1:32 (Clear decal paper) Fokker DVII (Albatros built) 4 colour “lozenge” tail with blue rib tapes

Aviattic 1:32, a lozenge tail for the Fokker D.VII (Albatros) with blue tapes

This Aviattic decal sheet covers the tail surfaces of the Fokker D.VII from the licensed Albatros production with a four-color lozenge pattern and fills it out with blue rib tapes. The color of the tapes is one of the details by which the machines of individual makers and production batches differed from one another, because alongside tapes cut from lozenge fabric, tapes of dyed fabric were also used, often in blue. The print on a clear backing carries a fine drawing of the cloth, and you tune the final tone with the base color.

The real subject

In the spring of 1918 the Fokker D.VII became the backbone of the German fighter units, and its reputation was such that the terms of the Armistice named it specifically among the material to be handed over. Demand far exceeded the capacity of the parent factory, so the machine was built under license at Albatros and OAW. Details of the workmanship, among them the color and the type of the rib tapes, differed between the makers, so when building a particular machine it is worth going by period photographs.

Application tips

Apply the blue tapes onto a perfectly dry base pattern and align them along the real position of the ribs; marking them out lightly with a soft pencil helps. Work with softener and, at the raised detail and the edges, let the decal pull into the texture of the surface. A final satin or matte clear coat evens out the sheen of the tapes and the main areas and underlines the fabric look.

Who the sheet is for

• builders of the Fokker D.VII in 1:32 who want a documented version with blue tapes
• modelers who want to try working with texture decals on the tail surfaces
• anyone interested in the differences between the licensed makers of German fighters

This is a decal accessory, not a kit: the model, the paints and the glue are not included in the package.