1:32nd scale Fokker D.II

Hi all,
I'm still waiting for the figures to arrive for the Roland D.VI so I can complete that model.
In the meantime I'm starting on the 'Special Hobby' 1:32nd scale Fokker D.II.
This model will represent a Fokker D.II, serial number not known, that was attached to ‘Kampfeinsitzer Stafflen’ (Kesta) 4b sometime between April 1917 - October 1918 at Royal Bavarian AF, Freiburg.
Should be fun,

Mike

wing-warper still in use in late 1918? I guess the back areas weren't a high priority. or a medium one.

I've always liked the looks of the Fokker D.I to D.V series, so I look forward to developments with this model in particular.

@Lofty, yes I was surprised too, to read that defense units had such warpers even as late as '18. Then again, there were a few dozen or so late Alb. D.IIs in front-line service until the end of the war - so perhaps I shouldn't be surprised by warpers in use by home defense. The lovely Fokk. D.V I think also served briefly in defensive roles, and maybe very briefly on the front too - although there's some debate on whether or not the D.V was used as a fighter.

Happy flying and wing warping,
Von S

Hi all,
Just a quick update.
The engine and propeller are finished.
The basic cockpit is also finished, but without any added detail, such as control cables, bracing wires and pipes etc.
This is because for the first time, I'm add a pilot figure into the cockpit.
With the pilot located, just about everything in the cockpit is hidden from view, except for the top of the control column and the one instrument.
The figure I'm converting for this model is from 'Wings Cockpit Figures.

Mike

Hi all,
The pilot figure started off as the ‘Wings Cockpit' figures - seated LSK pilot (LSK 04A).
Some heavy modification of this figure was necessary in order to get it to be able to fit into the cockpit of the closed up fuselage.
Basically material had to be removed from the legs and torso, with the arms pinned into their sockets and re-positioned.
Any gaps were filled with modelling putty.

Mike

A wonderful subject The Fokker D II - D V.

Excellent stuff Sandbagger, The models shown on your website are quite brilliant mate, I’d recommend anyone to have a look at Mike’s models ..outstanding.

Thanks guys,

Mike

Agreed, the models are brilliant, very realistic. I particularly like the more unusual models too.

This latest one is a curious bird, still using wing warping and a very outdated engine. I remember seeing a picture of Ernst Udet's one with a cutout of a second person attached to the fuselage to make it look like a two seater....crazy stuff.

Looking forward to this one

Top-notch work as always!

Hi all,
Just an update on this build.
The fuselage is closed up now and prepared as far as it can go at this stage.
Being a 'Special Hobby' kit there was some work to do as expected.
The machine gun location required modification so the replacement 'GasPatch' weapon can be fitted.
All of the rigging points needed to be drilled using either a 0.3 or 0.4 mm diameter drill.
The rudder and elevator control cable ports in the fuselage needed drilling out and oval shaped.
Holes were drilled into the fuselage sides for what appears to have been transportation posts, used to secure the wings to the fuselage.
These posts were also fitted to the lower wings.
The lower wing 'spar' is very flimsy causing the wings to flap like a demented chicken every time the wing was handled.
To reinforce the wing to fuselage joint, I added a styrene block into the wing locating slot and onto the underside of the cockpit assembly.
This should make the wing to fuselage joint stronger.
There is also a flight control lever and cable on the underside of the fuselage which is not included.
This is similar to that of the Fokker Eindeckers and I believe is part of the elevator control run.
I've created slots for both the lever and cable.
I've also drilled and pinned the landing gear struts as originally they were intended to be 'butt' joints (never a good thing).
The strangest change was needed to align the engine cowl to the two fuselage side panels.
The kit instructions tell you how this can be done, which raises the question as to why the parts were not molded to align in the first place?
Anyway I ignored their instructions and as Frank would have said 'I did it my way'.

Mike

Hi all,
I've now painted the basic colour scheme for this aircraft.
I still have to seal and apply weathering, streaked decals etc.
I decided to create masks for the crosses as the kit supplied decal are not good,

Mike

Hi all,
The 'Aviattic' clear linen effect and streaked decals have been applied.
I still need to clear coat and weather the surfaces.
Also I've made the tail skid assembly from micro-tube as the kit struts were very weak.
I had to shorten the actual skid as well as it was way too long.

