1:32 Fokker Dr I (2)

The crosses that changed during 1918

The triplane served in the front line for only a few months, yet two entirely different forms of the German national insignia appeared on its surfaces. From the autumn of 1917 came the cross with arms flaring toward their ends, surrounded by a broad white field, whereas from the spring of 1918 the high command ordered a simpler shape with straight arms and only a narrow white border. Many aircraft were re-marked at the unit itself, often carelessly, so the old outline showed through the new paint.

Besides the insignia, the personal colors of the pilots also changed the look of the triplane. Alongside the famous red machines there were examples with black fuselages, yellow cowlings or checkerboards on the upper wing, while the factory olive finish remained only on the areas that the repainting did not touch. The three insignia masks in this set match the number of positions on the wings and the fuselage of one of these forms.

Parts of the set

• Three films for spraying the national crosses
• No canopy mask, as the subject lacks one
• Prepared for the large 1:32 scale
• Without paints, decals and plastic parts

When spraying a two-color insignia, the mask for the light field is laid down first and, once it has dried, a smaller cutout for the dark part is placed into it. Anyone confident enough can run a fine sanding sponge lightly over the edge after lifting the film, so that the insignia does not look stuck on.

Before you re-mark the aircraft into the later form, check whether your kit also offers the matching decals with inscriptions. This set handles the crosses, not the rest of the markings.