The Junkers D.1 low-wing, all metal monoplane was a revolutionary design in 1917. In an age where most aircraft featured cloth
covering over plywood or at best, welded tube construction, Dr. Hugo Junkers developed a design constructed from corrugated aluminum
sheet. It ushered in an age of higher speed, sleek designs of robust construction. In various competitions against other
contemporary designs during 1918, the Junkers design proved itself superior although it ran into opposition from military officers
that preferred biplanes and did not like the broad low wing feature of the D.1. In spite of this, the War Ministry showed great
foresight and gave Junkers a contract for 100 aircraft. This large initial order was required due to the extra cost of the tooling
to produce the all-metal design. It appears that a total of forty-one examples of the D.1 were produced before the armistice. A few
examples of the D.1 were shipped to the front lines but they were not a factor in any air battles. After the war, Dr. Junkers
continued to develop this type of construction, which was featured in a number of designs including the Ford Tri-motor and the
Junkers Ju-52 WW II transport. Rareplanes and Pegasus have produced the Junkers D.1 in 1/72 scale and by Blue Max in 1/48 scale.
These kits were acceptable for their time but there was a need for a new, higher quality kit of this significant aircraft. Roden
have filled this need by adding the Junkers D.1 to their extensive range of World War I aircraft. I am a big fan of Roden models
and have several in my collection. The company produces accurate and detailed kits of interesting subjects. These kits are,
however, not of the “add glue and shake” variety. They all seem to have some tricky areas. The D.1 is no exception. The surface
detail is excellent and reproduces the corrugated surfaces very convincingly. The seams are provided in locations that do not cause
the modeler to have to destroy any surface detail if clean up is needed. The control surfaces are very thin and all of the controls
are separate allowing the modeler to pose them in off-center positions. Internal fuselage construction and cockpit details are
provided along with a nicely detailed engine. The only major problem area was the fuselage assembly. The fuselage consists of
four pieces plus a nose part and the engine must be sandwiched between the two sides during assembly. The exploded view shows the
bottom, both sides and the engine assembled in one step. The problem is getting the sides to bow outward sufficiently to match the
plan-view curve of the bottom panel. A couple of pins are molded into the bottom but they allow too much clearance. I ended up
gluing the bottom to one side first. This allowed for a good joint plus I could add the cockpit module at this time. I then glued
the engine to the other half and while the glue was still not set, I finished the fuselage assembly. This allowed me to get the
joint of the second side to the bottom correct plus I was able to adjust the engine so that it was more or less centered. I added
the nose part at this time to square the front end correctly. When everything was dry, I mounted the fuselage top panel. The joint
to this last part ended up needing some sanding. I probably should have installed some shims into the fuselage to force it open
enough for the top panel to fit perfectly. Maybe next time. Markings are provided for two virtually identical green and purple
machines. I chose to build number 5180 as shown on the box. I used FS 34097, Field Green for the green color and found a gamer’s
color called Liche Purple for the purple. I chose RLM 65 for the undersurfaces. I built the model basically OOB except that I
added some seat belts from lead foil, a throttle control to the left fuselage side, a windshield and two wire braces to the under
carriage. I was pleased with the final appearance of the model. It clearly reflects this important World War I design. Thanks to
Roden for providing the sample and to John Noack for letting me review this kit. The kit is well recommended for modelers who enjoy
unique subjects. A friend if mine is hoping that Roden add this kit to their increasing range of 1/48 scale kits also.
References: Windsock Datafile 33, Junkers D.I by Peter M. Grosz
Profile Publications Number 187, Junkers Monoplanes.
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