Mike

Hi all,
A few updates for the Fokker D.II build.
The pilot figure has been painted and is fitted into the cockpit.
Also the engine is now fitted.
The general weathering is a combination of 'Flory Models' Dark Dirt fine clay wash and 'Tamiya' Weathering Master Set A (Mud).
The engine exhaust and oil erosion on the fuselage forward side panels is 'Tamiya' Flat Aluminium (X16) stipple brushed over the green.
Then the same 'Flory Models' wash dabbed into the Aluminium painted surface.
The same technique was used for the doped linen erosion on the forward streaked decal area, but for that, 'Tamiya' Deck Tan (X55) was stippled on before the 'Flory' wash was applied.
'AK Interactive' Engine Oil (2019) was brushed at the outlet of the side panels and under the forward fuselage.

Mike

I really like the paint scheme and the weathering on this model!!

As do I. Bravo!

Hi all,
The single ‘GasPatch’ early LMG ‘Spandau’ 08 has been fitted.
This required modification of both the gun and fuselage decking panel.
I used the 'GasPatch' ammunition belt instead of the kit supplied photo-etch part.
I also had to scratch the empty ammunition belt chute as the kit does not include the chute?
The eight 'transportation' posts have also been added to the fuselage sides and lower wings.

Now onto the struts then pre-rigging,

Mike

Looking incredible already Mike, brilliant stuff.

Hi all,
Just a quick update.
Looking at photographs it's difficult to see detail for the interplane struts on this aircraft.
Some look to be of wood construction only.
Others seem to show a tubular reinforcing tube that was fitted to the leading edge of each strut with wood aerofoil struts attached to its rear edge.
Also what appears to be four 'wrappings' of either linen or metal around each strut.
Normally strut wrapping would be linen and these were used to help prevent the wood struts from splitting under stress.
Anyway, the kit 'wrappings' were over sized so I decided to modify all eight struts.
The 'wrappings' were sanded off and the leading edge tubes, which are not represented on the kit struts, were scribed.
Base coated with 'Tamiya' Deck Tan (XF78), then clear coat sealed.
The wood areas were masked off and 'Alclad' Steel (ALC112) was airbrushed over the tubes.
Clear coated again then 'Flory Models' Dark Dirt clay wash applied.
Clear coated yet again and 1 mm wide strips were applied from the ‘Xtradecal’ Parallel Stripes (White XPS2) set.
A final clear coat was then applied to seal everything.
The cutout in the two inboard, rear interplane struts, are to allow the wing warping control lines to route from the fuselage to the outboard struts.

Mike

Nice touch modelling the struts Mike! Just another one of those finicky details that makes your models so great.

Best Regards

I've never met you in real life, so I don't know for sure, but I suspect that you're only, what, maybe 4" tall max, with really tiny hands. That's the only way I can figure how you produce such detail.

Say Lofty, and he flys them too!!

Sorry to disappoint you Lofty, but I'm 6' 3"

Mike

Hi all,
The wing warp control lines were attached to the base of the rear interplane struts on the lower wings.
The two control lines were routed between the lower wings through twin pulleys, mounted on a support frame in front of the cockpit.

Mono-filament lone of 0.08 mm diameter and routed through 0.2 mm diameter holes above the pulleys.
'GasPatch' 1:48th One End turnbuckles fitted with 0.4 mm diameter blackened brass tube.

Mike

Superbly intricate details. I was going to ask if the metal parts on the aircraft were actually metal on the model. Obviously they are.

Hi Albert,
Actually the only 'metal' parts on the model are photo-etch items, most of which I don't use.
If possible I prefer to make parts myself.
I think photo-etch is too flat (two dimensional) and not easy to secure in position.
Also, in most cases, not very realistic,

Mike .

Ahh, it was just with you mentioning brass tube. So would the photo-etch stuff be used for like the front of an Eindecker and that stretched metal look? I can see why that would be difficult to fit if it's wafer thin.

Well if it's mostly plastics and wood you use it's made to look very realistic.

