FOKKER D.VII (OAW) 4523/18, JASTA 35b, 1918

by George Grasse

JAGER MINIATURES 1:48 SCALE LIMITED EDITION RESIN KIT JMJA04 OF THE FOKKER D.VII (OAW) FLOWN BY LTN d R RUDOLF STARK, STAFFELFÜHRER JASTA 35b, LATE SUMMER 1918

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #1 24 June 2009

OVERALL VIEW OF FUSELAGE , WINGS, PROPELLER, AND COCKPIT DETAILS.  UPPER WING AT TOP SHOWS THE DARKER DAY UPPER 4-COLOR LOZENGE APPLIED CORD-WISE.  THE LOWER WINGS SHOW THE LIGHTER DAY UNDER 4-COLOR LOZENGE ALSO APPLIED CORD-WISE.  AILERONS SHOW UNDERSIDE AND LOZENGE IS APPLIED SPAN-WISE.  RIB TAPES HAVE NOT YET BEEN APPLIED. MISTERKIT'S MKGC02 GERMAN ALBATROS MAUVE IS THE COLOR USED TO REPRODUCE THE MARKINGS ON THIS AIRCRAFT WHICH WAS FLOWN BY LTN. d. R. RUDOLF STARK STAFFELFÜHRER OF JASTA 35b. PROPELLER IS HAS A BASE COAT OF OCHRE WITH DARK BROWN PAINTED LAMINATIONS.  UP TO EIGHT COLORED PENCILS WERE USED TO "RUB" THE PROPELLER INTO A REALISTIC FINISH. THE COCKPIT WAS ENHANCED WITH SCRATCH-BUILT DETAILS INCLUDING THE USE OF COPPER STATE'S GERMAN GAUGE SET WITH THE AID OF DRAWINGS AND PHOTOS FROM THE "FOKKER ANTHOLOGY" SERIES 1 THROUGH 3.

 

 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #2 18 August 2009

COCKPIT DETAIL IS COMPLETE AND THE SUB-ASSEMBLY IS FITTED INTO THE FUSELAGE.  LANDING GEAR IS ATTACHED USING STRUTZ BRASS REINFORCED WITH .008 PIANO WIRE FOR THE RIGGING.  ALL OF THE FUSELAGE PANELS AND VENTS HAVE BEEN PAINTED AND WEATHERED.

 

 

 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #3 18 August 2009

SIDE VIEW BUT SAME CONSTRUCTION STAGE AS PHOTO #2.  THE UPPER DECKING IN FRONT OF THE COCKPIT AND THE WHEEL COVER OUTSIDE COLOR IS MISTERKIT MKGC05 ALBATROS DARK GREEN.  THE LILAC IS MISTERKIT MKGC02 ALBATROS MAUVE.  METAL PARTS ARE PAINTED VALLEJO VC0881 YELLOW GREEN TO SIMULATE THE DARKER GRAY-GREEN COLOR THAT APPEARS ON MANY LATE-WAR AIRCRAFT.

 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #4 18 August 2009

TOP REAR VIEW BUT SAME CONSTRUCTION STAGE AS PHOTOS #2 AND #3.  THE UPPER DECKING COLOR HAS ALREADY BEEN NOTED.  THE FAIRED LANDING GEAR "WING" IS EVENLY DIVIDED BETWEEN THE DARK GREEN ON THE LEFT AND MAUVE ON THE RIGHT.  MACHINE GUNS NOT YET MOUNTED.  NOTE THE FINISH ON THE PROPELLER.

 

 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #5 19 October 2009

ELEVATED LEFT REAR VIEW SHOWING MOST OF THE FUSELAGE COMPLETED EXCEPT FOR MACHINE GUNS AND TAIL UNIT STRUTS/WIRES.

 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS #6 and #7 19 October 2009
THE AIRCRAFT MODEL IS READY FOR STRUT AND WING ASSEMBLY.

 

 

FINISHED PHOTOS #8 and #9 17 November 2009
BARELY VISIBLE ARE THE TAIL UNIT SUPPORT WIRES IN THE LEFT PHOTO.  THE RIGHT PHOTO CLEARLY SHOWS THE METAL TAIL UNIT STRUTS.  NOTE THE BI-COLOR OF THE LANDING GEAR FAIRING.  THE THIN BLACK LINE ALONG THE FUSELAGE FROM THE LANDING GEAR FAIRING TO THE MIDDLE OF THE FUSELAGE LILAC BAND IS MY DECAL SIGNATURE: "Fokker D.VII (OAW) G. Grasse No. 6249".

 

FINISHED PHOTO #10 17 November 2009

TAIL UNIT SUPPORT WIRE IS A LITTLE MORE VISIBLE IN THIS PHOTO AS ARE THE ELEVATOR CONTROL HORNS.

 

 

FINISHED PHOTOS #11 and #12 17 November 2009
TWO MORE VIEWS.  ARTISTICALLY, THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE CAMOUFLAGE AND MARKING SCHEMES BECAUSE OF THE LILAC, DARK GREEN, GRAY-GREEN STRUTS, AND THE PRINTED CAMOUFLAGE FABRIC.   THE FINISHED MODEL RESIDES IN A PRIVATE COLLECTION.

 

This 1:48 scale model is based photos and color work in Albatros Productions' "Fokker Anthology 2", pages 42 and 43, plus additional additional drawings, sketches, and photos elsewhere in the "Fokker Anthology" series.  Additional sources that were helpful are listed in the Bibliography but special mention is made of the color photographs of the Fokker D.VII cockpit interior appearing in Windsock International, a first-class World War I modeling and historical magazine published six times a year. This aircraft was flown by Ltn. d. R. Rudolf Stark, Staffelführer of Jasta 35b in the late Summer of 1918.  Fokker D.VII (OAW) 4523/18 was license-built by Ostdeutsche Albatros-Werke G.m.b.H., Schneidermühl, hence the parenthesized "OAW". 

 

Luftstreitkräfte Fighter Pilot in one-piece flying suit 1917-18

Czech Master Kit 4025 1:48

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Bibliography:

Brannon, D. Edgar.  Fokker D.VII in Action.  Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Texas, 1996.

Roberts, Dave; Ray Rimmel, and Greg VanWyngarden et al.  Fokker Anthology series 1, 2, and 3, artwork and illustrations by Dave Roberts, Ray Rimmel, and Juanita Franzi; scale drawings by Ian Stair.  Albatros Publications Ltd, Berkhamsted, UK, 1997 (1), 2000 (2), 2002 (3).

Windsock International, Vol. 20, No. 1, January/February 2004. Albatros Publications Ltd, Berkhamsted, UK, 2004.

Windsock International, Vol. 20, No. 4, July/August 2004. Albatros Publications Ltd, Berkhamsted, UK, 2004.

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© Copyright by George Grasse