forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com

WW1 Aircraft Modeling => Completed models => Topic started by: IvotB on April 20, 2013, 07:44:03 AM

Title: LVA Fokker D.VII Wingnut Wings
Post by: IvotB on April 20, 2013, 07:44:03 AM
After some additional work on the tire letters I regard my Fokker as finished. I will add a bicycle and mechanic later, based on the advice given here.

Let me first thank this wonderful forum for providing me with so much valuable assistence, that it gives me the impression that although I build this Fokker with my hands and eyes, I feel a lot of you were encouraging me behind me. As I mentioned in the first under construction post (http://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=1288.msg20188#msg20188) I had been waiting for a number of years for Wingnut Wings to produce this kit. I had been drawn to WNW over the years by many enthousiastic reviews and pictures and WNW got a lot of praise for their products. So already there was a Sopwith Pup in my stash, but that one is still in its plastic wrapping (the parts, not the box  ;) ).

So after recieving the kit early december I started studying the manual and finding more information about the subject. And this is how I stumbled on this forum which has proven to be a treasure of information and help on ww1 subjects.

Especially I would like to thank Des for this forum and his information on spark plugs, turn buckles and pre shading, Bo for offering many directions on techniques and useful links with more information, Bud for his demonstration of weathering with pastels, Keith for pointing me towards Taurus models and many others that have given advice, comment and just thumbs up for my progress.

It was my first 1:32 model, my first WNW kit, my first time for weathering, the first laminated propellor and the first time of rigging with EZ line

I added a number of things to the WNW kit, not that it is a bad kit, but such a kit is challenging to make even a better model out of it.

Things I added:

If I am going to build another ww1 model I have to improve the fixing of the top wing by using Des' method and the weathering can be better. I am considering at least 3 other WNW kits that have flown with the LVA, but it will have to wait as I should be finishing a lot of brass railway models.

I must compliment WNW for issuing a perfect kit. I had no problems with the fit of the fuselage and the motor panels as many have experienced. A thing nobody has mentioned but is really a striking feature of this model is the shape of the top wing. The thick rounded part in the middle becoming slimmer towards the wing tips where the top of the wing remains level is typical for all Fokker wings on all Fokker aircraft until 1940. You see it on the biplanes, but also on the many passenger aircraft from F.II to F.XXXVI. There are only a few models of those aircraft.

A discussion might ensue about the colors I used on this aircraft. In comparison to all the beautifull colored german schemes provided by WNW and Pheon models, this LVA scheme is rather dull. It has just LVA blue on the lower surfaces and LVA Khaki on top. White Ensign Models have produced these colors, but my LVA Khaki tin just wasn't big enough (there wasn't enough left after a number of 1:72 models  ;) ). So I used a Revell tin instead. Now the White Ensign Khaki is very similar to Revell Khaki, although the White Ensign tends to be more brownish, while the Revell tends to be greenish. Discussions about the correct colors is always difficult and I am going to leave it as it is.

Now on to the pictures:

(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/Ivotb/Fokker%20D-VII/IMG_31191600x1200_zpse09d4c7e.jpg)

(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/Ivotb/Fokker%20D-VII/FokkerDVII258-31600x1200_zpse539ced9.jpg)
Most common picture of the original

(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/Ivotb/Fokker%20D-VII/IMG_31201600x1200_zpsc62e954e.jpg)

(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/Ivotb/Fokker%20D-VII/IMG_31221600x1200_zpsbfd05ccc.jpg)

(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/Ivotb/Fokker%20D-VII/IMG_31231600x1200_zps58b5a6ea.jpg)

(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/Ivotb/Fokker%20D-VII/IMG_31241600x1200_zpsb80e3743.jpg)

(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/Ivotb/Fokker%20D-VII/IMG_31251600x1200_zps1ba99d01.jpg)

(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/Ivotb/Fokker%20D-VII/IMG_31261600x1200_zpscc0deeca.jpg)

(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/Ivotb/Fokker%20D-VII/IMG_31271600x1200_zpsc7a7dd68.jpg)

(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/Ivotb/Fokker%20D-VII/IMG_31281600x1200_zpsaa406540.jpg)

(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/Ivotb/Fokker%20D-VII/IMG_31291600x1200_zpsfbf94024.jpg)

(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/Ivotb/Fokker%20D-VII/IMG_31311600x1200_zps84f26700.jpg)


And to prepare it for take off, the engine cowlings can be closed too:

(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/Ivotb/Fokker%20D-VII/IMG_31321600x1200_zpsab68731b.jpg)

(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/Ivotb/Fokker%20D-VII/IMG_31331600x1200_zps4a98c6e5.jpg)


regards,
Ivo
Title: Re: LVA Fokker D.VII Wingnut Wings
Post by: Epeeman on April 20, 2013, 07:48:49 AM
Hello, Ivo -

Amazing work - you really did this kit justice.

Well done on a great looking DVII model.

Regards

Dave

Title: Re: LVA Fokker D.VII Wingnut Wings
Post by: PrzemoL on April 20, 2013, 07:54:32 AM
Absolutely brilliant model, Ivo! I like very much the Dutch livery, I would not say it is dull. The orange circles bring a lot of life. If I ever decide to build D.VII I will also go for a non-German scheme - there are many Polish post-war ones to choose from.
Title: Re: LVA Fokker D.VII Wingnut Wings
Post by: bobs_buckles on April 20, 2013, 08:24:47 AM
Man O Man!
A beauty and no mistake - thanks for sharing  :o

Cheers,
VB
Title: Re: LVA Fokker D.VII Wingnut Wings
Post by: michael on April 21, 2013, 12:06:46 AM
Outstanding work Ivo. You should be proud of work like that - brilliant stuff

michael
Title: Re: LVA Fokker D.VII Wingnut Wings
Post by: GAJouette on April 21, 2013, 12:41:07 AM
  Ivo,
Congratulations my friend is an Outstanding beauty. Your skills and craftsmanship shine through.Well Done.
Highest Regards,
Gregory Jouette
Title: Re: LVA Fokker D.VII Wingnut Wings
Post by: mgunns on April 22, 2013, 03:19:11 AM
Hello Ivo:

Outstanding job on this kit.  I am glad to read that you didn't have any problems as some have.  I guess it is just paying attention and checking fit constantly.  It is a plain scheme but interesting none the less and with the photo of the original makes it more so.

