Fokker D.VII (Alb late)

Roden 1/48

Reviewed by Robert Baumgartner

 Roden's 1/48 scale Fokker D.VII (Alb late) is available online from Squadron.com

This appears to be Roden’s final incarnation in their Fokker D.VII family and represents a late Albatros built product.

As with previous releases, sprues V, C, A, and B have been seen before. The new kid on the block is sprue I. It contains the necessary radiator, side panels and engine covers that were peculiar to this version.

The louver positions varied greatly from aircraft to aircraft so what Roden portray is a representation only. It is up to the modeller to study their subject carefully and remove those that do not apply (or add for that matter). In saying that, it is unfortunate that a more characteristic pattern was not chosen.

In all, there are six plastic sprues containing one hundred and six pieces. The lovely detail has not suffered from the extended use of the moulds and flash was mainly confined to the runners.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

Accuracy is not a problem with this series of kits as the outline matches very well with the latest published material. Here the Albatros Productions Anthology series is the best reference to date.

One of the features of the kit is the separate engine, and this is a real treat. It allows the modeller to display the aircraft with the forward panels off without the need for major scratch building. All framework is included and this has been moulded as near scale as the medium will allow.

Naturally care will be needed during assembly and careful study of the instruction sheet is vital. Some fiddling is necessary but a bit of patience will reward.

The usual cockpit items are present with only the port side auxiliary “throttle” lever and ignition control handle to add. There is a good representation of the tubular structure on the inner sides of the fuselage. To Roden credit, this has not resulted in any external sink marks. A couple ejector pins are evident in the cockpit but these are essentially hidden when the fuselage halves are closed up.

Each of the main wings is moulded in two halves and exhibit very subtle rib detail. The leading edge ply sheathing is also present and is to the same high standard.
Stacking pads have been included on the upper wings but are strangely missing on the lower items. A couple of pieces of sliced plastic rod will remedy this.

The flaw that affected the bottom wing on earlier releases still makes an appearance here. Basically it’s a slightly short moulding that forces the modeller to reinstate some of the trailing edge scallops.

The lower wing “spar” will ensure a tight fit into the fuselage and if one is not careful, some anhedral will result. A swipe or two with the sanding stick will help.

The struts are very thin and as a result of their scale-like appearance, do need some delicate handling. This is also reflected in the fitting of the top wing but the results are well worth it.

The usual smattering of spare parts arises from the common sprues and all are very welcome.

Three options are catered for and these are supplied in six sheets of decal. One is dedicated to the National markings and stencil data, with the others being for the rib tapes and lozenge. It’s good to see that the latter is not in the garish colours one usually sees in kits of this type.

One of the sheets was out of register but thankfully this did not affect the personal markings which were in a single colour. The carrier film is thin and a test sample from the unusable Balkenkruez showed that the decal behaved admirably.

Interestingly, some of the options chosen by Roden are not able to be built straight from the box. The final version of radiator is supplied and yet two of the three decal options have the earlier central mounted filler cap which is not supplied!

Note that modification is also necessary for the correct louver positions worn by these machines.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

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Marking options are:

1. Fokker D.VII (Alb) flown by Obt. Robert von Greim, Jasta 34b, 1918

Usually credited with 28 victories, Robert Ritter von Griem survived World War I to later join the Luftwaffe in the second great conflict. He was captured by the Americans in 1945 and soon after committed suicide.

2. Fokker D.VII (Alb) flown by Ltn Frodien, Jasta 40, 1918

“Silvery white is a more precise description of the fuselage colour, than the “grey” specified in the painting guide. Many of Jasta 40’s D.VIIs can be seen with the upper part of the engine exposed due to the removal of panels, this one included.

3. Fokker D.VII (Alb) flown by Ltn. Willi Rosenstein, Jasta 40, 1918

Modellers should note that this aircraft was photographed with a tubular gun sight. Also seen on the port interplane strut is an anemometer – type ASI. As per the machine above, the engine cowlings were removed.

Willy Rosenstein ended the war with 9 victories but tragically died in a mid air collision with a student pilot in 1949.

Roden's 1/48 scale Fokker D.VII kits come with a wealth of detail and only the limitations of the builder will prevent an outstanding replica from being made.

As a result, they require a bit more care in assembly and the adage of “measure twice, cut once” certainly applies.

Recommended.
 

Thanks to Squadron.com for the review sample.

Review and Images Copyright © 2005 by Robert Baumgartner
Page Created 08 August, 2005
Last updated 08 August, 2005

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