Review: 1/32 Aviattic decals review for a Wingnut Wings Fokker D-VII "Seven Swabians"
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The Fokker D-VII just happens to be my favorite German aircraft from the First World War. As a little 8 year old kid I can remember building the "ancient" (by today's standards) Aurora 1/48 scale model and the strange green colored plastic it was molded in. The Aurora kit had a pair of Fokker D-VII's on the box lid that were being shot down and burning as it's box top art.
Back then many companies relied heavily on box art to help sell the contents inside, and it's a practice that still works to this day.
Fast forward almost 50 years, and our hobby has changed considerably. It has been stated that we live in the "Golden Age" for building models. We have the internet, which allows us to not only do historical research on our next project, but to also find practically anything else too, (much to the chagrin of our dear wives), as we empty our wallets like a sailor on shore leave after MANY months at sea. š Ok just kidding around here a bit... not. Well maybe.
I was in the Army, so this is what I do. You decide.
We can find decals, photo etch, resin upgrades and if you're lucky, you can also find pictures of the model you intend to build.
Sadly we no longer have the Wingnut Wings company.
I do sincerely hope that someone will begin to re-pop these magnificent 1/32 scale kits, using their molds in the near future. There are some of the previous employees, (who were a big part of this organization), that are getting together now, so we just might get lucky. I was fortunate enough to obtain two of their 1/32 scale Fokkers. I have the "early" version, which is the recommended kit for this conversion set and decals,
and one of their last releases, which is an overall white Fokker that was flown by Herman Goering. This last Fokker is designated as a Fokker D-VII(F) with a different and more powerful Mercedes inline 6 cylinder engine, and it also has the twin machine guns located / installed in a different manner.
Every since I saw a completed model of a Jasta 65 Fokker that was wearing a scene from a storybook about the "Seven Swabians" I have wanted to build a model like it, using one of the Wingnut Wings kits I have on hand.
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- 1. Impressive artwork of the "Seven Swabians"
- 2. This is a close up of the details on the figures for the Starboard side of the fuselage
- 3. Also included is a nice set of gauge decals, with several set of spares in case you have an accident.
- 4. You also get 4 compasses
- 5. You get 4 fuel gauges
- 6. Very nice details indeed !
But there were two obstacles keeping this from happening:
First off, this particular Fokker D-VII I wanted to build was a little bit different from what I had in the Wingnut Wings box. It turns out this particular "Seven Swabians" Fokker was built by OAW, and not a machine that was built by Fokker. OAW was the initials for the "Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke", who built the Fokker D-VII under license. The Albatros Flugzeugwerke also manufactured Fokker D-VII's under license in Johannisthal, Berlin.
Since the plane I wanted to build was an OAW machine, it had some differences in the appearance, when compared to a typical "Fokker built" Fokker. These differences were mainly in regards to the style and number of louvered openings on the engine side access panels.
Here is where fate stepped in... My good friend Paul Barber, @yellow10
who had a spare set of the correct style side louvers for an OAW style Fokker. Paul was kind enough to send this set to me from Australia to where I live in the USA. Thanks again Paul !
These side access panels were made by Aviattic. These were designed using CAD technology, then 3D printed. I can tell you just how nice these actually look in person. The pictures I posted here do not serve any justice to the quality of the part. Trust me, they look even better in person ! Much better in fact.
Do yourself a huge favor and check out their website. I'm seriously considering grabbing one of the all new 1/32 scale Pfalz D-VIII kits that is currently under way, and scheduled for release soon. She looks like a real Beauty too ! I might just end up being like a sailor too. Read above paragraph again on shore leave. Thanks.
Here are some pictures of these Aviattic parts. They come in a small sturdy plastic box. They are nicely printed and first rate !
They also have a card with them, upon which the installation instructions are included. They recommend that you use the "Early" built Fokker to do this conversion.
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- 1. Check out the website. There's a lot of great stuff for aircraft of the "Great War".