Best

Mark
Title: Re: LVA Fokker D.VII Wingnut Wings
Post by: uncletony on April 23, 2013, 10:08:55 AM
Congratulations on a great build Ivo.
Title: Re: LVA Fokker D.VII Wingnut Wings
Post by: Vickers on April 23, 2013, 11:38:23 AM
This is one sharp and lovely build.  Marvelous, unique scheme as well and I've enjoyed watching your progress posts.  Congratulations on your magnificent D.VII!
Title: Re: LVA Fokker D.VII Wingnut Wings
Post by: stefanbuss on April 23, 2013, 03:44:10 PM
Very well done. Thank you for your detailed "in progress"-report, i have learned a lot from that for my own DVII. I really like the fact that the cowling panels can be attached and remowed again.

Please update the pictures once you have finished the mechanic and the missing bicycle.

Stefan
Title: Re: LVA Fokker D.VII Wingnut Wings
Post by: coyotemagic on April 24, 2013, 07:05:38 AM
Absolutely stunning, Ivo!
Cheers,
Bud
Title: Re: LVA Fokker D.VII Wingnut Wings
Post by: RAGIII on April 24, 2013, 07:47:34 AM
Awesome! Beautiful build from start to finish! I love the cockpit coaming leather!!
RAGIII
Title: Re: LVA Fokker D.VII Wingnut Wings
Post by: IvotB on April 27, 2013, 05:58:43 AM
Thanks for the compliments guys. It was a joy to build with all suggestions and encouragements from all of you here.

One remark to it not being a german scheme. Perhaps when living in the Netherlands you look at things differently. Anthony Fokker was a dutchman and had his aircraft factory at Schiphol. The remains are still there today. And the LVA used almost only Fokker aircraft between 1919 and 1940 and so did our national airline the KLM. Therefore Fokker belongs strongly to the dutch aviation history. Only in the thirties KLM couldn't resist the excellent Douglas DC 2 and DC 3. This is where Anthony Fokker missed the development towards all metal aircraft. There is some general pride in Anthony Fokker and not many here link it automatically to Germany and german schemes. I guess that only those interested in ww1 realise the connection to Germany. And indeed there is a strong connection. Long before ww1 Anthony Fokker recieved an education in aviation and aircraft construction in Germany and he has built his first planes there. He tried to move a business to the Netherlands but wasn't very successful at that, so he returned to Germany, started a flying school and contributed to the german ww1 aircraft a lot. Only after ww1 he got settled in the Netherlands.

There he produced numerous military planes and civil aircraft. Over here the F.II, FVII and FXVIII are quite famous aircraft. Especially the F.XVIII Pelikaan and Snip made memorable flights. In 1933 in 4 days they took the trip from Amsterdam to Batavia (Djakarta), which was quite an achievement then.


regards,
Ivo
Title: Re: LVA Fokker D.VII Wingnut Wings
Post by: dr 1 ace on April 27, 2013, 07:45:24 AM


Another ditto for an excellent build and nice to see the post war scheme done so well !

Ed
Title: Re: LVA Fokker D.VII Wingnut Wings
Post by: IvotB on May 09, 2013, 07:42:26 AM
Completed model?

One of those $%^&*&^%#@#@# moments:

(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/Ivotb/Fokker%20D-VII/IMG_31481600x1200_zps5fee66b4.jpg)

My D.VII hasn't been moved to a safe location, so to avoid damage during work on my workbench I moved the model from above to a table behind my chair, thinking it was much safer there. I had to find some information in a book about the NS6000 I am building and when I found it I put the book behind me on that table too. But there also was my D.VII. I don''t know if the book hit it in front or on top, I just noticed that after an apparent collision it was sitting a little bit awkward on its wheels.

Well in the end just the forward landing gear struts were broken and the part that is missing on the picture below can be glued together. Hopefully it will be strong enough. Nice detail: the rigging is still in order :D

(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/Ivotb/Fokker%20D-VII/IMG_31471600x1200_zpsd423c766.jpg)

I know that nobody is as foolish as I am. Just another lesson...


regards,
Ivo
Title: Re: LVA Fokker D.VII Wingnut Wings
Post by: GAJouette on May 09, 2013, 07:53:39 AM
  Ivo,
Awful happenings my friend. But luckily the damage isn't enough to warrant a complete write off. Here's to strong repairs my friend.
Highest Regards,
Gregory Jouette
Title: Re: LVA Fokker D.VII Wingnut Wings
Post by: Des on May 09, 2013, 08:33:46 AM
A little bit of bad luck there Ivo but at least the damage was minor, you should be able to completed the repairs in no time and have her looking brilliant again.

Des.
Title: Re: LVA Fokker D.VII Wingnut Wings
Post by: uncletony on May 09, 2013, 08:42:02 AM
A real pity, but I bet you can fix it -- just be sure to wait until you are not mad about it anymore.

Can happen to anyone!

Good luck...