A Trio of Triplanes
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History
I'm not going to go into a lengthy treatise on the history of the Fokker Dr.I. The best book one can find (if possible) is the out-of-print book The Fokker Triplane by Alex Imrie. An extremely detailed study not only on the plane, but also on the squadrons (Jastas) that flew her.
I will say, though, that one of the smallest produced front-line fighters of WW1 is the one that garners the most attention. With just over 300 produced, it's unusual that the Fokker Triplane is the one aircraft most easily recognized with WW1. However, with the likes of Snoopy - flying his Sopwith Camel - shooting down the "Cursed Red Baron" - flying his Triplane - maybe it's not so unusual after all.
The Kits
There are five 1/72nd Fokker Dr.I kits in existence. The first to be released in 1956 was the extremely venerable - and completely inaccurate – Airfix offering. This kit is to be avoided at all costs as there is nothing redeemable about it at all.
The second kit to be released was the Revell offering, initially released in 1963. Although more accurate than the Airfix, it is not without its faults. According to 1/72nd Fokker Dr.I "Master"Steve Hustad, the faults are easily overcome with trial and effort. Such things as replacement of all the small parts, replacement of the horizontal tail, sanding off of the external fuselage detail, fixing of the cowl and the deepening of the rear fuselage are all within the capabilities of most modelers. In addition, with the 'standard' amount of extra work, an extremely capable model of the Dr.I can be produced using the Revell kit.
(Post 2002 addendum. Revell has since released a brand-new-mold Dr.I, and this appears to be as accurate as the other three injected-molded models built in this review, while being the least expensive of the four.)
The
release of the third kit, by Hawkeye Models, was a turning point in 1/72nd
Fokker Triplanes. Said "Master" Steve Hustad completely corrected the
Revell Dr.I (there are other errors on the Revell kit, but ones considered
pedantic such as the chord of the middle and lower wings, the placement
of the lower wing on the fuselage, etc. and all errors were corrected
on the master) and submitted it to Hawkeye as masters for a full kit.
This was released in 1998 to excited 1/72nd builders. However, there are
aspects with the Hawkeye kit that turn a lot of people off, and those
aspects are the fact that the Hawkeye kit is all resin with photoetch
details and no included decals. Resin kits turn off a lot of people -
for whatever reason.
Roden put out the next Dr.I kit in 2000. Completely injected molded and molded nicely enough, this was indeed welcomed by the modeling community. Overall, it's very well done, with the main problems being flash on some of the parts. The Roden kit comes with six schemes: Manfred von Richthofen's 152/17, Lothar von Richthofen's yellow machine, Raben's predominantly red and white Jasta 18 bird, Ulrich Neckel's Jasta 12 machine, Goring's white and black machine from Jasta 27, and Josef Jacobs' white-crossed, all black backup machine from Jasta 7.
The final Dr.I comes in two versions and was put out by Eduard also in 2000 but slightly after the Roden release. You can buy it with - or without - photoetch, and each release comes with different markings. Personally I like the photoetch version better because it has some of the smaller details that are needed to add a better touch to the completed model. In addition, since no other aftermarket photoetch set is meant for the Eduard Dr.I - the Part set being designed for the Roden kit - obtaining the profipack Eduard is preferable. The version without the photoetch ("non-profi") comes with the following schemes: Richthofen's 152/17 of Jasta 11 and Klimke's machine of Jasta 27 with the anchor on the horizontal tail and fuselage sides. The profipack (with photoetch) version comes with completely different schemes than the non-profi. These schemes are: two renditions of Richthofen's 425/17, Kempf's 213/17 of Jasta 2, Baumer's Jasta 18 bird, and Raben's Jasta 18 machine.
In
addition, Roden has released an F.I version of their Dr.I. There were
three F.Is built, all flying before the production Dr.Is and can be considered
as a sort of 'pre-production" machines. While not 100% accurate, the Roden
F.I is more so than the Eduard F.I. They include the different ailerons
that were found on the F.I, but miss such things as the shape of the cowl
and the shape of the horizontal tail which are two obvious things that
differentiate the F.I from the Dr.I.
