Naked Model

The Fokker Eindecker Dressed and Undressed

The Dressed Fokker is the Revell kit, the 'Naked Model' is the Eduard etched brass 'Strip Down' kit.

The Revell model was rigged with stretched sprue painted aluminium, the model was made before I'd discovered elastic thread.

The strip down kit was a major undertaking, and the detail added to the wings was inspired by a visit to Duxford Air Museum. - There was an old biplane wing lying smashed in the corner of one of the hangers. Under the torn fabric was what looked like leather(?) bracing strips threaded under and over each individual rib. This rang a bell with me. When I returned home I dug out a 1970's Purnell 'History of the World Wars' booklet. Inside was a cut-away drawing of a Fokker Monoplane. I bought the eduard kit at the next air fair and spent two months bending thin brass and adding all the detail from elastic thread. The fuselage longerons were thickened with coats of 'Tipp-Ex' and painted aluminium. Wing ribs and prop were painted to represent wood.

The model is so accurate I can demonstrate how wing-warping worked - this model flexes! (Which is why the wings don't look straight - uneven tension on all that elastic rigging I suppose.)

It took so long to complete that I developed a permanent slouch, recurring headaches, backache and the temporary ability to focus on objects down to an inch away from my eyes. I swore I'd never do another of these, but now I notice that there's a cut-away drawing of a sopwith Camel in the same publication, and don't Eduard do one of those as well...?