Fokker D.XXI. 4. Sarja
“With Wing Without Slots”
 

Special Hobby, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Glen Porter

 Special Hobby's 1/72 scale Fokker D.XXI will be available online from Squadron.com
 

In 1940 the Finnish Government began license production of the Fokker D.XXI at the State Aircraft Factory. Because they wanted to fit P&W Twin Wasp Junior motors, they had Fokker redesign the forward fuselage to take this engine. Although it was not as fast, nor did it handle as well as the earlier models, it was not with-drawn from Finnish service until 1951.

It's a bit of an eye-opener to compare this kit with those issued by MPM back in their early days. Considering this kit is almost all plastic with very little PE and no resin yet the level of external and interior detail is almost up there with the best from the majors, Tamiya, Hasagawa, Revell and Academy. Is it any wonder these small “Short-Run” people such as MPM, Pavla and Sword from Eastern Europe are getting such a following? The money oriented Majors would not dare produce something like this.

On opening the end-opening box, everything except the instructions are in a plastic bag with the decals and PE inside a smaller one. The first thing you will notice is the canopy is injected but is floating around loose in the larger bag with the main plastic parts. On opening this bag and extracting the main sprues I saw the clear parts fall on the floor, bouncing off my leg on the way down. I found the main canopy for this kit quite quickly but according to the instructions there should be a second sprue with the original canopy plus two other small parts on it. The Carpet Monster must have gobbled it up as soon as it fell because although I hit it with a big stick it wouldn't cough it up. Bummer!

There are eleven plastic parts plus PE that go to make up the cockpit interior. With three of then being tube frames plus tube frames on the side walls, this will be a nicely detailed interior, indeed better than some 1/48 scale kits I've seen.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

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A nicely detailed two-piece P&W motor goes inside two cowling halves but the cowl-flaps are closed although they shouldn't be hard to open. A three-piece prop/spinner and two exhaust pipes are added before it is all offered up to the fuselage.

The wing construction is quite conventional with one-piece lower and two uppers and the undercarriage is of the fixed panted type and it just fits into two slots on the wing under-side. However, there are two naked undercarriage legs supplied, marked “not for use” but I'm sure the Finns would have used these in the winter months and with a small amount of modification, these could be used making a model thats just that little bit different.

Tail plane is as normal for a 1/72 scale kit and even has small mounting slots on the fuselage but the separate rudder is in two halves which isn't normal. The rest of the plastic parts are small scoops, gun barrels, aerials and pitot rod plus various other bibs and bobs to go around the kit.

Canopy is one-piece but could be opened with a little care and the bit that I lost is just a landing light lens which shouldn't be hare to replace.

PE is just seat belts, rudder peddles and two handles which go on the wing tips. Even I could handle that.

The decals are not marked as by Aviprint but look to be very good anyway with markings for three Finnish aircraft flown by 2Lt V. Taina, Oct, 1941, 2Lt. T. Matilla, 1941 and Lt. V. Saura with no date. Each of the aircraft have a large number on the rudder and the national markings are in two halves.

This truly is a splendid little kit and I can't see anything that could cause problems for anyone but the absolute beginner.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to MPM/Special Hobby for the review sample.

Review Text Copyright © 2006 by Glen Porter
Images Copyright © 2006 by Brett Green
Page Created 10 July, 2006
Last updated 10 July, 2006

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