New from Merit: 1/24 Fokker Dr.1

[thierry laurent]

Well, in spite I do not build anything larger (or smaller!) than 1/32 kits, if I did, I would rather go for masks...

[mschoo]

To clarify my comments:

 

1. The actual plane had a celluloid window in the upper wing right over the wing spar. This was intended to check it. Merit just added an engraved rectangle and it is too close to the wing leading edge.

2. The cowling was clearly made from two main separate parts. So, there was a step in the front face and a visible line of rivets on the main part edge (to fix the front part). The step looks faint and the rivets are missing.

3. The plane had two metal plates intended to protect the surface of the upper fuselage from machine gun blast. There are not there.

4. In the same part, there should be one oil and fuel tank plug on each side. It seems both of them are missing.

5. The plane had not the 6 fixtures seen under the landing gear wing. It had just two square maintenance panels to get access to the bungee chords used to fix the landing gear.

6. There was no plain (wood) bulkhead behind the pilot. The hole was closed by a canvas rectangle fixed with wire to the metal tube structure.

 

This is just a quick assessment. Fortunately, everything may be solved with some elbow grease. However, as all the elements I mentioned are known for ages, this is plain stupid! By the way, I knew nearly nothing about the DR1 two months ago..!

 

The really positive aspect I see is the release in a new scale.

Thierry, what ref are you using? I've had the Roden in the stash, partially completed, for a couple of years and couldn't find any really strong ref for it (admittedly, I didn't exactly turn the world upside down looking). I'd love to have a good book on the Fokker. Thanks!

Mike

[Tim Carroll]

Hi Thierry,

Thanks for the list.  Another issue I see with the engine is that it is a Clerget. If you look at the second sprue you can see cylinder heads, valve push rods (2 per cylinder) and dual spark plugs.

 

The only Triplane I am aware of with this engine was Jacobs all black machine with the winged devil on the side.  (The original Dragon 1/48 Triplane kit had these markings but not the correct engine)

His markings are not supplied in the kit so we will need a 1/24 scale Oberursel Ur II. to build the markings supplied. (I am not aware that Kempf had a Clerget fitted to his triplane)

 

This thread on the Aerodrome provides some information:  http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17522

 

Cheers

 

Tim

[Tim Carroll]

A Little more on Jacobs triplane.  It maintained the prop from the camel the engine was taken from.

So the prop in the kit is wrong for his plane as well

 

Couple of interesting pictures of what I believe are 2 machines or one has had it crosses repainted:

 

From the side, a bit grainy - http://i50.tinypic.com/2zegw45.jpg

 

From the font showing the engine  and prop -  http://i48.tinypic.com/2zfogna.jpg

 

Cheers

[LSP_K2]

Hard to say for sure without the model in my hands, but I'm starting to lose some enthusiasm here.

[cbk57]

Don't loose enthusiasm, it is not a perfect kit, I just looked through the instructions on hobby search and a closer look at the kit parts.  There are things that need replaced but the basics look good enough and the price is really not that bad.  Sprue Brothers has it for $60.00 and we will see lower prices on it before long.  This kit has good bones and can be taken to the level we want it.  I have thought for a long time that there is a time and a place to get the basic shapes right and leave the rest to the aftermarket.  Someone can build a nice box stock DR I and it will look great it jus won't be as accurate as many of us would like. 

 

Since we are unlikely to see another 1/24 Dr. I and may not see a Wingnut Dr I for many years this is the best game in town and really the only game in town,  I don't care for the Roden kit as it looks very crude.  I am planning on building one once we see some aftermarket support for it. 

[Iain]

I quite liked the Roden kit when I built it - I guess our expectations have been raised several notches by people like Wingnut Wings! 

 

Can't complain! 

 

Iain

[LSP_K2]

While I tend to agree that we may have a bit of a wait for a WNW Dr.I, my bigger concern is the AM guys actually bothering with the updates, when it'll probably be an all or nothing situation, being that there are few (if any) other 1:24 German WWI subjects that could benefit from that AM, as in the case of the engine. The same problem exists with 1:24 AM decals. Short of masks, how many 1:24 decals are we likely to see?