As was mentioned in the previous paragraph, Eduard also released an F.I, but only as a profipack version with photoetch. However, the Eduard is less accurate than the Roden release, in that not only do they miss the cowl and horizontal tail differences (as Roden did), but Eduard also doesn't include the different, earlier style ailerons. While they do have a different lower wing with the holes for the landing skids non-existent, they missed a bunch. One can either modify the kit parts appropriately (the cowl being the most difficult) or one can purchase the Roseparts (from Rosemont Hobby Shop) resin F.I correction set (which will be another article at some other point in time).
Since
the last three released - Hawkeye, Roden and Eduard - are very accurate
(definitely more so than the other two released much earlier) I built
only these three, side by side, to show how the latest 1/72nd Fokker Dr.I
kits build. One of the most difficult aspects of trying to mold an accurate
Dr.I is the molding of the cowl. While all three are close, the most accurate
cowl is the Hawkeye resin. See the accompanying photograph for more detail.
Variation
Since I was given the non-profi version of the Eduard Dr.I and wanted to try my hand at the Part photoetch set for the Roden kit, I decided to use the Part set for the Eduard kit as well.
This article strays from my typical style in that instead of providing a detailed break down of the kits, I outline the problematic areas and extol the virtues of each kit.
Hawkeye Models
As
was stated above, the Hawkeye Dr.I is all resin with photoetch details
and no decals. I personally don't consider the lack of decals a problem,
as there are a bunch of 1/72nd decals available on the market from the
likes of Blue Rider, Americal/Gryphon and Superscale (although those may
be out of print now). However, I thought it should be mentioned for those
people requiring their kits to come with decals.
Problem areas:
Definitely
use a slower setting glue to be sure parts are positioned correctly (five-minute
epoxy comes to mind).
The floor of the resin cockpit needs to be reduced by almost 1/16" amount. This is because the photoetch set was designed after the kit masters were built, and the top of the photo-etched fold up sidewall structure will protrude above the side/sills unless the floor is lowered, or the PE is trimmed. I accomplished this by using a chisel-type Xacto blade and scraped the floor until the photoetch piece fit, with the side frames just below the upper fuselage ledge. However, it might be quicker to use a Dremel to remove the excess resin from the cockpit floor.
Holes
in the middle wing for the interplane struts need to be drilled out so
the interplane struts can pass through as intended. An admitted omission
by the master maker and a possible alignment pain if not done carefully.
The photoetch wiring for the engine needs modification. Either sand off
the detail from the top of the cylinders or cut off the very tips of the
photoetch to fit correctly. I decided to snip the tips of the PE as the
easier and better looking solution.
The smaller struts (wing-to-fuselage center and horizontal tail underside) will have to be fashioned out of .020" plastic rod per the instructions suggestions, as the PE ones (also) provided have no dimension to them.
Highlights:
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The
most accurate 1/72nd Fokker Dr.I on the market. -
The only Dr.I kit with an accurate cowl.
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The level of molding on this kit is fantastic and no other aftermarket items (besides decals) are needed.
I decided on the Jasta 11 machine with the turquoise tail because I haven't seen a lot of modelers build it and everyone builds a Jasta 11 machine (although it's usually Richthofen's). All paints - minus the self-mixed red - are MisterKit while the decals are primarily ALPS generated. Weathering was accomplished mainly using oil paints.
Roden
Overall
the finesse of the Roden kit is impressive. While flash exists, it's nothing
most modelers will fret about and is easily cleaned up. The engine –
while the cylinders are a bit under-scale – is very nice and is finely
molded. One important thing to keep in mind is to be careful when removing
the smaller parts from the sprue. I recommend using a saw to cut through
the sprue avoiding any unnecessary breakage.
Problem areas:
The separate turtledeck needs help to fit correctly. I ended up dryfitting the middle wing – lining up the firewall portions – while figuring out how best to fit the turtledeck. It appears the best bet is to remove some of the separate turtledeck at the forward part of the cockpit opening. The fit of the middle wing to the fuselage needs some filling and attention. While I glued the middle wing to the fuselage before painting – since I was working on a single-color machine – you may want to try to get the fit almost perfect before gluing the wing on. It's my experience (trust me) that it's extremely difficult to apply paint to the model with the middle wing attached.
