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Mike Grant
22 articles

Skeletal Fokker

August 19, 2014 · in Aviation · · 29 · 8.1K

I've always had a phobia about photo-etched parts. Paint won't stick to them, they fly off into oblivion when picked up with tweezers, they bend where they shouldn't and you can't sand them to shape; it's a pretty unforgiving medium. I hoped this build of 's 'strip-down' triplane would help me get over my fears.

The Eduard kit is superbly engineered, though perhaps a little overly complicated. They even supply resin formers to help bend the leading edge strips and the spoked wheels to the correct shapes. Despite this I managed to twist the leading edges, a problem compounded when I tried to manually bend them back to shape.

To be honest the model fought me all the way, most of the issues being self induced. For instance I didn't study the assembly diagram closely enough and folded the entire fuselage back-to-front, then superglued it together. It took some very careful de-bonding and re-bending to correct this when I realized my error. I also knocked the almost-completed model flying across my workbench – twice – causing irreparable damage to the wings.

The cowling, prop, wing spars, wheels and a few other parts are styrene (in fact Eduard supply a complete 1/72 injection-moulded triplane although most of the parts go unused). I painted the model to loosely replicate the original materials.

It was a challenge, and the end result is tiny, but largely due to Eduard's superb engineering it came out OK. Apparently they've released a 'strip-down' DH-2 as well. I'll be giving that one a miss 😉

Reader reactions:
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3 additional images. Click to enlarge.


29 responses

  1. Looks like you won your war with PE Mike. A person wouldn't realize how tiny this is without the paint bottle reference.
    Did I see this in a magazine?

  2. The following attributes are to be commended:

    Your diligence
    Your patience
    Your modeling talent(s)
    Your photography

    and lastly...whatever medication you were (or are) taking to even consider a build such as this. Congratulations on a stellar piece of work, sir.

  3. One question Mike, Did you get over your trepidation?

    • Not fully, Paul; I'll still choose styrene (or resin) over PE any day, although I realize there are times when nothing can match PE for fidelity of detail. I can say I'm not quite as terrified as I was 😉

  4. WOW! just plain WOW! I wouldn't be game to tackle this in 1/32 let alone 1/72. I presume you are on first name terms with your optometrist? Just fantastic work Mike.

  5. that's amazing...love those bending pliers too

  6. Fantastic, like it very much

  7. Incredible, Mike, I can't believe it's so tiny.

  8. That is a damn good job there Mike, I read the write up in AMW and all I can say is Wow .
    A very well done mate.

  9. Pretty cool, Mike. I just went back through a load of bookmarked sites in search of a Camel in 1/16 I've told myself I'll explore at some future date. No doubt now you've whetted your appetite for bone planes you'll want to dive into this:

    http://www.modelexpo-online.com/product.asp?ITEMNO=MA1030

    • Thanks Rob. Your post led me to some reviews of the Hasegawa 1/16 Camel, which looks pretty cool. It's styrene, not photo-etch, and at a size I might be able to see without eyewear.

  10. sounds like a nightmare but looks like a dream - great work!

  11. I've a couple of those strip downs in my 'shelf of doom', congrats on having the courage and tenacity to tackle one!

  12. Your fortitude, gumption and skill are almost unbelievable. Wow, what a project. I'll keep the seat belt on my rocker buckled. I would be off said rocker to even think of trying this - thanks for sharing and congratulations on the result!

  13. For me, this is the highest form of masochism, but also the highest form of modelling. You definitely deserve big applaus for this mastery. The best model I found here in last month...

  14. What a delightful little build and a fantastic achievment in 1:72...Love it! Your award is truly deserved!

  15. Mike,
    I am in awe of this model. In my dreams I may attempt to do this but would quickly regain my scenses

  16. Wow, what more can I say. Wonderful.

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