DONE @p.2 +++ 1:72 Fokker D.VII, USAAS around 1920

[Dizzyfugu]

Not started yet, and I am actually still waiting for the kit to arrive (ESCI), but the 5th entry for this GB is supposed to become a captured German Fokker D.VII, brought to the USA after WWI for trails and dissimilar training. AFAIK, wide more than 100(!!!) Fokker D.VIIs were "exported" this way, so there's much room for a whiffy variant among them, based on a rather garish paint scheme I have found for an USAAC-operated Albatros D.III.

In the meantime, two other, non-GB project await completion... 

[Dizzyfugu]

The tiny ESCI kit arrived today, work might start soon. 

[frank2056]

I built the old (dinosaurs were still alive...) Revell 1/72 kit and it wasn't great. Hopefully the ESCI kit is better.

[Dizzyfugu]

No, not much, it seems. While it comes with a nice wing and fuselage structure, there are (visible) ejection markings and sinkholes galore, the kit lacks a tail spur and minor details like the step for entry or the handles at tha tail. Worst thing about the vintage specimen I received is that the stabilzer is completely missing - it probably broke off of the sprue and slipped through the box lid some time ago, so that I have to improvise... 

Some impressions:


1:72 Fokker D.VII (late production w. BMW IIIa engine); aircraft "6147 (BuNo. P533)", United States Army Air Service (USAAS); US Army Command and Staff School, Chanute Field (IL, USA), ca. 1920 (What-if/ESCI kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Fokker D.VII (late production w. BMW IIIa engine); aircraft "6147 (BuNo. P533)", United States Army Air Service (USAAS); US Army Command and Staff School, Chanute Field (IL, USA), ca. 1920 (What-if/ESCI kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The artificial limb:


1:72 Fokker D.VII (late production w. BMW IIIa engine); aircraft "6147 (BuNo. P533)", United States Army Air Service (USAAS); US Army Command and Staff School, Chanute Field (IL, USA), ca. 1920 (What-if/ESCI kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Fokker D.VII (late production w. BMW IIIa engine); aircraft "6147 (BuNo. P533)", United States Army Air Service (USAAS); US Army Command and Staff School, Chanute Field (IL, USA), ca. 1920 (What-if/ESCI kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


After the implantation, things did not look too bad:


1:72 Fokker D.VII (late production w. BMW IIIa engine); aircraft "6147 (BuNo. P533)", United States Army Air Service (USAAS); US Army Command and Staff School, Chanute Field (IL, USA), ca. 1920 (What-if/ESCI kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Fokker D.VII (late production w. BMW IIIa engine); aircraft "6147 (BuNo. P533)", United States Army Air Service (USAAS); US Army Command and Staff School, Chanute Field (IL, USA), ca. 1920 (What-if/ESCI kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[Dizzyfugu]

Progress is good and fast - building and painting go hand in hand, since I decided to paint the lower wings and the fuselage in front of the cockpit before I installed the upper wing. The paint scheme looks ...weird! It is based upon a real captured German aircraft, but the deliberate use of pink(!), esp. underneath, together with a bright baby blue, creates a rather distinctive look. The pink is also part of the upper camouflage (together with an olive drab tone and a rather yellow-ish beige/sand), very stylish - if not garish! 


1:72 Fokker D.VII (late production w. BMW IIIa engine); aircraft "6147 (BuNo. P533)", United States Army Air Service (USAAS); US Army Command and Staff School, Chanute Field (IL, USA), ca. 1920 (What-if/ESCI kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Fokker D.VII (late production w. BMW IIIa engine); aircraft "6147 (BuNo. P533)", United States Army Air Service (USAAS); US Army Command and Staff School, Chanute Field (IL, USA), ca. 1920 (What-if/ESCI kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Fokker D.VII (late production w. BMW IIIa engine); aircraft "6147 (BuNo. P533)", United States Army Air Service (USAAS); US Army Command and Staff School, Chanute Field (IL, USA), ca. 1920 (What-if/ESCI kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[jcf]

342 captured aircraft were sent to the US in 1918/19, of these 142 were D.VII and several were used
for testing, including engine swaps.

The Fokker D.VII in the USA
http://www.aerofile.info/wordpress/?page_id=650


One of the USAAS* D.VII, 9th Aero Squadron.
*United States Army Air Service, it didn't become USAAC until July 2, 1926.


Another one at McCook Field for tests, equipped with Liberty L-6A.


Liberty L-6A engine.

Fokker D.VII with Hall-Scott engines
http://www.aerofile.info/wordpress/?page_id=1328

One was also used to test the Hall-Scott L-6, which like the Liberty L-6A/B was built using Liberty 12 components.
Note the two-seat conversion.

[jcf]

The "Showbird" SPAD XIIIs of the 94th Aero Sqn USA.
http://www.cbrnp.com/profiles/quarter1/showbirds.htm

They might give you some inspiration.

[Dizzyfugu]

Inspiration is already there - this will be a quite colorful aircraft! 

[Dizzyfugu]

Painting, decals and varnish finished, just some rigging and this one will be done:


1:72 Fokker D.VII (late production w. BMW IIIa engine); aircraft "6147 (BuNo. P533)", United States Army Air Service (USAAS); US Army Command and Staff School, Chanute Field (IL, USA), ca. 1920 (What-if/ESCI kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[Dizzyfugu]

Updated missing WiP pics in the former posts. 

[NARSES2]

 

[PR19_Kit]

What a weird scheme, I've never seen anything like that before. But it seems to hang together with the 'Captured' theme. 

That tailplane looks a good piece of work, did you file the 'fabric grooves' into a slab of 40 thou?

[Dizzyfugu]

I tried to add some shallow grooves with a mini drill and a spherical head - just plain blank the donor tail did not look good, and with some paint on top this solution looks pretty good.

The paint scheme is an adaptation of an illustration from a contemporary captured Oeffag D.III Albatros. One can argue how trustworthy such a depiction is, but gawdy colors were not uncommon in the USA at that time.

Just did a photo session with the Fokker, but the camera had a hickup and all pictures were eaten by the Mighty Star Goat (*sigh*). 

[jcf]

What a weird scheme, I've never seen anything like that before. But it seems to hang together with the 'Captured' theme. 

It looks very cool. 

The paint job is kind of in line with the various experimental schemes of the period, like the ones
tried out on the Packard-Le Pere Lusac 11.







The restored Lusac 11 at the Air Force Museum:

[NARSES2]

The paint job is kind of in line with the various experimental schemes of the period, like the ones
tried out on the Packard-Le Pere Lusac 11.

Very much so, there were some fantastic schemes trialled by US forces throughout the 20's and 30's.