For
some silly reason Roden made the undercarriage struts separate. This means
the front and rear strut, on each side of the axle wing, are separate
pieces. Alignment on this area is extremely rough because of this. The
use of tube glue will help with alignment since it dries a lot slower
than liquid cement or CA. Once dried, though, a thin application of CA
around the joints will help keep everything firmly in place.
The ailerons need to be carefully dry fit since they won't fit the slots in the wings without modification. It was easiest to enlarge the hinge-point slots in the ailerons to get them to fit.
A separate interplane strut exists between each three wings. In other words, unlike the Hawkeye and Eduard kits but like the older Revell kit, the Roden does not have a single-piece interplane strut. However, this is also a blessing - see below.
The
center struts do not fit. I ended up scratching a new set using brass
Strutz! and solder.
The kit comes with no cockpit step nor holes to accept the step. No parts for the tail handholds exist nor do holes to accept them.
Highlights:
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Separate ailerons. Although there are fit problems, it's nice to have separated ailerons. It is obvious Roden didn't do this because they were nice - they did this to facilitate the manufacture of the F.I, since it had different ailerons than the Dr.I. Still, it's a nice feature; one all model manufacturers should provide.
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Overall finesse is very nice on this kit.
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Out-of-the-box cockpit detail is very nice.
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Separate interplane struts. I list this as both a problem area and a highlight. It's a problem area trying to get the struts lined up correctly and in line with each other (and straight). It's a highlight because there are no gaps to fill where the struts meet the wings as they fit pretty snug.
Since I used the Part photoetch set with this kit, some advice is needed. First, all of the molded-on interior detail needs to be sanded away. Once it has all been removed, then you'll still need to dry fit the folded up cockpit "tub" and sand away some more plastic. Not a lot, but something to be aware of.
Dryfitting
is a definite when it comes to fitting the photoetch floor to the cockpit
fold-up. My advice is to sit the floor - unglued - "into" the cockpit
fold-up while cementing the fold-up to one fuselage side. Then with trial
and error set the floor into the correct space and add a couple of drops
of CA to secure it. Also note that the rudder bar is just a tad too close
to the control column. I chose to ignore it, but you may want to move
it into the correct place. One more problem with the photoetch cockpit
is that Part molded the cross wires into the rest of the cockpit structure,
but left the ones out that go into the sides next to the seat. Something
I didn't realize until it was too late.
Although
I used the photoetch control horns with connected rigging, I won't do
that ever again. Trying to get everything lined up - and remain glued
down - is quite the feat. I didn't use some of the exterior photoetch
pieces. For example, I have yet to see photos of an operational Dr.I with
exposed wheel spokes. The small rigging tie downs look to be a lesson
in masochism, and I didn't see a need for the photoetch ends for the interplane
struts, as the ones on the kit struts are sharp and well defined.
In addition, I didn't use the engine photoetch. This was because I was building one of Josef Jacobs' planes, and he normally flew his Dr.Is with captured Clerget engines. I used the Copper State 1/72nd white metal Clerget and a suitably modified, sanded Aeroclub white metal prop and a Fotocut photoetch prop boss. The "Scale Black" was Polly Scale and the white crosses were airbrushed. The rudder decals are Superscale. Weathering was accomplished using a wash of black paint and pastel chalks.
Eduard
It's
important to keep in mind the kit I had to build was the one without photoetch
- the 'non-profi'. Because of this - and because I decided to use the
Part photoetch on the Roden kit - I purchased an extra Part fret for the
Eduard kit. That will be discussed in detail later. It's important to
also note here that Part's photoetch set is intended for the Roden kit
and not the Eduard.
Overall the Eduard kit is extremely nice. The cowl is more accurate than the Roden cowl (but still not as accurate as the Hawkeye one) and everything else just seems "right" and goes together extremely well. In addition Eduard has molded on control horns, which definitely helps, but also requires great care in handling the parts, else those control horns will be broken off.
