1/32 Scale Fokker E.V, (Mikro Mir)

 

Mikro Mir Fokker E.V

A Jasta 26 machine.

The Fokker E.V, aka D.VIII, was a revolutionary product of the fertile imagination of Reinhold Platz, Anthony Fokker's chief designer. It was really a brilliant design, but it's service was marred by inferior production work and ultimately contributed little to the German's war effort. Still, it was a striking example of Platz's ideas of simplicity in design and an attractive aircraft. 

The kit is the Mikro Mir 1/32 scale Fokker E.V/D.VIII, (the D.VIII designation was assigned to it when it was returned to service after the initial wing failure debacle). This kit is actually a re-release of the older Avis molding. Atlantis, an American model company sold the Mikro Mir kit for a brief time at a pretty attractive price. Actually, if you can find an Avis issue of this kit, I'd recommend it over the Mikro Mir one because of the better decal options.

The MM kit with an Atlantis sticker slapped on, and my main reference.

I began construction by trying something new to me; forming the cooling jackets of the Spandau machine guns using the photo-etched pieces found in the kit. I've never tried this before but I figured I'd have to get used to this process because I have a lot of Spandau equipped models to build!

It's not too bad of a process. You have to anneal the metal, which is simply exposing it to heat to de-temper it. It is now malleable enough to roll into little cylindrical forms which I then fixed with a dab of solder.

The finished Spandaus.

I was satisfied with the result, although they weren't perfect, the final result really stands out.

Another first for me in this build is the use of Aviattic lozenge decals. There is a sheet specifically for the E.V which I purchased. This sheet included pieces for the interior, including simulated wood grain and a reversed effect of the back of the printed lozenge. Very nice effects indeed. One thing about these decals tough, they are really translucent and any mistakes in painting underneath them will show! Careful preparation of the surface over which they will be applied is a must!

Working on the interior. Decals used for the cockpit sides and wood grain. The framing looks pretty sloppy here but I was able to clean it up in the end!

Since I was unfamiliar with the whole lozenge process, I decided to do a trial on the landing gear wing. I was going to do a Jasta 6 machine with a striped tail, so I used the lozenge decals supplied for the tail for the "wing". They just barely fit! But it did give me confidence in tackling the fuselage. One key step is to apply a coat of gloss white paint to the surface that the lozenge will be applied to. This gives the decals a good surface to stick to and really makes the colors pop!

I decided to do a trial with the exterior lozenge on the landing gear "wing".

The Jasta 6 colors included a starburst effect of the cowling. If you are lucky enough to have the Avis boxing of this kit, a decal is provided for this. Also, Pheon decals produced a nice set of decals for the E.V, now unfortunately long out of production. 

So, I had to come up with a way to make own starburst. I eventually cut a stencil out of Friskett sheet.

It took me a few attempts to create something I was happy with. While not perfect, it came out okay.

The finished cowl. 

The next step was painting a stripe on the fuselage, the personal marking of this particular aircraft. 

Now it was time to begin the decals onto the fuselage! First, I shot forward fuselage with an olive drab, then the rest got a coat of gloss white. The first decal applied was 

Lozenge applied!

Next came the fuselage top. This was split at the stripe. 

Lastly, the fuselage sides. Lozenge jobs are relatively easy on a slab-sided fuselage such as the Fokker. 

Fuselage done, the cowling dry fitted, wheel covers painted.

The propeller on this, and almost any Fokker type, is completely uncovered with no spinner as was found on the Albatros. I needed to simulate the laminated finish by using thin masking tape when painting. The effect worked out pretty well.

Details coming together, the prop finished.

Fuselage completed!

With many details finished, it was time to address the wing!

One problem with 1/32 scale WWI types I have found is that the struts are usually molded to close to scale thickness, this makes them incredibly weak! The solution is to replace the flimsy plastic struts with something a little more substantial. A little online research led me to this procedure. I took a length of 1/16" brass tubing, inserted .016" brass wire into it and then squashed the tubing flat. This creates a nice, strong strut that is reasonably scale-like in appearance. 

New brass struts.

Next came painting the wing. It was long assumed that the E.V's came with a finish of solid green, but research revealed that they were probably finished in a multi colored scheme stained on the plywood. i attempted to recreate this effect by first applying the basic colors with regular model paints, then adding a wash of artist's oil paints over them to give a brushed effect. 

The finish of the top of the wing.

With the wing completed, the next step was one of the more difficult of the whole build, installing the wing! My new struts did not fit perfectly so it took a little struggle to get things lined up. When dried, I found a slight misalignment, but it really isn't too apparent so I'll let it be.

So here is the completed model. It has been a pretty fun project with several firsts for me. The Mikro Mir kit is a nice one and is somewhat reminiscent of Roden kits in assembly and detail. The E.V is a very attractive aircraft in my opinion and a nice addition to my shelf!