style. I find these educational, naming parts that are mere objects on the modern schematics. The engine was fixed between the halves of the fuselage, which were held together by clamps while they set. I read that these aircraft were delivered to the Jastas in the streaky green scheme I had used on Werner Voss’ Fokker Dr1 (the Airfix kit). I made this many years ago, before I kept record of the paints used, so had to guess how I’d achieved the finish. I started with an undercoat of Beige Green and then dry-brushed the streaking with Dark Green. After taking delivery the aircraft would be brightly painted in the Jasta colours.

[Ratch]

The struts were painted Hu: 9 Gloss Tan and brushed over with Transparent Woodgrain. The inverted V struts were cemented in the locating holes in the fuselage. I offered them to the location holes in the upper wing to ensure they were correctly angled. The long cabane struts and N struts were positioned in a similar manner. The top wing was laid, top down, a drop of glue put in the locating holes and the aircraft inverted and the struts married to the holes. The tail was jacked up to keep it at the correct angle.

 

I then added the undercarriage struts and auxiliary plane (sub-wing).

[Ratch]

In preparation for the transfers, a coat of Klear was brushed on. Close inspection of the transfers revealed cracking. My attempt to revive them involved brushed Microscale Liquid Decal Film over them. To a degree this was successful, though they still broke I was able to mostly reassemble them in position. The transfers are also out of register, but in my thoughts, make it more authentic as a kit from the 50s. As a child I thought all transfers performed like this and there were none better. What a sheltered life I led. After drying some of the transfers had curled up at the edges despite the soaking of Microsol they had received. I gave another liberal drenching, this time using DecalFix.

[Ratch]

Now I'm in a bit of a quandary. I've sprayed a coat of off-matt over and I'm still undecided about the markings. Do I leave them as is, after all, its not as though I'll be entering it in any competition. Or do I try to over-paint them, risk messing them up completely in an attempt to make them nice and clean.

I've still got to add rigging wires (not that there are many), so I have time to consider before calling it done.

[Ratch]

I decided I could live with the decals and added the little rigging I could see on reference images. I used heavy E Z Line in black for the bracing of the undercarriage and the tail/rudder controls.

[Troy Smith]

Fascinating build @Ratch,   I remember reading about all the Aurora kits in Scale Models, but never saw any.   Interesting seeing one being 'as is' , and I had no idea they came with a little diorama.

great build.

cheers

T