They also have a picture of an OAW built Fokker D-VII on the other side of the card. This is helpful, since it shows how the side engine panels were installed. It also shows how the factory painted "lozenge" patterns on the metal panels.
These replacement parts are bagged in small plastic bags, which is a nice touch.
They are 3D printed, and as such, they have some attachment points that should be fairly easy to remove. It looks almost like some sort of bridgework to me.
Once these bags are opened up, one finds a nice set of parts that look like they will be a drop in replacement fit affair.
Included are two different styles of the small triangular shaped side panels. The earliest version has a single louver opening, while the later version has three louvered openings. The Fokker D-VII suffered some in flight fires which resulted in the loss of several aircraft shortly after they started reaching front line Jasta's. It was traced back to the ammunition would self ignite because of the heat generated by the inline six cylinder engine.
Once it was understood what was causing these fires, many Jasta's would simply remove a panel or two and operate the aircraft in this manner. Fokker designed the newer replacement side panels to have more louvers in them, which in turn allowed more heat out of the engine bay.
Both Albatros and OAW built Fokker D-VII's used a different styled of louvered opening, and their panels also had a different number of louvered openings on their engine side panels as well. It's a bit confusing huh ? Yes sir, clear as mud.
Because of these differences, Aviattic supplies both style of triangular shaped panels. One should consult photos of the actual aircraft you intend to build, as they were different. Here are the two different types provided. One has a single louver while the other has three openings.
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- 1. Three openings
- 2. Single larger louver
So now I had half of the puzzle. What to do next ?
I have purchased a LOT of stuff from a gentleman who runs an online hobby store named Dauntless Hobbies. He also sells items on EBay. His name is Scott Zuieback, and his EBay store is listed as "Rebelalpha". As luck would have it, I stumbled across this set of decals for the Seven Swabians one day while browsing through some of his EBay listings.
As luck would have it, these decals were also made by the same company that printed the 3D panels I just described above. After a few questions were answered (and quickly answered I should add), I made the purchase of the set you see here. Scott has always had excellent service, and a selection of hobby related aftermarket items, and plastic model kits that is very impressive. Since he has a shop in the USA, I ordered it from him.
But you could also order these directly from the manufacturer. I have done a lot of business with Scott, and he was combining shipping so it was more economical for me to purchase the decals this way.
Otherwise I would have ordered directly from Aviattic UK.
Within a few days, this set of magnificent decals arrived in our mail box. The set is delivered in a large clear plastic reseal able bag. There is also a very nice color printed cover sheet that is used to protect the decals, and also give you the proper methods of applying the decals. Do yourself a favor and read the instructions... twice. And three times more if you are like me.
Once the decals were removed from the plastic bag, they went under my magnifying lamp so that I could see the details. They include a complete set of 4 color lozenge decals for the upper and lower wings. It also has the Albatros / OAW style stitching and "pinking" or rib tapes.
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- 1. Samples
- 2. Samples
- 3. Samples of color
- 4. Aileron coverings
- 5. Samples
- 6. Samples
- 7. Upper Lozenge Color samples
- 8. Lower lozenge color samples
- 9. Samples
The color is spectacular ! They also include some small touch up squares in case you need them. The lozenge decals also have a very faint fabric texture printed into the lozenges. This is visible if you look at them closely.
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- 1. Close up of fabric details
- 2. Lower lozenge touch up bits
- 3. Lower Lozenge details
The outer lower wing panels, ailerons and other control surfaces also have their own patterns, also done in four color lozenge pattern.
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- 1. Close up of aileron decals
- 2. Lower wing lozenge
- 3. Hands
- 4. More hands
- 5. top color outer wing lozenge
- 6. Lower wing outer lozenge patterns
This next picture shows the amazing art work that was painted on the side of this Fokker. A full decal is there that depicts a scene from the story.
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- 1. Magnificent details abound !
