Scale aviation modeller international

Junkers D.1 Fighter

First look at Wingnut Wings 1/32 Junkers D.1 Fighter by David Francis

A

surprise package arrived

in our office the day before

this issue went to press

and as it was from New Zealand

was eagerly opened to reveal

Wingnut Wing’s latest single

engined fighter the Junkers D.1.

This kit was first announced

just two months ago at the

Nuremberg Toy Fair and though

a pre-production sample was on

display I did not really get a chance

to get as up close and personal with

the plastic as I would have liked.

On opening the box I can give

no higher compliment other

than saying this is a typical

Wingnut Wings Mary Poppins kit.

“Practically perfect in every way”.

The kit parts is supplied on

just four plastic sprues, one

of which is the now familiar

Mercedes D.III engine and propeller

sprue we have seen a number of

times in previous kits over the

years. Two of the other sprues

supply the wings and fuselage

parts and the representation

of the corrugated surfaces has

to be seen to be believed.

I have already built this

manufacturer’s Junkers J.1 Ground

Attack Bomber, which was one of

the first kits Wingnuts released

in 2009. That kit’s detail was

praised at that time but the new

D.1 takes this to a higher level

thanks to its smaller corrugations

and moulded rivet detail but is

the final sprue that is truly jaw

dropping. The moulding of the

seat cushion rivals anything that

can be produced in resin. While the

complicated W shaped framework,

that covers the fuel tank would

never have been attempted by

any other manufacturer.

There are also tiny details that

show how far Wingnuts have come

in the last 8 years. The exhaust pipe

has been supplied in two parts to

produce a hollowed out appearance

where their earlier kits would

have you drill this out. And though

etched brass barrels are supplied

for the Spandau machine guns, if

you do not like rolling brass the

kit’s plastic version are more than

acceptable. In fact they are probably

the best World War One guns I

have seen produced in plastic.

Onto the instructions and these

are yet another example of how

Wingnuts have developed. They

have always produced some of the

best instructions on the market.

But the ones in this kit take it to a

whole new level as they include no

less than 56 period photographs

that not only help you build the

kit in a conventional manner but

also supply references for two

aircraft with the wings removed.

Of course, the instructions are

EXCLUSIVE!

44 • MAY 2018 • SCALE AVIATION MODELLER INTERNATIONAL

FIRST LOOK!

044-51-FirstLooks-0518.indd 44 13/04/2018 14:11