1:32nd scale Fokker D.VII (OAW)

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
While I'm waiting for the parts I need to make the display case, I'm starting on my next build.
Also it'll be a break from a complex rigged aircraft.

Fokker D.VII (OAW) 'Seven Swabians', Serial No: 4697/18 of Jasta 65, flown it seems by Alfred Bader.

 

The Seven Swabians (Die Sieben Schwaben) is a German fairy tale, collected by The Brothers Grimm in the second volume edition of their Kinder- und Hausmarchen (1857) under the number KHM119.
The term Swabians refers to people from the German region Swabia, though in Switzerland it refers to Germans in general.
One version of the tale is as follows:

Once upon a time there were Seven Swabians who travelled through the world.
To be safe from danger they carried one long spear with them.
One day in July they walk through a meadow just by nightfall and notice a hornet buzzing by.
Unaware what they just heard the men start to panic, thinking it was a war drum.
One of them tries to flee, jumps over a fence and then walks right on the teeth of a rake, whereupon the handle hits him in the face.
He quickly begs for mercy and tells the invisible attacker that he'll surrender, whereupon his six friends do the same.
Later, when they finally understand they were fooled they decide to keep this embarrassing anecdote a secret.
To prevent the story from getting out they swear to not say anything about it until one of them should accidentally open his mouth.
Later they encounter a hare sleeping in the sun.
They take the animal for a monster and decide to attack it.
After bracing themselves with all the courage they can get they strike out and the hare runs away, whereupon they realize they've once again been fooled.
The septet travels onward until they reach the river Moselle.
Unaware how to cross it they ask a man on the opposite side of the river for help. 
Due to the distance and their language the man doesn't understand what they were saying and he asked them in the dialect of Trier: "Wat, Wat?"
This causes the men to think that they have to wade through the water.
As the first Swabian gets into the river he starts to sink into the mud.
His hat is blown away to the opposite shore, next to a frog who croaks noises that sound like "wat, wat, wat".
The six surviving Swabians think it's their friend telling them to wade across; they rush in the water and all drown.

The aircraft has two distinct scenes painted on each side of the fuselage.
On the left (port) side of the fuselage shows the Swabians seeing the hare.
On the right (starboard) side of the fuselage shows the Swabians charging the escaping animal.
Behind the cockpit is the House of Wurttemberg Coat of Arms. 

Mike

[DocRob]

I always wanted to build this one, but have only two BMW powered D.VII. Maybe I will bite at Ghotaforce or live it through your build.

Cheers Rob

[sandbagger]

47 minutes ago, DocRob said:

I always wanted to build this one, but have only two BMW powered D.VII. Maybe I will bite at Ghotaforce or live it through your build.

Cheers Rob

Hi Doc,

As it's an OAW built Fokker D.VII, maybe leave the BMW kits as they are and look out for an OAW kit online.

Either that or get the different front panels from Aviattic and a Mercedes engine (I have enough spare parts to build one that I can send you) and convert a BMW kit,

 

Mike

[DocRob]

4 minutes ago, sandbagger said:

Hi Doc,

As it's an OAW built Fokker D.VII, maybe leave the BMW kits as they are and look out for an OAW kit online.

Either that or get the different front panels from Aviattic and a Mercedes engine (I have enough spare parts to build one that I can send you) and convert a BMW kit,

Thanks for the kind offer, Mike. I think, I have an appropriate Mercedes engine in my stash, good idea with the Aviattic panels though, I have to check them.

Cheers Rob

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
The cockpit assembly has been fitted into the fuselage.
The cockpit was built from the box apart from a few things I added.
Lead wire of 0.3 mm diameter was used to represent the trigger cables between the control column and machine guns.
It was also used for the outlet pipe from the fuel tank pressurizing hand pump.
Blackened Nickel-Silver tube of 0.3 and 0.5 mm diameter was used to represent the control rods from the throttle levers.
EZ black (fine) line was used to represent the control cable from the ignition advance lever.
Mono-filament of 0.08 mm diameter, blackened 0.4 mm diameter tube and Proper Plane resin 1:32nd scale turnbuckles (RD-005) were used for:
Rudder control cables.
Elevator control cables,
Twin aileron control cables.
Decals used were from the kit and from the specific decal set for this aircraft by Aviattic (ATt32173).

Now it's onto the engine,

Mike

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
The engine is now fitted.
The engine is fairly basic as the access panels will be fitted, covering it all apart from the top detail.
The only added details are the spark plugs and ignition leads,

Mike

[KevinM]

Always like your work Mike!

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
Next step is applying the Aviattic decal set for this aircraft.
The base coat is gloss white as the decals are translucent.
The base coat needs to be a light colour for the linen effect to show.
Also pre-shading (Tamiya Smoke X19) of the rib tapes and frames should show slightly,

Mike

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
I've added all of the necessary decals now.
The fuselage, wings and control surfaces are all from the specific Aviattic set (‘Aviattic’ clear backed Seven Swabians (ATT32173) and (ATT32070).

Unfortunately the pre-shading on the wings and tailplane were not dark enough, so are not really visible.

 

Now it's onto the weathering stage,

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
The W's are done.
Weathered, Weapons, Windscreen.
Also the exhaust and a modification to add a flare pistol to the centre, leading edge of the upper wing.
The pre-rigging is also added.

Next up is assembly,

Mike

[FullArmor]

Very colorful and fun illustrations. Also bright colors. Very different compared to WW2 planes.

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
Landing gear with bracing cables fitted.
Flight control cables mostly rigged.
Cabane and interplane struts fitted.
Proper Plane Niendorf propeller also ready for fitting.

Next is fitting the upper wing and aileron cables,

Mike

 

 

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
Just the last bits fitted now.
Upper wing fitted.
Aileron control cables from fuselage to upper wing.
Fuselage grab handles and pilots foot step.
Propeller fitted.

Just the figure and display base to go,

Mike