I have always had a love for World War I aviation. As a young child in grade school, my grandfather built the stick and tissue models of World War I airplanes and hung them in his woodshop. We also made yearly trips to the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome and watched the World War I reproductions they fly in their weekly airshows. When I was in fifth grade, we made wooden Fokker Triplanes in his woodshop. These two models are still in my collection today and I view them as my favorite pieces along with a B-17 we made as well.
As a result, my eyes always go to World War I pieces. For me, I like a larger model in my collection, and in terms of World War I, there just isn't much out there in a larger scale unless you want to build it. Being a school teacher, I don't have the time to build as I used to. The Corgi World War I fighters caught my eye but I never managed to buy one and after having bad experiences with the large scale Authentic Models pieces, I moved away from those.
I recently found out about the John Jenkins "Knights in the Sky" series of World War I airplanes the company is doing. Upon going to the Sierra Toy Soldier website I saw that two of the airplanes had been released, the Fokker Triplane and the Sopwith Camel. The Fokker Triplane has always been a favorite of mine, so using some gift money from Christmas, I went ahead and purchased it and the Sopwith Camel.
The Fokker Triplane is 1/30 scale and both models arrived in plane, very sturdy white boxes. The boxes actually come wrapped in white tissue paper to protect them. Upon opening the box, I was immediately impressed. Using special cut foam padding, John Jenkins designs makes sure the Fokker Triplane is secured for shipping. The plane is very well protected and I imagine this generous and wonderful packing is included in the price of the model. For me, getting a model in top condition is always exciting and it is expected, there is no excuse for it today. I can't complain here, John Jenkins does an incredible job on the packing.
This is a view of the model out of the box. For the Triplane, John Jenkins chose to model the red Triplane flown by the Red Baron. The model is finished in a bit of a darker red than the bright red models you usually see. I believe the darker red to be more accurate. The model is nicely weathered and reflects an appearence that would be typical in the field. The model is made from mixed materials including metal, resin and some plastic components.
This is a view from the side. The model features some wonderful details including the foot steps and wing skids under the bottom wing. Markings are crisp and look good.
A view from the front showing the propellor and engine. Rigging wires are present where they would be on the Triplane and seem sturdy and strong. Engine detail is nice and presents nicely (on the Camel, the rotary engine turns with the prop). My only complaint here is that if John Jenkins was using mixed media, a wooden propellor would have been awesome!
A view from behind. The wing markings are interesting as the top crosses have actually been painted over to the new style, just like they would have been in the field.
Another view of the triplane. Cockpit is nicely detailed with a compass, control stick and wooden seat. Given the price of the model, a pilot would have been a nice addition though I am sure I can find a suitable candidate in my parts box.
View of the model with its weathered red finish. In my opinion, and seeing the Corgi models, I like this model a bit better in the finish department. I think it is a more authentic appearence for the plane. The Corgi models are nice but look too new. These aircraft were used in the field, sat out in the elements, and weren't the cleanest running machines in the world. I like the used look.
For comparison sake, a Fokker Triplane reproduction in the "Red Baron" color scheme. This one is owned by the Great War Flying Museum in Canada. Someone needs to tell the pilot to ditch the radio and the sunglasses though.
Overall Impression: A very nice model long overdue as a "built" plane in this scale area. I like the detail and the finish. Overall fit, scale appearence and quality is excellent. The nice job in packing certainly goes a long way to impressing the purchaser, as it shows this is a company who takes their product and its quality seriously. The model is very lightweight and must be handled carefully, a forgetful swing of a hand and this would go "flying" off a shelf. For the price, a pilot to fly it would have been a nice touch. A wooden propellor would be quite neat as well. For those that do not build and can pay the price, this is a worthy addition to a model airplane collection.