- 2. Interior lozenge fabric for the cockpit
- 3. Wheel covers
- 4. More wheel covers
- 5. Beautiful fuselage decals depicting the "Seven Swabians"
- 6. Seven Swabians for the Starboard side
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- 1. There are some serious attentions to detail here.
- 2. Several types of tachometer gauges are included, plus you get spares for the fuel and compass
- 3. Fuel gauges are impressive
- 4. Color patches in case you have an accident applying them.
The tail surfaces were painted in a deep shade of dark red, almost a wine color. If you look closely, you can see how Aviattic has some of the lozenge pattern visible, as if the paint was applied a little too thin in some locations.
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- 1. Rudder decal
- 2. Rudder decal
- 3. wraparound stationary fin decal
- 4. Bullet hole patches
- 5. Horizontal fabric. Notice how the lozenge pattern is slightly visible
- 6. Elevator fabric. Notice how the lozenge is still visible faintly. A perfect touch
- 7. Elevator fabric
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- 1. Look at the fine details. Sorry some of my images are blurry.
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- 1. Here you can see the grain in the fabric. Another quality touch and first rate.
Another nice touch is how the interior of the fuselage was rendered. The pilot's seat was usually covered in lozenge material. This was included in this set. They also have incorporated some decals to be used on the inside of the fuselage. This is how the lozenge materials would have looked from the pilot's point of view. The lozenge material was printed on a large roll of fabric, and then installed / sewn, doped onto the real Fokker (and other German aircraft). This is a nice touch.
The wheel covers and some instruments are also supplied as a decal.
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- 1. Interior cockpit side wall fabric
- 2. Seat fabric. Two sides are included, one for the back and one for the front. Excellent !
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- 1. Here's another close up for the internal fabric details included for the cockpit. This gives the illusion of lozenges on the inside too. This is exactly how the real plane would have looked, since lozenge fabric was printed on a roll.
- 2. Close up of the seat decals
- 3. Close up of the forward fuselage decals. This is for the inside of the fuselage, just behind the engine where the fabric covering starts
- 4. Outer wheel decal.
- 5. Inner wheel decal
- 6. Markings for the struts. These are "Werke Numbers".
Here is a close up picture showing how detailed the fuselage story art is. It also includes a set of antlers, which were painted on the rear upper fuselage deck on the real plane.
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- 1. Sample
- 2. Sample
- 3. Sample
- 4. Sample
- 5. Sample
- 6. Sample
- 7. Sample
I have provided a close up showing the lozenge pattern, and if you look close enough, you can see the fabric details embedded within. You can also see more "touch up" material in case you need it.
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- 1. Sample
- 2. Sample
- 3. Sample
- 4. Sample
This is the instructional information. These are not installed like your typical decal is. They have spelled out exactly how to use them, in a very precise manner. I like how they used a lozenge fabric background here on the instructions.
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- 1. These are the detailed instructions on how to apply the decals. They are not the same as a typical water slide. Please read the instructions before you begin.
This is what you get for your money. Several large decal sheets, and they look VERY good.
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- 1. Overall contents of the decals
- 2. You get three pages !
- 3. This decals sheet is HUGE !
I will likely be starting this "Seven Swabians" Fokker D-VII build soon as part of our ever growing Luftwaffe group build.
I would like to thank my friend Paul Barber, @yellow10
for sending the 3D parts that were needed, and Scott Zuieback (aka Rebelalpha on EBay) for the exceptional service and rapid responses to my questions.
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- 1. Check out the website. There's a lot of great stuff for aircraft of the "Great War".
You can also purchase these detail sets and decals directly from the manufacturer, and they are based in England,
This will likely be best if you live overseas.
Richard Andrews is a really good fellow.
As always,
Comments are encouraged.
@lgardner
My first and only foray into WnW kits was the OAW Fokker, and I went for one of their extra decals sheet specific for the OAW made machines. The Seven Swabians option was there so I built it, itās really the most attractive artwork of all D.VII to me.
