Lifelike Decals | #32-019: Fokker D.VII Part 4

Reviewed by Floyd S. Werner, Jr.

Wingnut Wings models are just canvas for decal manufacturers. Why more manufacturers don’t provide colorful options is beyond me. Lifelike is one who provides some great looking options for the modeler.

Their latest sheet is designed for the Fokker D.VII, the ultimate Fokker of WWI. A common color for this sheet is red. So there are some really bright examples on this sheet. There are four aircraft included. The instructions are printed on two single sided A4 pages. The instructions not only gives you the color callouts but some history and best of all how Lifelike determined the colors.

Lifelike is not like other decal manufacturers in that they don’t claim to be infallible. They base their decals on the best information available at the time. If there is a question they let you know that in the instructions and often provide alternate decals. Also unlike other decal manufacturers, if they find newer information they print correction sheets and offer them for replacement. Do you know any other decal producer that does that? That is a level of customer service not found anywhere.

The decals themselves are printed by Microscale and are in perfect register. They are printed on three sheets. The first sheet is the largest at 8 x 5 ¼ inches. This sheet has red, black, yellow and grey on the sheet. The second sheet is 6 ½ x 5 ¼ inches. This sheet is black and white with the green striping. The final sheet is a very small 1 x 1 sheet with some extra black decals that look like they are to extend some national markings.

The first aircraft is an O.A.W. built machine assigned to Jasta 66 and flown by Leutnant Rudolf Windisch in May 1918. This predominately lozenged aircraft sports a big beautiful stag on the sides, as well as, a black, white and red striped tailplane. The German markings have larger than normal white surrounds. The aircraft has a green, white, and green fuselage band to add that much more color to a beautiful aircraft.

The second aircraft is a gorgeous black and red O.A.W. built aircraft. Flown by Vzfw.Karl Gerster from Jasta 62 in November 1918 this aircraft has dark lozenged wings but the fuselage is predominately black with a red nose and a white tail. It in itself would make an interesting model but the inclusion of a downward stylized white outlined red V in three positions gives it a splash of color. The aircraft also has a large windscreen between the guns, which are mounted in the high position.

A Fokker built D.VIIF is the third aircraft on the sheet. This aircraft is one of two BMW F model equipped Fokkers delivered to Jasta 4. Flown by Ltn. D R Heinrich Drekmann flew numerous missions with Udet in this machine. When I think back on Fokker D.VIIs I always think of red aircraft with black noses. This aircraft is a perfect example of just such an aircraft. The aircraft has a white vertical tail. The wings had a four lozenge upper and lower surfaces. The aircraft has a ‘low central’ version of exhaust. The circular ship emblem is a slightly darker color.

The last aircraft is really unique. Another D.VIIF flown by Leutenant Josef Veltjens of Jasta 15. The wings are the traditional four color lozenge pattern but the fuselage has a red nose, blue fuselage and white vertical tail. The horizontal tail is blue with a white strip on each side mid span. The side of the blue fuselage sports a stylized Indian Arrow. What is unique is that the German national emblem is oversprayed in blue and barely visible. The wings are slightly smaller.

The Wingnut Wings models cry out for options. Here are four more colorful examples to add to the stable. Well researched by a company who’s philosophy is that their products are never done just because they released them and colorful subjects just makes these decals a value for the money. Printed flawlessly by Microscale you know they are great decals.

As I was finishing this review Lifelike contacted me and informed me that the stag on Windisch’s aircraft should be white and not grey so they would be sending out replacement decals with the correct color. FREE of charge. Just contact them at lifelike@eos.ocn.ne.jp. Now that is customer service that you will not find anywhere else. That is the level of detail and attention to detail that you can expect from all of Lifelike Decals.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Lifelike for the review copy. You can only get them from them directly at http://www16.ocn.ne.jp/~lifelike/. Let them know you read about it here.

Lifelike Decals | #32-019: Fokker D.VII Part 4

Reviewed by Floyd S. Werner, Jr.

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