This is my 1/48 DML Fokker E.V kit which I built for the Knights of the Sky GB. A decent kit, with a couple of fit issues but otherwise not bad. All of the struts are stainless PE, which took some finesse to bend and not break them. The PE gun cooling jackets ripped apart at the first bending session, and were replaced with Eduard jackets. The barrels for the guns were replaced with brass rod. I also added the interior frame with soldered brass rod. The rear bulkhead in the cockpit was added with decal, then tiny holes were drilled to “stitch” the fabric bulkhead to the frame. I also made new seat supports out of brass rod. Tiny rudder cables were also added. The wood grain effects on the interior parts was done by first painting a light tan color, then using burnt umber oil paints to add the woodgrain. Finally a clearcoat of Tamiya clear yellow was sprayed on the add some warmth to the colors and protect them. On the outside, the axles were removed and replaced with more brass rod to give it that classic Fokker stance. The control surfaces on the tail were delicately cut free and repositioned with brass hinges. All of the control horns were kit supplied PE. The engines has PE rocker arms and pushrods, with scratchbuilt speark plugs and plug wires from stretched sprue. I tried multiple times to paint the laminated prop look, and in the end I took 1/32" basswood and mohogany and sanded them to 1/64" then laminated them myself. I hand carved the propeller, ending up with a scale laminated wood prop. The decals were graciously given to me by Ruddratt and StephenLawson- a HUUUUUGE thank you to both of you guys! I really couldn’t have done it without you both. I have never applied decals to an entire fuselage, boy it was a lot of work! The sawhorse was scratchbuilt from basswood, then I used a product called “Blacken-It” to give it an aged, distressed look. I wanted the machine in a factory fresh scheme, as this aircraft was just arriving on the front line in the last days of WWI. Thanks for looking, comments and contructive criticism welcomed! [tup]
YO FRANK… WOW nice stuff there buddy. Props on the hand carved props too… even tho it is an airplane[:-^] just kidding[;)] I actually have an a/c build coming up LOL. Oh yeah… and a ship.
Thats a fantastic build Frank. I love it mate. The lozenge decal would give me fits. Did it go on without incident? Is it a large sheet cut to shape or a fitted piece?
Love the prop. Thats a work of art in itself. Great build fella.
Jaw-dropping good work there, my friend! The extras you put into this build really make it stand out, and your skills have turned it into another masterpiece. Very nicely done, buddy! [tup] [tup]
Frank, I’ve been back here a few times while taking build breaks. Is DML the kit mfr? What the heck is this kit made from?(not counting your scratch stuff) It looks very delicate and did it not come with decals?
EDIT!!!: Oh [censored]! It’s prolly all in your KOTS GB!
Many thanks for the kind words everyone! This kit almost beat me, I had in fact given up on it numerous times. Feels really good to have it off the bench! [tup]
Guy- the decals actually were quite difficult to use for me. They come in generic strips from Eagle Strike (sadly OOP) that I cut to slightly oversize then used some micro set and sol to get them down. After they had seated overnight, I would trim them down close and use some Mr. Softer to get the edges tight or rolled around corners. The decals themselves were very brittle and wanted to crack apart if massaged too much. Once I had a system, they worked out fairly well. Ruddratt graciously provided me with them and at first I thought “holy cow! That’s enough to do 10 planes!” In the end, I had just enough to finish her. I don’t think I will EVER do another lozenge scheme, you WWI-philes are insane! [:D]
Nam- Yep, lots of WIP shots over at the KOTS GB. SOme truly beautiful work there that I am extremely proud to be a part of. It’s going on for another month and a half, so if you have time- feel free to stop by and build one with us! [tup] The kit manufacturer was DML, who now does business as Dragon Models Limited. These 1/48 WWI kits were VERY hi-tech back in the 80’s, with PE and even resin in the kits. Long OOP, they can be picked up on Ebay, though sometimes at premium prices for some versions. The kit is styrene with two frets of PE, and decals did come with it but besides the HORRIBLE colors, they were in quite poor shape.
Karl- I had broken off a strut mounting tab for the L/G. I stewed about for weeks, and then thought “Why not just file the broken end down to a point, drill a hole, and mount it that way?” Worked great. [tup]
Jeremias- That’s one thing that intrigued me about this kit, the almost complete lack of rigging! [:D]
Darren- Thanks mate! [^] I appreciate that.
I was scared to try carving that prop, after all of the work sanding down the blanks and laminating them. I ended up doing it with a sanding drum and the good ol’ Mk.I eyeball. Ended up working well for me!