Problem areas:
The
biggest problem area lies in the holes through the middle wing to accept
the one-piece interplane struts. They are larger than the struts themselves
and require filling. I don't place all of the blame on Eduard for this
one, though. This is definitely a molding difficulty to which Eduard has
found the easiest solution.
The kit comes with no tail handholds nor holes to accept them. My kit had some molding ridges around the trailing edge of the wings that was difficult to see initially. Again it shouldn't pose a problem, just a possible problem area to be aware of.
Highlights:
-
Overall a very nice kit, excellent surface detail, wing rib representation and almost no molding flash.
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Very little putty needed.
-
Virtually as accurate - and complete (in terms of the profipack kit) - as the Hawkeye kit.
As
I mentioned above I used the Part photoetch set with this kit. I cannot
recommend doing this. There is a lot of work involved - since the Part
set was designed to fit the Roden kit - to get the photoetch cockpit fold-up
to fit the Eduard kit. Cockpit sides have to be thinned dramatically,
especially the inside of the upper fuselage directly in front of the cockpit
cut out. While I tried to get the fuselage thinned enough toward the rear
so the photoetch cockpit tub would fit, I ended up cutting off the rear-most
photoetch, from one former behind the seat backwards. This helped immensely
and helped the tub to fit (this cut was not necessary using the photoetch
set on the Roden kit). While I did use the Roden engine on this machine,
I didn't think the engine needed the addition of the photoetch harness.
Probably just my opinion but I didn't add it.
I
decided to finish this one as a Jasta 12 machine. Paints used: MisterKit
CDL and Turquoise, Polly Scale "Scale Black" and oil paints for the streaking.
While I used oil paints for the streaking due to the drying length it
was also a pain waiting for them to dry. From now on I'll stick with the
MisterKit Fokker Green for the streaking, taking great care on how I apply
it. Cross decals are from the Eduard kit while the rest are Americal/Gryphon.
Weathering was only an oil wash.
For
the decals I followed a new technique. Instead of using the different
decal solvents I decided to try just using Future under the decal. If
doing the technique over the model already coated with Future it works
great. After letting the Future overcoat dry on the model (at least a
day) then use a puddle of Future underneath the decal and use a cotton
bud ("Q-Tip") to "roll" the Future out from under the decal. If rolled
from the center of the decal out towards the edges, you'll be left with
no visible decal edge. However, you have to work quickly as the Future
dries fast, so be sure to have the decal in the correct place before you
"roll" with the cotton bud.
Conclusion
While all three were fun to work on in their own way and all three accurate enough, I would have to break them down in the following manner. Overall, the nod goes to the Eduard profipack release. It has everything you need in one box (except for rigging material) including decals. Couple that with cost and that's why I give Eduard the overall nod.
If you're interested more in overall accuracy, and don't mind the extra cost nor the extra work, then the Hawkeye kit is the best. However, this means you have to track down your own decals.
If you're interested in a relatively easy and quick build, then the nod goes to Roden. In addition, due to its cost, you can build a multitude of Fokker Triplanes on a limited budget (three Roden's to one Hawkeye, or two Roden's for one Eduard, approximately).
So, all of the latest Triplane kits have their own merit. It all depends on what you're building for and how long you want to take to build.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank the following:
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Hawkeye Models/Fort Duquesne Miniatures (before he sold the Hawkeye line to Meteor) for the Hawkeye kit.
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Lubos Vinar of Hobbyshop.cz for the Roden and Eduard kits.
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MisterKit for supplying their paints.
Greg VanWyngarden and Dan-San Abbott for the colors and markings help. Steve Hustad for the help with the Airfix and Revell sections, as well as putting up with other queries from me (some were color and marking related).
Dale Beamish and Mike Franklin for the ALPS decals.
References
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Imrie, Alex, The Fokker Triplane, Arms and Armour Press 1992, ISBN 1-85409-118-2
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Rimell, Ray, Fokker Dr.I, A Windsock Datafile Special, Albatros Productions, Ltd., ISBN 0 948414 36 7
