“Stripdown” Fokker Dr.I

Eduard Limited Edition, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Rob Baumgartner

Eduard's 1/48 Stripdown Fokker Dr.I is available online from Squadron.com
 

It’s been quite a while since this company released its original incarnation of the “stripdown” Fokker Dr.I.

Eduard broke new ground when they uncovered this clever and ingenious use for photo etched metal. Now it’s back in a limited edition form which features additional resin parts as both detail options and tools.

Don’t assume that the contents are a copy from the earlier release. A quick comparison will show that only the plastic parts are carried over (with the addition of two separate tyres). There are a total of 40 pieces on the solitary grey coloured sprue, but only 17 will be used on the skeletal airframe.

Also included are 13 resin parts, and 3 frets of photo-etched brass.

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Thumbnail panels:

The latter is very soft, thus requiring a lot of care when removing each piece from the surrounding frame. Construction starts with the wings, and sensibly each one has all its ribs connected as a single item. This aids alignment as the modeller delicately folds each rib 90 degrees to the spar. This spar is made of plastic and slides through the slotted ribs to hold everything firmly in place.

The plywood leading edge sheathing is formed to its correct shape via a couple of resin parts. Think of “plunge moulding” and you’ll get an idea of how the profile is formed. Previously this was done by wrapping the item around the leading edge of the plastic wing to gain its shape.

The ailerons are also folded from a single piece of metal and at first glance there appears to be a problem. All is not as it seems as the distinct kinking of the outer balance is there for a reason. It is caused by the excess metal that’s needed at the end of the balance for securing itself to the aileron’s leading edge (after the latter has been turned 90 degrees). The subsequent bending of the part during attachment will result in the shaped outline we all know and love.

Another area of change from the previous fret of p-e, is the chosen style of spokes. Not only are they incorrect, they also look a bit clumsy on the finished product. Fortunately we have the “solid” plastic items to use instead. If you do decide to choose the naked variety, the conical shape comes courtesy of the aforementioned plunge technique using another pair of supplied resin tools.

The fuselage structure is an improvement over the previous one. More bendable detail has been incorporated onto the frame which greatly eases assembly. To cater for a larger demographic of modeller, some simplification has been incorporated into the design. As a result, certain cockpit items look too flat in p-e and will benefit from a coating of your favourite meniscus generating liquid.

Adding a further dimension to the kit are some nice resin parts. These include various engine bits, outer wing struts, and tail skid.

Plastic takes care of the cowling, undercarriage and propeller, the latter needing a little reshaping with wet ‘n dry paper. The kit also portrays fasteners on the undercarriage wing which assumes that the lifting surface could be split for maintenance purposes.

This wasn’t the case with the Dr.I but once again, these can be easily eradicated.

The overall effect of the completed product is stunning.

Via some clever engineering and the intelligent use of photo-etched parts, a skeletal version of the famous German triplane results. It’s a much updated kit from their first release and many improvements have been made.

The instruction booklet gives an adequate explanation of where everything should go, with the assorted boxtop images providing further clarification.

If you missed out first time around, this is the ideal opportunity to pick up one of the more unusual aircraft kits.

Thanks to Eduard for the sample and for the images.

Review Text Copyright © 2013 by Rob Baumgartner
Page Created 23 October, 2013
Last updated 23 October, 2013

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