Wingnut Wings | #32021: 1/32 Fokker E.1 Early

Reviewed by Kevin Futter

Wingnut Wings has become something of a household name among large scale aircraft modellers, even for those who have little-to-no interest in WW1 aviation. Not only have they become a saviour to the otherwise largely-neglected WW1 aircraft modeller, but the quality of their kits is such that many modellers who have never had an inclination to build a large-scale WW1 aircraft model are suddenly filling their stashes with them!

The company's latest release is the Fokker E.1 Early, released in conjunction with a Fokker E.IV kit. The Fokker E.I was the first fighter aircraft to enter service with the German Air Service in World War I. Its arrival at the front in mid-1915 marked the start of a period known as the "Fokker Scourge" during which the E.I and its Eindecker successors achieved a measure of air superiority over the Western Front (source: Wikipedia).

Wingnut Wings' 1/32 scale rendition comprises the following:

6 sprues in grey plastic
1 sprue in clear plastic
1 photo-etched metal fret
1 decal sheet
1 instruction booklet

Plastic Sprues

The moulding quality is typical Wingnut Wings, being crisp, precisely detailed and free of flash or other moulding defects. Also typical of the company's kits is the very thoughtful placement of ejector pins to minimise ejector pin marks on visible areas of the model. This means that most of them can be left alone during construction, with no tedious requirement to eliminate them.

Photo-etched Fret

Inside the sealed bag containing the decals is a small photo-etched fret of detail parts, sealed in its own plastic bag:

Instruction Booklet

The instruction booklets supplied in Wingnut Wings kits have become legendary, and with good reason. The production values are equivalent to a glossy magazine, and to refer to them as mere instruction booklets does them a grave disservice.

The cover features a potted history of the type, and a specifications table at the bottom. This material is also available on the Wingnut Wings webpage for the kit.

The content features colourful and highly-detailed annotated assembly drawings, complemented by captioned reference photographs and painting instructions.

Decals and Markings

All the decals for the kit are supplied on a single large sheet:

There's an extensive paint chart on the inside cover of the instruction booklet, with paint colours listed from the Tamiya & Humbrol ranges, as well as selected Federal Standard numbers. The painting and decalling guide begins on page 17, and features the following five aircraft:

Fokker E.1 1/15, Otto Parschau, June-July 1915, (8 victories)
Fokker E.1 5/15, Kurt Wintgens, FFA 6b, July 1915 (19 victories)
Fokker E.1 8/15, Uffz. Kneiste, FFA 62, August 1915
Fokker E.1 13/15, Max Immelmann (15 victories) & Oswald Boelcke (40 victories), FFA 62, August 1915
Fokker E.1 14/15, Eduard Böhme, FFA 9b, August 1915, (2 victories)

Conclusion

The Fokker E.1 Early kit is less ambitious and expansive than some of the company's other recent releases, but it still represents everything we've come to expect from a Wingnut Wings kit: exceptional moulding quality, excellent detail, superb decals and industry-leading documentation. What more could you ask for? Highly recommended.

Review sample supplied by Wingnut Wings.