Military Model Scene

Fokker Dr.1 in 1/48...

...a new ProfiPACK series kit from Eduard

This recent release from Eduard is another really delightful kit.  The famous Fokker Triplane is not a large machine, so lends itself well to a 1/48 scale model.  It is one of Eduard's ProfiPack series, which means it includes an injection moulded plastic kit, which is itself excellent quality and well detailed.  What they add is a set of their painting masks and a fret of etch steel detail parts, and these include pre-printed instruments for the cockpit, which are always a delight and a level of detailing better than a transfer and a standard that you would be impossible to paint by hand.

The fuselage includes a well detailed cockpit, and pre-coloured parts for the seatbelts which are included on the etch fret and look very effective.  Other etch details include the piping for the engine and the perforated jackets for the twin machine guns.  The triple wing is nice and easy to fit so everything sits square.  One of the advantages of the DR.1 is that there are relatively few bracing wires used on it, so it is less of a modelling challenge than so many WW1 biplanes if the idea of adding the rigging puts you off.

I suspect a significant attraction of this one is the provision of 6 options for colours and markings.

A. 425/17 The all-red machine of Rittmeister M. Freiherr von Richthofen when he was CO of JG 1 based at Cappy in France in April 1918.  This represent the machine in which he was finally killed.

B. 577/17 flown by Lt R. Klimke of Jasta 27 at Halluin-Ost in France during May 1918.  With bright yellow tail, nose cowling and wheel discs, it is a colourful choice.

C. 479/17 Flown by Lt A. Raben of Jasta 18 at Montingen (now Montoy-Flanville) in France during October 1918, with red upper sufaces and centre fuselage and a white tail and nose cowling.

D. 213/17 Flown by Lt Friedrich Kempf of Jasta 2 in 1917.  A streaked green colour upper surfaces with blach nose cowling and black and white tail plus his name oin large letters on the upper wing and (in German of course) 'Remember Me?' on the middle wings.

E. 425/17 The aircraft of Manfred von Richthofen but earlier than option A, when based s Lechelle in France during March 1918 and with a different style for the national markings but still in overall red colour.

F. Thought to be serial 564/17, an aircraft flown by Lt. W. Steinhauser with Jasta 11 at Avesnes-le-Sec in France during February 1918.  Another streaked green colour on the fuselage and upper surfaces but with red cowling and fuselage band, plus a bright yellow tail which also has red stripes.  Another colourful option.

With all these interesting colour schemes, I suspect many modellers will be tempted with more than one of these in their collection.  Very nicely done.

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Robin