Fokker D-II and D-III

 

The Fokker D-II was a fairly mediocre and uninspired successor to the E-III monoplane responsible for the “Fokker Scourge” of 1915-’16. The D-III improved on it, but not enough to make it competitive with the Allied aircraft then coming into service, and it very nearly lost Fokker all the credit he had garnered with the German air services.

Visually, there is little to distinguish the two. There were very minor differences in dimensions, the main difference being that the D-II had only one machine-gun, while the D-III had two.

The models are supplied in 1:100 scale (above) and 1:200 scale (left). The wings and struts on the smaller scale models are thicker, to make them less fragile in play.

For 1:144 scale, either re-scale the 1:100 model to 69%, or the 1:200 model to 138%. If printing in FDM, I recommend scaling up from the 1:200 model, but in resin scaling down from 1:100 will work fine. I have printed the 1:100 model scaled down to 1:200 without problems in resin, though the struts are extremely thin and fragile.

The models can be bought at https://www.wargaming3d.com/product/fokker-d-ii-and-d-iii/ 

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December 20th

I've finally got my FDM printed 1/144 version of the D-III painted. The print is okay for FDM, but because it was printed nose-down, the front of the cowling and engine are pretty rough. It may be necessary to detach them and print them separately, at a different orientation.

However, this will do for gaming purposes.

Sopwith Triplane (1:200)

 

This was (I think) a CapnAhab design. I added a pilot and some engine detail, but that's all, and I printed it on my Mars Pro at 1:200 scale.

The model has no wing-rib or control surface detail at all, and I've just painted some in. The effect is fine, for a gaming piece, and having smooth surfaces instead of ribbed certainly does make applying decals a bajillion times easier.

I've messed about with a range of scales for WW1 aerial wargaming — 1:300, 1:200 and 1:144. The most satisfying from a modelling point of view is 1:144, and for maximizing table space of course 1:300 is best. But I think 1:200 is a very good compromise between the two; big enough to be able to see, and small enough to make the best of available space.

Handley-Page Hampton (1/144)

 

This is one of Roman Troyen's (PlanePrinter on Patreon) 1/200 scale designs, up-scaled to 1/144 and printed on my elderly Ender 3 in PLA.

It's a Handley-Page Hampden, a British medium bomber of the early years of World War II.

In truth, I have no real wargaming use for this model. I really only did it because I have a fondness for the Hampden because it looks so goofy. Apparently the fuselage was so narrow that once all the crew were in their stations, they couldn't really move around inside the aircraft at all, and there was no room for a co-pilot.