I also bought a lozenge decal sheet from Aviattic- go figure. Not as friendly as your seem to be Louis, since your sheet has all details are ready to fit the contours of the wings and ailerons. Mine was āold schoolā measure & cut.
Well letās say the project never got past the lower wing since I shelved it before attaching the top wing. Some months ago, during a house renovations work, the kit got pretty damaged and parts went orbital because I never saw them again.
Long story short - I didnāt need the 3D parts to (almost) build it but if I had those splendid decals then perhaps it would have been built 100%.
Now you sir have the all it takes to reproduce a fabulous 1/32 replica of the Seven Swabians machineā¦those decals sure are exceptional my friend, so looking forward for some WIP in the near future
P.S. - fingers crossed about the resurfacing of these kits under a new owner!
Pedro, @holzhamer
I am sorry to hear that about what happened to your kit. I can see how the "cut and fit" procedure could be troublesome, especially when you have to carefully measure each individual decal piece. That doesn't sound like much fun. Thankfully this set is pre printed in a manner which should be much easier to deal with in that aspect.
Like you, I also hope to see these Wingnut Wings models revived again. They always seemed to make some of the best, (and most detailed kits) from which we could build models from. Their research was top notch, and it should have been, considering they actually constructed true to life flying replica examples of these aircraft in their most original forms. I have several other "Great War" German subjects that were made by WNW. The Albatros D-V and Pfaltz D-III, with three of each example yet to be constructed.
On another note, How is the Fokker Dr-1 coming along ? The last I saw of it, it was remarkable and very impressive. (Which is your usual method for building).
It's good to hear from you. Take care.
@lgardner
Mengās DR.I is safe and sound thankfullyā¦ need to get it back on the workbench donāt you agree?
Cheers!
Pedro, @holzhamer
I'm happy to hear it is safe and sound. Yes my friend, I couldn't agree more ! You have done some incredible work with it, and it will only get better from here, so it should return to the bench soon. You never know where this could end up, like our mutual Dornier 17's, the Eduard Mustangs, and we could even have a pair of Dr-1's. š
What a great review, my friend Louis! Those are spectacular parts sent by our friend Paul Barber @yellow10. The decals look excellent as well. This is going to be yet another superb project, eagerly awaited.
Great writeup, joyfully read!
Spiros, @fiveten
Thank you for the compliments, and I am happy to hear that you enjoyed reading this article as well. It was a very kind gesture for Paul to send me the 3D resin parts. This was the "spark" I needed that led to the eventual discovery of the Seven Swabians decal set. I love it when a plan comes together, as it has this time. I too am very impressed with the quality of the 3D parts, and appearance of this set of decals. This is one of the nicest, and most complete decal sets I have seen in a very long time.
I hope that I don't disappoint you when I start this build. I will do my best to keep the build journal well detailed, so that it might possibly help others later on in the future. I always look forward to reading your build journals, and especially here lately you have been a very busy man ! Your work is always top notch, and I learn something new when I read the articles you post with your completed builds.
I have noticed you are frequently in the headlines over at your beloved MM website. This is a good thing !
As always, it's great to hear from you. Please tell QC1 and QC2 that we are asking about them. Take care my friend. š
Thanks for sharing, Louis @lgardner
Really looking forward to those parts being used.
John, @johnb
Thanks for the kind words, and if things go as hoped for, you might not have to wait too long before I start this project. Take care.
Great review, Louis! You've put a lot of work into this and it is excellent! And a great plug for the brilliant Aviattic company - their website is well worth a visit if you have WNW (among others) in your stash and want to go the extra yard! Can't wait to see this one get done!
Paul, @yellow10
Thank you VERY much for sending me these 3D parts. This solved the first part of the puzzle for me, and it led to my eventual discovery of the "Seven Swabians" decals. Without your help, I don't know if this project would have came to reality.
