History Brief

The dreaded Fokker E.1 was the first fighter aircraft to enter service with the German Luftwaffe in World War I. When it arrived at the front in mid-1915, it set in motion a time known as the "Fokker Scourge," in which the E.1 and its lineal Eindecker siblings achieved air superiority over the Western Front.

The Product

My sample arrived in a higher-end box, commonly associated with quality model kits. The box top features a beautiful color print with the famous Wingnut Wings name found in the upper, right-hand corner. Inside the box, I found the parts well protected in the typical poly bags. The parts themselves were flawless and flash-free, featuring delicate detailing. Also included is a photo-etch fret; an unbelievable color instruction booklet printed on glossy paper, featuring vintage photographs and five full-color plates; and finally, the beautiful decal sheet printed by Cartograf.

The Five Decal Options

• Fokker E.1 1/15, Otto Parschau (8 victories), June-July 1915
• Fokker E.1 5/15, Kurt Wintgens (19 victories), FFA 6b, July 1915
• 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 (2 victories), FFA 9b, August 1915

The Build

Starting with the cockpit, as with most model airplanes, I found this part of the build to be the most time consuming. I encountered no problems in the construction or fit. The internal rigging was simple enough, and required just a little time. Once completed, I then added the photo-etch seatbelts. The cockpit was then ready to mate into the fuselage halves. I closed the fuselage up, and then added the forward cowling and cockpit panels; once again the parts fit great. The kit provides a choice of two optional machine guns, a Parabellum LMG 14 and an IMG 08 “Spandau,” depending on which version you’ve chosen to build. Each gun is offered as either a single-piece, injection-molded plastic gun or as a multi-part construction of photo-etch and plastic. I chose to build the multi-part gun, and was easily able to add the photo-etch using a little super glue. Following the instructions, I soon had the engine completed and installed. Next, I added the landing gear, and it went on without a hitch. Then, before I knew it, I had the wings and tail feathers on and readied for rigging.

The Bottom Line

It’s a five-star kit! I recommend this baby to anyone!

Thanks To

Wingnut Wings and IPMS/USA for allowing me the opportunity to present such an awesome model!