Eduard 1/72 Du Doch Nicht!
By Matt Bittner
Introduction
For those studing WWI aviation and aces in particular, the name Ernst Udet is well known. He was the second-highest German ace (second only to "The Red Baron") with a total of 62 "kills". He survived the war but was not happy with the way Germany was going in WWII and took his own life. An excellent reference on Ernst Udet is the book The Blue Max Airmen, German Airmen Awarded the Pour Le Mérite, Udet, Volume 15.
The Kit
The Eduard 1/72 Du Doch Nicht! release contains three separate models: Albatros D.V/Va; Fokker Dr.I; and Fokker D.VII. In addition to the plastic, Eduard also contains photoetch for all three along with masks. Included in the box is a mini replica of the Pour le Mérite, the "Blue Max". Decals exist for most of those three aircraft flown by Udet:
- Albatros D.V Jasta 37, Wasquehal airfield, France, July 1917 (finished overall in a Pfalz-like Silbergrau with black and white stripes on the horizontal tail surfaces)
- Albatros D.V, 4476/17, Jasta 37, Phalempin Airfield, France, September 1917 (fuselage was left natural with five-color printed camouflage fabric on the wings and rudder, while the stabs were finished with black and white stripes)
- Albatros D.Va, Jasta 37, Wynghenge Airfield, France, late1917/early 1918 (fuselage, rudder, fin and tail skid finished all in black while the top part of the wings were green and mauve, and the wings' undersides were five-color printed fabric)
- Fokker Dr.I, 586/17, Jasta 4, Airfield "La Ferme Puisieux" near Laon, France, late May 1918 (most of the aircraft was in Fokker "streaky" finish and kept the black-and-white stripes on the upper wing, fuselage and tail from Kirchstein, the previous flyer)
- Fokker Dr.I 593/17, Jasta 4, Beugneux-Cramoiselles Airfield, France, early June 1918 Jasta 4 (completely in Fokker finish with only a chalked-on "Lo!" on the fuselage sides)
- Fokker D.VII (O.A.W.), 20xx/18, Jasta 4, Beugneux-Cramoiselles Airfield, France, June 1918 (black nose, red fuselage, horizontal tail, landing gear wing and struts, with a red/white striped upper wing (some sources state a black and white striped upper wing) and four-color printed fabric on the lower wing)
- Fokker D.VII (OAW), 20xx/18, Jasta 4, Airfield “La Ferme Puisieux” near Laon, France, August 1918 (four-color printed fabric all 'round with black and white stripes on the fuselage "outline" and a black nose and black struts)
- Fokker D.VIIF, 4253/18, Oblt. Ernst Udet, Jasta 4, Beugneux, France, July 1918 (Udet's last D.VII which was all-over red, including the top side of the upper wing, while the rest of the wing surfaces were finished in four-color printed fabric)
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All kits have been around for some time, the D.V the longest, followed by the Dr.I and then the D.VII. We've provided both First Looks as well as a full build of the Eduard 1/72 Albatros D.V. We've also provided First Looks and full builds of their Dr.I as well. Since it's a relatively new kit, all we can provide are First Looks of their Fokker D.VII.
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Each model comes with its own photoetch set so the level of detail you can add is nicely presented. Also note the kit comes with a full complement of the printed camouflage as decals, including rib tapes. The fun will revolve around adding all those rib tapes.
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If Udet is an ace you fancy, then this release is for you. You can build any three of his aircraft, as long as those three are the Albatros D.V/Va, Fokker Dr.I or Fokker D.VII.
Many thanks go to Eduard for sending this release to review.
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