Revell ( Eduard ) 1/48 Fokker Dr.I

[Dave Ward]

I'm enjoying the Albatros D.III build so much, that I've decided to start another:

This another reboxing of an Eduard model - it's moulded in a dreadful red polystyrene, which I will cover up as soon as possible - unlike the Albatros, there is minimal rigging on this triplane. I intend to finish this with the 'streaky' camouflage of the standard Dr.I, which I have experimented with, and worked out a way to do this with acrylics.
I'll put up some pictures of the sprues, tomorrow, but be warned, they're not pretty!
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

Sprue shots ( Eduard 2008-9 tooling ) & a few details


The sprues are all pretty crisp, and there isn't a hint of flash.......................


I won't put up pics of the decals - I'm going to source new ones from my spares files. I've downloaded the original Eduard instructions, as the Revell ones are a bit ambiguous, and the detail paints are called out in the usual Revell witches' brew.
As a minor aside I've looked at my 1/48 Roden Junkers D.I & the top surfaces are described as green & purple. It's now confused me, as I have WWI Lilac or WWI Mauve in the paintbox - I can't work out which is meant!
Dave

 

[Tim Marlow]

Hi David. This looks good....reminds me of the Airfix triplane I made when I was a kid....that was bright red as well.....
As to the paint, I believe Mauve is an older term for Purple....Analine Purple was the first commercially available synthetic die stuff, and it became so widespread in Victorian times that Punch magazine came up with the joke that “even the Constabulary were telling the public to get a mauve on”....

 

[Dave Ward]

Hi David. This looks good....reminds me of the Airfix triplane I made when I was a kid....that was bright red as well.....
As to the paint, I believe Mauve is an older term for Purple....Analine Purple was the first commercially available synthetic die stuff, and it became so widespread in Victorian times that Punch magazine came up with the joke that “even the Constabulary were telling the public to get a mauve on”....

Tim,
I suppose it depends on a single persons decision what to call a colour! Some could call it mauve, others purple & yet others lilac. Given that the WWI colours are over 100 years old, I am not convinced there can be quoted definitive colours - any preserved painted items have been subject to 100 years of oxidation, temperature & humidity changes, let alone the effect of light. Mixing up ingredients according to recipes must be subject to huge variations ( are they more pure, or less pure? ). I'm not sure about colour standards relevant to this era. So 'best guess' is what has to be used!
Dave

 

[Tim Marlow]

Best guess is more than adequate. At that time colours were mixed as required from base pigments, not supplied ready to use in a tin...the recipe for LNER wagon grey, for example, needed one shovel of lamp black, one shovel of lead white, and linseed oil as a carrier......not exactly precision work.....
At that time the red would have probably been made from a single pigment, such as vermillion. The only way to make a bright scarlet would be with cochineal, which was sourced in South America and hard to find during a blockade.

 

[Dave Ward]

Whilst I was waiting for my D.III wings to harden off, I cranked the compressor up & started to cover all that nasty red plastic - Mig Ammo Grey Primer


I primed the big bits on the sprue, it's easier handling. There aren't many struts to cope with on the Dr.I, so the wings, can just about be finished, especially the upper surfaces with their streaky finish
Dave

 

[langy71]

Crikey Dave, you're like a machine .. churning out one build after another.. keep up the good work mate.

 

[Dave Ward]

Crikey Dave, you're like a machine .. churning out one build after another.. keep up the good work mate.

Well, it's a miserable wet Autumnal day, the local COVID infection rate is rising, so, there's not a lot of incentive to poke my head outdoors! ( Good job I have a nice varied stash to work with )
Dave

 

[langy71]

Well, it's a miserable wet Autumnal day, the local COVID infection rate is rising, so, there's not a lot of incentive to poke my head outdoors! ( Good job I have a nice varied stash to work with )
Dave

totally agree Dave,
I'm not due in to work until tomorrow, so i'm looking at something to build due to holding my T-34 for the Simon T memorial build,
maybe i'll have a mess about with the old Tamiya Panzerkampfwagen 4 Ausf D..

 

[Dave Ward]

I've been looking around at finishes for the Dr.I - one that wasn't too complicated, and didn't obscure the streaky camo too much...................
I've come up with the May 1918 Jasta 27 Dr.I of a certain Oblt. Hermann Goering. White tail & white nose - the rest as a standard aircraft.
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

Sprayed the upper & lower wing surfaces with Vallejo Model Air Pale Blue & when dry sealed with gloss varnish, ready for the camo process.

Internals to the fuselage nearly done, just the fuel tank, and the ammunition box to add before closing up.

No fit issues so far.
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

Fuselage joined - a bit of a jiggle or two to get the halves to meet, but with a clamp or two, it went together, with no breaks, or distortion. Painted light blue & ready for the camo.


The mgs assembled & painted

Next stage is painting that camo - I've worked out how to do this, the main problem will be to get an even 'un-neveness' across all the wings.
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

Morning spent painting - it took a lot longer than I thought!


As I thought, it's difficult to get a reasonably even coverage. I'm going to let all these dry, then see if any really stand out as being different - the fuselage I will leave alone, because it's painted at different angles. The three wings all have to look reasonably similar! I may have to retouch some pale blue, and I may add a slight green tint to a gloss varnish coat to even all out.
The green I used is AK WWI German Dark Green - very quick drying, applied neat using a small ( OO ) brush, just drawn across the surface, not trying to cover, but going over & over the surface, building up the effect, turning through 180 degrees occasionally, to make sure that it's reasonably even. I can see why oil paints would be a great advantage doing this, but the speed that you can use acrylics from priming to final varnish coat now means all my oils & enamels have been relegated to the back of my toy cupboard!
Dave

 

[Jim R]

Hi Dave
I like these old tri and bi planes - they have character. Looks a nice kit but that red plastic is terrible. I'm not surprised the paint work took a long time. It does look good so worth it.
Jim

 

[adt70hk]

Looking good Dave. Completely understand about the reduced drying time being a big bonus....

 

[Dave Ward]

Hi Dave
I like these old tri and bi planes - they have character. Looks a nice kit but that red plastic is terrible. I'm not surprised the paint work took a long time. It does look good so worth it.
Jim

Jim,
I'm enjoying quite a run with the early planes, the - Junkers F.13, the Albatross D.III & the Fokker. I realised that my stash was a little lopsided with German WWI planes, so I've been lurking on ebay, trying to rebalance this - I've managed to bag a real bargain - a 1/48 Roden SE.5A, with extras - due to be delivered tomorrow!
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

Moving along quickly now, the lower & middle wings fitted - absolutely no fitment problems - the wing struts lined up perfectly.

I'll fit the machine guns next stage - easy access before putting the top wing on.
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

After another lazy weekend - I've got it sorted that I don't have to do anything on Sundays! - Back to the triplane. The top wing & centre section struts fitted exactly......................

Undercarriage, rudder & elevators to add - a lot of touching up, then I'll be ready for the decals.
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

The most difficult part of the model - the undercarriage - you have to drill 4 holes to take the individual struts, then get the axle level & square............................

This I will leave to really dry off, and I might add a drop of CA to each of the joints, just to give it a bit more strength.
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

Wheels, rudder & elevators added - the undercarriage is very fragile, I've added a few drops of CA to the mounts, as it swayed from side to side.

Decals to add.......................
The next pictures will be in the 'completed' aircraft section
Dave