Albert

You should visit Mike's web site to see all the models he has made...awesome:
click here

Thanks Robert. Yes outstanding work, I could spend weeks locked in there

Hi Albert,
Sorry, I should have included the micro-tube I use for rigging and pipework.
As for the front of an Eindecker - if you are talking about the metal effect on the engine cowl and side panels - that needs to be painted,

Mike

Hi all,
I've finished pre-rigging stage now.
Thirty two lines with 'GasPatch' One End type turnbuckles and two with double ended Type C turnbuckles.
Also the Rudder and Elevators have their control lines fitted.
Now all I have to do is fit the anchor points to their various locations and the ten struts and upper wing can be fitted,

Mike

Hand painted...jeez that's amazing work.

Thanks for the insight Mike. Sorry for all the questions but my old man used to make ships in bottles, proper rigged sailing ships too, then once, he showed me how he did it, and I've been a glutton for details ever since.

Thanks again

Hi all,
In preparation for fitting the upper wing onto the ten struts, I've pre-rigged those wires that would be difficult to attach with the upper wing attached.
The remaining rigging can be attached afterwards and these will be:

Wing warping reaction wires with their pulley support frame
Forward flying wires
Drift wires
Landing gear bracing
Rudder and elevator control cables.

The pre-rigging is 0.08 mm diameter mono-filament passed through the 'eye' of the turnbuckle, then a blackened 0.5 mm diameter tube and finally the fitted 'GasPatch' 1:48th scale anchor point.
Then both ends of the 0.08 mm line are looped back and through the 0.5 mm tube.
Both ends are pulled to draw the tube between the 'eye' of the anchor point and the turnbuckle.
Thin CA adhesive is applied to one end only of the tube and the residual 0.08 mm line tags cut away.
This method allows the rigged line to move freely and self-align and the anchor points are stronger than using twisted copper wire.

Now to fit that upper wing,

Mike

Hi all,
Being a wing warper as opposed to an aileron controlled aircraft, the rigging of the wing required more than usual.
A combination of flying wires, landing wires, drift wires, cross bracing wire, wing warp control cables and wing warp reaction cables.
The turnbuckles still need to be painted though.

Now onto the landing gear, rudder and elevators,

Mike

Hi all,
Just a quick update.
The landing gear is finished using 0.12 mm diameter mono-filament, 0.4 mm and 0.5 mm diameter blackened tube and the 'bungee' suspension (not represented in the kit) is 'EZ' stetch line washed with 'AK Interactive' Kersonene (AK2039).
The Tail skid is also finished and was constructed from micr-tunbe (kit parts too fragile) with suspension cord created using 'MFH' flexible black tube.

Now onto creating the elevator control under the fuselage (not represented in the kit) and fitting the rudder and elevators,

Mike

Mike what was on the end of the original tail dragger skid. You seem to have represented a black donut shape near the end and a black coating on the actual end that scrapes the ground. I have never seen that before.

The model is looking exceptionally good. It's not one of my favorite aircraft types but I like what you have done with it.

Best Regards

Hi Rob,
Yeah I see what you mean.
It's the metal shoe of the tail skid which is painted with Iron.
However, I've yet to dry brush and weather it and other areas of the model, so it will look more like steel,

Mike

Hi all,
The wheels, rudder and elevator are now fitted.
Now onto representing the external elevator control cable under the fuselage, which is not represented in the kit,

Mike

Hi all,
The external elevator control lever and cable on the underside of the fuselage have been added.
The two slots were cut through the fuselage and a lever, made from photo-etch and 0.4 mm diameter rod, was fitted.
The control cable is 0.08 mm diameter mono-filament with 0.4 mm diameter blackened tube.

The basic model is now finished so it's onto the figures and display,

Mike

Amazing work. U are truly a master Model maker I stand in Aw

Hi all,
The two mechanic figures ('Kellerkind') are finished.
One will be priming the engine cylinders whilst the other turns the propeller to position the cylinders.

That's it now until I post up the completed model display.

Thanks for all of your comments during this build - much appreciated,

Mike

Hi all,
Fokker D.II, serial number not known, attached to ‘Kampfeinsitzer Stafflen’ (Kesta) 4b sometime between April 1917 - October 1918 at Royal Bavarian AF, Freiburg.

As usual a fully detailed build log, in Adobe PDF format, can be viewed or downloaded from my site (linked in my signature block below).
Many thanks, as always, for your kind comments and encouragement throughout this build.

Mike

Just another excellent model Mike!

Really cool!

Absolutely outstanding Mike, the detail levels are simply mindblowing.

Sweet one, Mike.

Stunning!