Meng Fokker DR.I

[Softscience]

...and another one from me. This is Meng's 1/32 Fokker that took me a really long time to finish. I think I started this model in 2020 or 2021, and I would do a bit, get mad, and put it away. I really suspect Meng got these molds from Wingnut, before the latter was able to work out all the engineering kinks, and they just rushed it out the door. There is a lot to dislike here. The upper wing is badly warped, and attempts to unwarp it didn't seem to hold. The wing warp introduces warp to the struts. Since everything is molded in a somewhat brittle plastic, this meant broken struts. I also managed to break most of the control horns, and had to replace them with PE items (in 1/48 scale, surprisingly enough!). I think I broke the ailerons off at least three times because the attachment here is pretty weak. The fuselage stitching insert is crap, and would have looked much better as PE, and the whole thing just felt like it was not worth the $80+ USD I paid for it. I really wanted it off my shelf of doom, so I rushed things and wrapped it up. Don't look too closely, or you'll see my sloppy execution.

But complaints aside, I'm pretty happy with how this looks. Though I don't think I'll be building more biplanes in 1/32. There are certain expectations for fidelity of detail within the modeling community, and which I guess I have of myself as well, but which I don't have the skill, patience, and fastidiousness to meet. A lot of these details are far easier to imply in smaller scales, and I'm all about smoke and mirrors, so I'll be going back under my small scale bridge

[DaddyO]

Can't argue with a classic scheme for this tripe Softscience   

As a staunch supporter of 'gentleman's scale' myself I understand what you say about the bigger birds which look fabulous, but take a considerable amount of work to bring to fruition (I'm still occasionally tempted though . . . .)

Paul

[PrzemoL]

Despite your complaints the final results is truly striking. Great that you managed to bring it to this splendid finale.

[Davos522]

Looks like a Dr.I to me, fit issues or no. Great job, what's next up? Something with at least two wings, I hope...?

Dutch

[macsporran]

Lovely clean paint finish you've got there and a perfect satin sheen.

I don't understand the problem with the banana wing that so many have found difficult. I just brutally bent mine to straighten it. I applied lots of force and some hot water and hair drier. I kept working it and suppose I risked breaking it, but it overcame the ability of the plastic to resume its previous shape. I bought three on initial release but maybe the current plastic is more brittle now, but I just recommend beating it into submission! (Also got them for about 30 bucks apiece from Lucky in HK, so think they were a bargain.)

Anyway you've made a nice dramatic model and it looks great.
Sandy

[Softscience]

Looks like a Dr.I to me, fit issues or no. Great job, what's next up? Something with at least two wings, I hope...?

Dutch

Good question. I bought way too many biplanes recently. My eye is on the 1/72 Lloyd CV, but I'm worried it may be a touch too fiddly for my still limited biplane skills.

I also got a few classic Monogram and Matchbox interwar biplanes  and Airfix Great War biplanes. Very basic kits but maybe worth practicing my skills on. Have to source some decals  for each  of them first.

In any case, probably something in 1/72.

[Davos522]

Glad to hear it, hope you post it so we can follow along. Lloyds are always interesting-looking aeroplanes, despite the company's occasional tendency to veer off towards the downright bizarre. But the C.V was really one of the most elegant two-seaters of the Great War IMHO. And they had lots of plywood, which is always fun.

Dutch

[NigelR]

Nice clean job on this one, a pity about the wings but sometimes you just have to build the thing. And I hear what you say about the smaller scales, there is a lot of temptation in 1/32 to build huge amounts of detail that then disappear when you assemble the kit. In smaller scales, the detail can be implied with clever paint work or simpler detailing.

[RAGIII]

Lovely clean paint finish you've got there and a perfect satin sheen.

I don't understand the problem with the banana wing that so many have found difficult. I just brutally bent mine to straighten it. I applied lots of force and some hot water and hair drier. I kept working it and suppose I risked breaking it, but it overcame the ability of the plastic to resume its previous shape. I bought three on initial release but maybe the current plastic is more brittle now, but I just recommend beating it into submission! (Also got them for about 30 bucks apiece from Lucky in HK, so think they were a bargain.)

Anyway you've made a nice dramatic model and it looks great.
Sandy

I agree to most of what you said about the banana wing. I built two initially when released( crashed one), and two more later. All it took for me was Gentle bending. No Heat, No boiling water, and No HooDoo Magic  All remain Straight and True.

Now for the build as posted. Nice work and I know what you Mean By "Smoke and Mirrors" as I use it Myself in all of My builds!
RAGIII