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Fokker DR1 Triplane model aircraft
The new 1/72nd scale Revell moulding of the Fokker triplane, as made famous by the Red Baron.
This kit is the new Revell mould of the Fokker DR1 triplane. This example of the model aircraft kit is crisply moulded in bright red plastic, no sink marks are evident and I cannot find any awkwardly placed ejector pin marks.
There is not a great deal of panel lining required when creating a model of a WW1 fighter aircraft, but all the lines that are depicted on the model are recessed as you would expect from a new high quality Revell mould.
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All three wings are moulded in single pieces, the trailing edges are fine edged, while the ribbing effect is well implimented, if maybe a little exagerated. As the wing section on the Fokker Triplane is undercambered the ribs should be slightly undercut on the underside of the wing. Revell has thankfully done this correctly on their model, unlike nearly all older WW1 kits. Anyone who has built a flying model aircraft with an undercambered wing section will know (only too well) how the covering tries to pull away from the ribs when shrunk.
This saves the model builder a great deal of extra work.
The small fuselage parts dry fit together quite accurately, maybe a skim of filler will be used on the bottom surface around where the lower wing locates. The inside surfaces of the fuselage have some good detail for the cockpit area. It will be a job to see much of this detail through the small cockpit opening, but it's good to see the manufacturer putting in the effort.
The cowl is a separate moulding to the main fuselage halves.
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Some of the parts for the triplane taken off the sprue.
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The cockpit is further enhanced with a wood grained floor moulding, to which a joystick is mounted. The pilot's seat glues to a rear cockpit bulkhead, and a small instrument 'panel' is sandwiched between the halves (more of an instrument bar really). All these parts are very small and fiddly, but do add to making a quality model aircraft (provided they don't get pinged across the room whilst they are cut from the sprue).
The twin mgs, undercarriage and the engine are all cleanly moulded and nicely detailed, there's quite a high degree of detail for such a tiny model.
Details for two planes are included, these being Manfred Von Richtofen's red aircraft, and his brother Lothar's multi coloured example. The small decal sheet looks to be well printed with accurate register on my example.
In general this looks like a very fine kit indeed, a build article will be up shortly.
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