Warbird Information Exchange

This is the DML/Dragon 1/48 Fokker D.VIII.

My model club had a two-month build challenge; anyone who signed up for it had to build something within that time period or suffer the consequences... said consequences were that, if one failed to finish a model within the time limit, they would have to get up in front of the club with a finger & thumb 'L' held up to their forehead and utter the phrase, "I'm a modeling loser"... fun stuff!

'Plan A' was to build a Mirage 1/48 PZL.11. After a certain amount of time I did some math and came to the conclusion that 'Plan A' wasn't gonna come off... so I went to 'Plan B'.

'Plan B' was a Hasegawa 1/48 P-40E... I procrastinated just long enough on a few aspects of that project to quickly scratch it off as well...

That was about a week before the meeting and, seeing as I had no 'Plan C', I was forced to call an audible and pulled this little gem outta the stash...

My memory told me that this was a fairly simple kit and therefore I determined that it would be a quick build. Actually, despite the fact that I got this puppy to the point seen here within five days, it was not a 'quick' build... so my memory failed me. If done properly, this build should have taken me at least six days... hehe...

Seriously, it was a bit more involved than I'd anticipated but I wound up completing it just in the nick of time. To tell the truth, at 11PM the night before the meeting only the wing and fuselage sub-assemblies were put together. Nothing else was attached and there was paint on the fuselage only.So I more or less assembled and painted the entire kit between 11PM on a Sunday and 4PM the following Monday.

Speaking of painting, there are no decals on this model... it's all paint. And I'm usually a weathering fool, but haven't done a thing to this one... I don't think I shall, either. I kinda like it the way it is.

I think this model is a bit crooked here and there, but I stopped worrying about such thingslong ago. So long as it ain't too cockeyed it's good enough for me.

Anyhoo, there are a few odds and ends that must be added yet, including the few bits of rigging found on the D.VIII. But other than that, this is pretty much a finished model... my first 'completed' build in somewhere around four years...


(Click each image for a larger version)




















Fade to Black...

Nice one!

Now, here's the killer question. Why is it a D.VIII and not a E.VIII? It only has one wing, no?

_________________
Olivier Lacombe -- Harvard Mk.4 C-GBQB

Thats a great last minute build! Good looking aircraft, and a nice job on the paint.

My current "weekend" build is going on almost two months now, so I understand how these things happen

_________________
Share your story: Rutgers Oral History Archive http://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/

Wow, very nice!

_________________
Shop the Airplane Bunker At
www.warbirdbunker.com

it takes balls to do a ww 1 plane ....great job!!!!

_________________
tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Thanks fellas... glad ya'll like! This was a fun'n...


That's actually something that I've been half-heartedly trying to research...

The Fokker D.VIII was originally designated Fokker E.V, but after a redesign (or, more accurately, design reversion) of the wing due to multiple failures, it was redesignated Fokker D.VIII... this was in October of 1918 I believe. At some point around this same time, the 'E' and 'Dr.' designations were dropped and all fighter aircraft given the 'D' designation. (I dunno if this applied to all German fighters or only to Fokker designs... anyone know for sure?)

Anyhoo, I still haven't found an explanation of this whole designation change that satisfies me, but then I haven't really been looking too hard!


Fade to Black...