This all started with a venerable 1/72 Airfix Fokker Dr. 1 a good friend sent me recently (thanks a million, hamsterman!).
Isn't that box art great? The kit, not so much. It's a creature of its time (the 1950's is my guess) and is terribly simple by modern standards. The front office is a great example. It's entirely empty except for an unlucky and anemic pilot figure whose duty is to fill the breech.
This was going to need an upgrade of sorts.
Figuring not much would be seen, I kept it simple and added a cut-down seat and a rudimentary instrument panel.
The kit's rudder seemed comically tiny to me and since Austrian license-built Albatrosses had small modifications, I thought H.A.W. might improve this area as well.
I had to add new cabanes to replace the parts that hadn't survived the ensuing decades intact.
I left off the interplane struts as a nod to the original Fokker Triplane prototype. I like the idea that they were only added to mollify pilots who didn't understand that they weren't needed due to cantilever construction but found their omission frightening.
The terrible two-in-one Airfix engine & cowling were replaced with better parts from an Eduard Nieuport. The prop was swiped from a DH Chipmunk.
Painting was done with the old hairy stick and acrylics. Polly Scale PA RR Maroon and a custom OD on the wings & horiz stabs and Polly Scale Warpac "Gray" on the fuselage.
The underside was painted Polly Scale Light Blue and the rudder stripes were done free-hand with Model Masters Flat Black and Insignia Yellow. Decals were from spares, the Habsburg Empire checkerboards were from a P-47 and the fuselage codes were from a Junkers J.1 I think. Before I forget, here's a "money shot" (U.S. penny for scale).
I'd like to thank Bill for his kindness in sending the kit, Seņor Ysi for bravely moderating this GB and those of you playing along or just stopping by for a look.
Brian da Basher
