I am interested in doing the Red Baron’s Fokker Tri-plane. Any recommendations on Scale, Brand, ease to build, etc?
This is on my list too, I was leaning toward the Revell of Germany kit, I think it was in 1/24th scale…
Close, it is in 1/28th scale.
Why the odd scale I don’t know, haven’t heard much good about the kit, but then with aftermarket stuff and patience, you never know.
Don
Don’t go Revell with this one! The 1/28 kit is at least 30 years old, probably more! Something good can be made out of it but there are way easier ways to get the model done particularly if you do not mind smaller scales… Go Dragon (1/48) or Eduard (1/72 or 1/48). The Eduard kits also come as ‘profipack’ with PE set and other little goodies. They come in different guises, a bit like Hasegawa’s way of issuing one new model in 10 different boxes with only new decals. If you can’t find the Red Baron, there are aftermarket decals available.
I agree on the Dragon or Eduard kits. I have built the Revell kit many times over the years before there were many options other than 1/72 Revell or Airfix. The last time I built it was 2 years ago because I remembered it fondy from childhood. Boy, have my standards changed! It looks good in my den but getting it to turn out like I wanted it was labor intensive.
I agree with Ray and Domi as far as the scale and kit choice. The old Revell kit looked good on my dresser, along with the companion Spad XIII and the Sopwith Camel in the same scale,but they haven’t been upgraded since I built them as a kit in the late 60’s. Dragon and Eduard offer much better detail, ease of assembly and overall variety. Aftermarket markings abound, including those of the Rittmeister.
I built the Revell 1/28 scale a year or two and I think it looks good. I don’t recall any real headacks with it. If anything it all went well.
Having never been up close to a 1/1 scale of it, mine may not be museum quality than again neither is my work.
I supose it depends on what you want from the kit. I enjoyed the build and love how it looks hanging with my 1/71 E-3 and 1/48 He 111.
If you do build the 1/28 Revell kit, get some photo-etch stuff from Tom’s Modelworks to improve it. The machine guns in particular need replacing!
One more vote for the DML/Dragon kit, although I’d take a shot at most any Dr.1 myself. I’m kinda partial, as some may be able to tell… [;)]
Fade to Black…
Does Dragon have a good selection of 1:48 kits for WWI planes? I want to do 1:48 and not 1:72. Anyone?
http://www.eduard.cz/
This is the site for you then. Eduard has WWI in 1/48.
A question about aftermarket decals, PE, etc. Where’s a good place to look off the web?Thanks for the recommendations.MartyM2828.
Dragon/DML have a small selection, only a Dr.1, Fokkers D.VII & D.VIII and a Spad 13. But they’re all really nice kits. They’ve released pretty much all of these in different boxes at one time or another, sometimes with resin busts of famous pilots.
USMCSM gave you the link to Eduard’s site and I also recommend that you check it out. They have the largest selection of WWI birds of any manufacturer out there. They just released a Camel and it looks gorgeous.
Another company to look at for good kits is Roden. They released a few WWI subjects, the most recent being a Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter which looks pretty nice. They also have a Nieuport 28 and a Fokker D.VII, both of which I’ve yet to look at.
You might wanna check out Squadron or Hannants or any of the other big name net/mail order houses.
Fade to Black…
if you wanna do a really good kit of the tri-plane, go to hasagawa’s website, they have a museum quality wood, metal, plastic kit that i think im gonna whine to the wife untill i get ( dont have to do that much, but this one looks worth it). theyy say you can leave it uncovered, or put the fabric on, but from the pics, the detail is screaming to be seen
jim
Roger that. I have seen the completed Hasagawa kit and it is sweet! Been whining to the wife about it for a few years but she can’t get by the price. Considered getting a part time job just to furnish funding for this kit and the new Trumpiter 1/32 F-105’s.
That 1/8 (?) scale Hasegawa kit is a stunner. And so is the price !
These modelers are not steering you wrong with Eduard and others. Their presentation of detail and PE parts are an industrry standard. The great shame is 1/48 and 1/72 ? Not to knock those of us who revel in those scales. Don’t be deterred. For those of us that like bigger it’s a shame theres not a 1/32 kit out perhaps. But to answer the question. The revel and I think Hoobycraft 1/28 Are great with the addition of PE parts and aftermaket details. Tom’s Modelworks is one. Another great resource is CopperState who produce some great details in that scale as well as offer some addtional decals and a wood carved and finished Prop nop less! I’d add a pic but Iam not at my home computer now see ya
Ah, never fear my braille-scale brethren!
With the rise in releases of 32nd and larger kits over the last couple of years I see the trend continuing. Perhaps not on as grand a scale as the 48th explosion, but I wouldn’t be too surprised to see some new kits of some of these stringbags. There’s already a couple’a limited run kits out there, Battle Axe did a Fokker D.VII and an Eindecker. I seem to remember there being another as well, but by who I dunno. I wanna say it was a Fokker D.VIII. Okay, so I’ll say it; it was a Fokker D.VIII…
Anyhoo, I hope there are more 32nd WWI kits coming 'cuz in about ten years or so I may have to switch to braille-scale for good. My eyes are already revolting. [:p]
Fade to Black…
Squadron has an advance order out for Hi-Tech 1/32 Albotros DVa. Personally I hope the trend does continue with the 100 mark of the air war in WWI approching. Still not quite home yet but much closer will post some actual photos of the real thing ASAP