Fokker D.VII Part 3

Lifelike Decals, 1/48 scale

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Reviewed by Rob Baumgartner

This the third release in Likelike’s Fokker D.VII series and just like the ones before it, there are plenty of interesting subjects for the modeller to feast on.

The decals are made in Japan and come on 3 sheets in a plastic zip-lock bag. The printing of all items was found to be first-class with perfect registration and minimal carrier film. There are some bonuses to be found as well and these come in the form of stenciling, logos and airscrew laminations. These latter items work brilliantly and really take the pain out of the painting process.

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The following 4 subjects are contained in this package:

Fokker D.VII, 258/18, Jasta 10, flown by Lt. Friedrich “Fritz” Friedrichs, May 1918

This aircraft is typical of early production D.VIIs in that the fuselage was camouflaged in streaks of olive green over the linen fabric. It represents one of Friedrichs’ machines, in this case 258/18. Interestingly one esteemed researcher attributes 258/18 to Jasta 19.

The crest on the fuselage side is a personal marking apparently referring to Nordfriesland where he grew up. The wings are covered in “lozenge” fabric and yellow represented the unit colour on the nose.

Friedrichs ended up with 21 confirmed victories of which 11 were balloons. He died on 15th July 1918 when the D.VII he was flying (309/18) unexpectedly burst into flames. This was thought to be from the incendiary ammunition overheating. When seeking safety via his parachute, it failed to open and he fell to his death.

Fokker D.VII (Alb), serial unknown, Jasta 30, pilot unknown, Summer, 1918

Jasta 30 is best known for their Pfalz fighters that were adorned with large orange diamonds on various parts of the airframe. This Fokker has also been linked to that unit but appears with a more modest orange tailplane outlined in black to identify its origin.

The personal marking on the fuselage side is yet to be linked with a pilot and when viewed on the “lozenge” fuselage, makes for a visually striking aircraft. Another point of interest is the “Astra” band and star logo that appears on the airscrew, both of which appear on the decal sheet.

Fokker D.VII (OAW) s/n unknown, Jasta 54s, flown by Lt. Walter Vogt, Summer, 1918

Previously this aircraft was thought to be the mount of Erich Mix as he is seen photographed in front of this machine with one of his mechanics. New research has revealed that this aircraft was usually flown by Lt. Walter Vogt, a pilot who scored a single victory on 16 June 1918 over a SE5a.

Pre-printed lozenge fabric covered the wings and fuselage with O.A.W.’s unique “giraffe” style of camouflage decorating the nose. The personal emblem is thought to be a styled “V” which associates itself well with the pilot’s surname. The skull and crossbones are separate items so the registration of these small items is not a problem.

Fokker D.VII (Alb.) s/n unknown, Jasta 5, flown by Lt. Friedrich Vollbracht, October, 1918

Vollbracht scored two victories with Jasta 5 after joining them in July 1918. Both were over Bristol fighters, one coming on 29th August, and the other on September 3.

His personal marking of a yellow zigzag adds extra colour to the green fuselage and red nose. The green tail is outlined in red to produce the characteristic unit décor and the lozenge wings complete the attractiveness of this scheme.

Once again Lifelike Decals provide an interesting array of subjects that are normally overlooked by other manufacturers.

The research that is undertaken with each release is a credit to the company and its inclusion on the instruction sheet is a boon for the modeller.

With the readily available Eduard and Roden kits as a basis for these markings, one can soon build up a colourful and interesting collection of the less clichéd aircraft that roamed the skies of WWI.

Thanks to Keishiro Nagao of Lifelike Decals for the review sample.

Lifelike Decals are available by email at lifelike@eos.ocn.ne.jp or from

2-8-7-202, Kameari, Katsushika, Tokyo 125-0061, Japan
fax: +81-3-5680-6733