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| Toko 1/72 Pfalz D.XII | Quick Review |
| Toko has been putting out a fair number of WWI kits recently, so I thought I would pick a couple up and see what all the hype is about. Well, the hype is well-placed. The Pfalz D.XII was brought about due to the slow production of the Fokker D.VII. While its performance was actually a bit better than the Fokker D.VII, the D.VII was better received amongst the pilots, resulting in only about 750 to 800 of the D.XIIs being built.
The kit is incredibly well molded in light grey plastic, with very fine detailing. The Mercedes engine is very well detailed, being composed of no less than six pieces. The cockpit is well detailed and accurately depicts the sparseness of WWI fighters. The machine guns, a notoriously bad spot on WWI kits, are very well done and look like the Spandaus they represent. Construction looks to be very straightforward, with no apparent "areas of dread". There is some light flash around the edges of some of the thinner parts, such as the trailing edges of the wings and the stabilizers, but it will be simple to take care of, and those edges ARE awfully thin. The only downside to the instructions is the complete lack of rigging information. The only thing you have to go by is the illustration on the box top.
There are two marking choices in the kit. The first one is labeled as a Pfalz D.XII of one of Bavaria's fighter squadrons, Autumn 1918. It features a camouflage pattern on the fuselage consisting of dark green, slate gray, grass green, and light green. The wings are finished in the standard lozenge pattern, which is provided in full. Toko should be commended for this feature, although the colors of the lozenge are off. The lozenge decal is also a 4-color lozenge, and there is no difference between the top and bottom patterns. There should be a difference in colors between the top and bottom, and I believe the D.XII used the 5-color lozenge.
The other marking choice is for a Pfalz D.XII of Lieutenant G. Klein, Summer 1918. This one is finished in light gray overall, with a yellow cowl and tail. It is this one which is featured on the box top. If you don't want to attempt the lozenge decals, this gives you a very colorful option. Overall, the quality of the moldings coupled with the interesting subject matter make this a great kit, and the retail price of around $10 makes it very difficult to pass up. Next time you are in your favorite hobby shop and see this kit, don't hesitate to pick it up. Chris Banyai-Riepl |  Color Painting Guide
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