[thierry laurent]

Thierry, what ref are you using? I've had the Roden in the stash, partially completed, for a couple of years and couldn't find any really strong ref for it (admittedly, I didn't exactly turn the world upside down looking). I'd love to have a good book on the Fokker. Thanks!

Mike

I've most of the published Dr.1 books but few of them are useful for the modeller and most plans are either incomplete or partly inaccurate. Currently, the best reference for us is the set of plans drawn by Martin Digmayer and published in the Windsock datafile special Fokker Dr.1 Jagdstaffeln written by Greg Vanwyngarden. He did a terrific research work, partly based on pictures of crashed airframes and wartime drawings to get an accurate and detailed result. Most sources are so-so for a simple reason: no Dr.1 survived after the 1945 Soviet invasion of Germany. Some replicas are quite good but I have yet to see a truly accurate one.

 

Hth

 

Thierry

[thierry laurent]

Some elements of the Roden kit are a little bit crude indeed. However, with the Eduard photoetched set and the True details resin parts you find in the Encore kit boxing, I still find this last option to be the best one.

[mschoo]

I've most of the published Dr.1 books but few of them are useful for the modeller and most plans are either incomplete or partly inaccurate. Currently, the best reference for us is the set of plans drawn by Martin Digmayer and published in the Windsock datafile special Fokker Dr.1 Jagdstaffeln written by Greg Vanwyngarden. He did a terrific research work, partly based on pictures of crashed airframes and wartime drawings to get an accurate and detailed result. Most sources are so-so for a simple reason: no Dr.1 survived after the 1945 Soviet invasion of Germany. Some replicas are quite good but I have yet to see a truly accurate one.

 

Hth

 

Thierry

Thanks a ton for this, Thierry. I'll be hunting that one down for sure.

Mike

[LSP_K2]

Some elements of the Roden kit are a little bit crude indeed. However, with the Eduard photoetched set and the True details resin parts you find in the Encore kit boxing, I still find this last option to be the best one.

 

Part makes a real nice P.E. set for it too, and then there are the Master Spandaus and Neomega engine.

[LSP_Ray]

Hmmm...a 1/24th Dr.1 would look good next to my 1/24th Neiuport...assuming I get that thing built, too.

Damn, so many models, so little time...

[thierry laurent]

Part makes a real nice P.E. set for it too, and then there are the Master Spandaus and Neomega engine.

Indeed, I got the Part set as well because most of the parts are different from the ones of the Eduard fret you find in the Encore kit. The Master Spandau set was also a no brainer purchase. However, the Neomega engine is not really necessary if you have the Encore boxing as it has very nice True details resin parts including the Oberursel. I also got two small detail sets from Taurus: the very fine spark plugs for rotary engines and Fokker wing nuts.

 

We must hope that similar items will be available for the Merit kit as most of the problems are similar to the ones of the plain Roden kit!

[LSP_K2]

Hmmm...a 1/24th Dr.1 would look good next to my 1/24th Neiuport...assuming I get that thing built, too.

Damn, so many models, so little time...

 

I assume you have the vac Nieuport 28?

 

Indeed, I got the Part set as well because most of the parts are different from the ones of the Eduard fret you find in the Encore kit. The Master Spandau set was also a no brainer purchase. However, the Neomega engine is not really necessary if you have the Encore boxing as it has very nice True details resin parts including the Oberursel. I also got two small detail sets from Taurus: the very fine spark plugs for rotary engines and Fokker wing nuts.

 

We must hope that similar items will be available for the Merit kit as most of the problems are similar to the ones of the plain Roden kit!

 

I had the Encore boxing, but sold it while still shrink wrapped (same with the SE5A and Albatros), so I have no idea what's all included, though I've heard the upgrades in the kit are nice.