Fokker Eindecker Wing Conversion Set

RB Productions, 1/32 scale

Reviewed by Brad Fallen

Iliad Decals' 1/48 scale ANG Mustangs is available online from Squadron.com

Like all its releases, Wingnut Wings’ 1/32 Fokker Eindecker kits – the E.1 (Early), E.II/E.III (Early), E.III (Late) and E.IV – are highly detailed and build into beautiful models with a minimum of fuss.  The only downside to Eindeckers as modelling subjects (from my point of view) is their subdued colours and markings.  How do you make your Fokker stand out from the crowd?

Radu Brinzan’s Eindecker wing conversion set answers this question in spectacular fashion.  The set contains almost everything you need to complete your Wingnut Wings E.II, E.III and E.IV with stripped down flying surfaces.  However it’s not a project for the faint hearted or inexperienced:  success will depend on your ability to manipulate and join photo-etched brass parts, and follow detailed instructions.

Inside the box are three photo-etched frets, some lengths of plastic rod and a sheet of paper with addresses for downloading the instructions and reference photos. 

Two of the frets are small and hold parts for the tail surfaces, wing walkways and rigging connection points. 

However the third fret is a monster at 21 x 14 cm or 8 ¼ x 5 ½ inches, and it’s this one you will use to build your Eindecker’s replacement wings.

Before cutting any metal, however, you will need to download the instructions and study them carefully.  These are comprehensive and need to be, given the amount of folding and alignment of photo-etched brass required. 

The instructions are a combination of illustration and text that give a clear understanding of what you need to do, including:

• How to remove the etched parts from their fret;

• Which parts should (and shouldn’t) be annealed for ease of shaping; and

• Which paints and adhesives to use for best results; soldering the brass parts together is suggested as an option for those “with the right equipment and skills”.

Read the instructions carefully before you do anything else, and keep them close by during construction.  The old adage of ‘test fit, test fit, test fit’ has never been truer.

Download the reference guide at the same time, as it will be an essential companion to the construction process.  The guide is in two parts:  a one-page summary of the best print and online Eindecker references, and four pages of colour photos of the single E.III survivor at the Science Museum in London.  This machine, 210/16, is displayed in stripped down fashion and the reference photos capture every detail that you will need to replicate. 

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This includes several items you have to furnish yourself such as the rigging lines and the inter-rib fabric strips, which can be replicated with monofilament and flat elastic thread respectively.  Don’t use elastic thread for the rigging because it may lack the structural strength necessary to support the metal wings.  (I encountered this issue when building Wingnut Wings’ 1/32 Fe.2b kit – elastic thread was fine for the rigging everywhere except the tail booms, which required the strength of monofilament to prevent them from sagging.)  

For adventurous modellers wishing to depict an even more skeletal Eindecker, the instructions include a section (complete with 1/32 templates) on how to scratch build the rear fuselage framework.  Again, the reference photos of the Science Museum Eindecker will be invaluable to anyone embarking on this challenge.

I have to confess that when I opened the box for this conversion I thought, “there is no way it can do this justice”.  However having examined the instructions and reference photos, and seen the high quality of the etched parts, I am tempted to give it a go with the 1/32 E.III kit from my Wingnut Wings Eindecker/DH.2 ‘Duellists’ boxing.  One of the set’s big pluses is that it doesn’t require you to perform surgery on an expensive kit at the beginning of the build process.  You can build up the wings, stabilisers and rudder and then decide if you’ve done a good enough job to incorporate them into your Eindecker model.  You could also choose to add just one etched wing to your model and it would still look great.

This is not a set for beginners.  To succeed you will need patience, an eye for detail and experience in working with photo-etched parts.  A convincing finish will also depend on your ability to transform metal into a realistic representation of wood; oil paints will be the key here.  But if you can bring all of this together, you will have a great model that will be admired by all who see it. Within this context, I recommend the set very highly indeed.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to RB Productions for the review sample.

Text and Images Copyright © 2017 by Brad Fallen
This Page Created on 8 June, 2017
Last updated 8 June, 2017

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