Fokker Dr.1 Triplane

Roden 1/32 Fokker Dr.I Sometimes I lose my modeling Mojo. When I do, I usually build a Fokker Dr.I. The almost infinite schemes, subject matter, history, and relative ease of the build usually get me out of my slump. For a long time, this was the only go to of the Fokker Dr.I in this scale that was widely available. Add to that the numerous aftermarket decals and add-ons, and you have a basis for a rewarding build. The Roden Fokker Dr.I is a very popular aircraft kit in the WWI category. This is one of the most recognizable aircraft to come out of that war. Roden seems to have captured the lines in this 1/32 scale offering perfectly. There are six sprues of that Roden Beige Plastic. The plastic Roden uses is a little on the soft side, so use caution trimming or removing parts from the sprues because the tools will really dig in. The six sprues hold a total of 99 pieces. Only two pieces won't be used. This promises to be a nice build. The styrene Roden uses is kind of waxy and soft. In my experience, it cuts well, and it sands well, it holds glue and paint quite well. I think it is one of the better styrene formulas on the market. But an Exacto knife will really dig in, so use caution to not cut too deep. There is no flash at all. There are some ejector pin marks, but most won’t be seen. The mold parting lines are almost invisible, and can be removed easily with a number 11 blade. In the past, Roden kits have lost a lot of detail on small parts because of the mold alignment being off. In this kit, the molds are correctly aligned resulting in parts that are crisp and clean. This kit has been boxed by Roden as a F.I and a Dr.I. Encore models also released this kit as an F.I with a Resin pilot figure. The two unused parts in this kit are for the F.I. So, this kit can be built as either a F.I or a Dr.I as the differences are very minor. Check your references. This is a well-engineered kit. The engine parts very delicate so extra care is needed to cut these pieces of the sprue and when handling them. The engine went together well and resulted in a fine representation of the Oberursel URII Engine. Roden has provided Spandau machine guns with and without cooling jackets molded-on. If you have a Photo-etched set for this kit, it will provide the jackets to make the Spandau machine guns look more realistic. The detail inside the fuselage is great, but you need to careful with the numerous small fragile parts. The wings have subtle details that are fantastic. The ribs are well represented and not overdone. The rudder is provided as a separate part, as are the ailerons. This means they can be positioned as you choose. Great engineering on that Roden! Building this kit follows a logical sequence. So, if you follow the instructions you should not have any trouble. Assembly begins with the engine, engine mount and pilot’s seat. Building the interior and the wings are next. No trouble here but be careful with the many small parts. The next thing to work on is joining the fuselage around the interior. The wings and struts are next. Then the final parts go on. There are some very nice schemes to choose from and aftermarket decals will allow you to build so many colorful schemes. The kit decals went on nicely with some setting solution. But the most important thing is that this kit looks great when finished. I was very happy with the scheme I chose which required some special painting and decals from the spares box. It looks great on this kit. Roden did an exceptional job on engineering and molding this kit. This kit gets high marks all around for fit, molding, decals, subject matter, and instructions. It is a medium easy kit to build but caution needs to be used because of the small delicate parts. There is no rigging, and only a few control wires to add. Overall, I would rate this as a great kit and I will definitely recommend it to a friend.