In my stash I do have more of these wonderful WNW kits, so I will follow your advice, and see what else Aviattic has to offer. I am just as excited about this as you are. I do have to finish up a few projects that are nearly completed. Once they are done, I will definitely be going to work on this one. Thanks again. š
Thanks Louis! The increasing importance of resin 3D parts into our hobby keeps amazing me. I have an FDM printer but the resolution is limited. At times I wonder whether I should replace it with an SLA for it's increadible what detail you can reach. However what stops me is the stickyness of resin and the fact that I need printing only occasionally.
Michel, @michel-verschuere
Thank you for stopping by. I also dabble in building / flying 1/6 scale electric powered RC aircraft models. I scratch build them from the ground up, drawing my own plans and cutting my own parts. I especially like to build flying models from the "Great War" and the Golden Age of Aviation. I don't know exactly what it is that draws me to this era, but it does, like a moth to a flame.
There are times when I could use a 3D printer to make parts for my various 1/35, 1/32, 1/48 scale plastic models, (and the 1/6 scale Flying RC planes), just like you did for the magnificent Flak Tower you built from scratch. I can also see how having one would be beneficial if a person wanted to make additional upgraded parts, for use in multiple builds of the same type, (AKA Iron Werke style) model building.
Sometime in the future, I would like to make a purchase, but I don't know a lot about what to look for in a printer. If you don't mind, I would like to get your thoughts on this, so I'll send you a PM when the time gets closer.
It's good to hear from you. Thanks for stopping by. š
Looking forward to seeing the WIP on this Fokker, Louis.
George, @chinesegeorge
Thank You ! I will be sure to send you a PM when I start this one !
Hey Louis! @lgardner
This doesn't have much to do with anything besides white D VIIs. Back in the dark ages, I too fell "in love" with the Fokker D-VII. I made an Airfix "bag" kit D VII and decorated it in the same white scheme. I didn't realize it was Goering's aircraft until much later! I've never seen a VII actually fly, but back in the mid 1970s, I was able to visit Old Rheinbeck Aerodome and see Cole Palen (sadly now departed) fly his Dr.1 against a Sopwith Camel.
I truly mourn the passing of Wingnut Wings!
Jeff, @mikegolf
By all means please believe me brother, I completely understand your thoughts about the D-VII. We are on the same page here. Everything you mentioned struck a nerve with me too. I can remember building a few of the Airfix bag kits when I was a kid. This Aurora Fokker was suspended from the ceiling in my bedroom for many years. Only later as a teenager I made an attempt at repainting it. The areas where the kit supplied decals went had raised panel lines, so it was really easy to simply paint the markings back on. In our high school library, I found a picture of the Fokker on display at the NASM. I believe it was Willie Gabriel's plane going from memory. I also found a pattern drawing showing the lozenge pattern for the fabric that was used on the various German aircraft. Going from memory here again, this pattern was possibly drawn by William Wylam ?
Anyhow, I made a paper tracing of the lozenge pattern and duplicated it 5 times... cut out each individual lozenge color with the same colors on the same sheet of paper. Carefully I broke the plane apart, using the patterns I took a pencil and carefully drew out the lozenge patterns onto the plastic. Then the "real fun" part came next, which involved hand painting each individual lozenge on the wings. About halfway through this misadventure I began to wonder why I did it in the first place. Being stubborn, I persisted through and eventually had painted the model to where it "kind of" looked similar to the Fokker in the photograph... I have never seen a Fokker fly either, but I did hear Kermit Week's Fokker D-VIII start up and run, and boy was it LOUD ! It reminded me of a chainsaw running at wide open throttle... I'll bet your visit to Old Rheinbeck was something else. From everything I have read about it, you are a lucky man to have experienced that. It's always good to hear from you. Take care my fellow CDAT, "aka" my brother from another mother.
PS: I also mourn the end of Wingnut Wings. Hopefully one day soon we will get to see their stuff available again on the market like it once was. They were the Cadillac of WW1 plastic kits.