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Mexican Eindekker in 1/72 |
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The Famous (or infamous) Zimmerman Telegram of 1917 (decoded & translated)
"On the first of February, we intend to begin submarine warfare unrestricted. In spite of this, it is our intention to endeavor to keep neutral the United States of America. If this attempt is not successful, we propose an alliance on the following basis with Mexico: That we shall make war together and together make peace. We shall give general financial support, and it is understood that Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. The details are left to you for settlement... You are instructed to inform the President of Mexico of the above in the greatest confidence as soon as it is certain that there will be an outbreak of war with the United States and suggest that the President of Mexico, on his own initiative, should communicate with Japan suggesting adherence at once to this plan; at the same time, offer to mediate between Germany and Japan. Please call to the attention of the President of Mexico that the employment of ruthless submarine warfare now promises to compel England to make peace in a few months."
Zimmermann (Secretary of State)
1917 to Now
Historians have been researching further, and in 2005 found the actual document that was handed to Walter Page, the US Ambassador to Britain, which all but ensured the US entry into the Great War. The later sinking of the Lusitania is often taught in the textbooks as the reason the United States was thrust into the war, but this telegram's interception really was the straw that broke the camel's back. When this document became public, American sentiment ,which had been swinging both ways prior to that point, moved solidly Anti-German.
Further discoveries have been made of the German effort to pull Mexico into the war as an ally in 1917. Although the telegram only offered financial support, the Kaiser, Chancellor Bethmann-Hollweg, as well as other court favorites were corresponding, considering military support to Mexico. One option was a squadron of Fokker Eindekkers, and it is reported that one E.III was painted in experimental Mexican markings. Note that Mexico didn't have official insignia yet and the markings are based on a written description only; no drawings of photographs exist...that is, if that report is correct.
The Kit
I decided to go with a basic construction of a basic kit; I chose the old Revell kit from 1960 something. It's really a nice design and I have no complaints whatsoever. I picked it up and the hobby shop and started clean up of the parts right there. One thing that's very clever about this kit with its mid-shoulder wing is that the wings don't fit into any socket or holes or anything; the wing is a one-piece affair with the lower part of the fuselage integral to it. Brilliant and fits like a charm. I glued all that stuff together and then added detail later. Made a decent seat from metal as well as a joystick and rudder bar and gas tank. Putting them in after the fuselage is closed up is a little like building a ship in a bottle, but with a gaping cockpit like the Fokker E.III, it's not so bad.
Once I had all the seams taken care of, I over shot it with Floquil reefer white, then masked that in order to paint the Mexican insignia. After it had dried adequately, I masked the insignia and insignia red, waited a while and after it had dried enough, did the same with Floquil Burlington Northern Green. I left that for a day and came back and remasked the insignia and then shot the linen color; for that I used Floquil Panzer Interior Buff. It's a pretty good CDL color. To do the black outline for the insignia, I used Dymo tape for a straight edge and ran a black Sharpie along it. It's amazing how nice that looks, and it's much easier than painting.
The rest of the build was fairly straight forward although I added a couple of aftermarket things like a resin Spandau machine gun from Roseplanes, PE seat harnesses from Eduard, and a PE propboss from Eduard.
Rigging was dead easy. I drilled holes in the wing and used Tippet line. The plane is very simple and there's easy access to all the places where the rigging has to go.
Here's a model that was fun to build, but it's more about the history than the model; the model itself is an old thing, and I didn't do anything really special to it, but had a LOT of fun doing it!
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