Greetings all I thought we might do with a bit of spotlight on some modelers that I have come to know as "talented." We can always learn from the works of other modelers. (So you don't get too bored with my opinions.) Here are some of the works of Marlon Schultz.



This 1/48 DML model represents the veteran Dr.I 139/17 whilst in service with Jasta 5 during May of 1918.

Dr.I 139/17 was one of 12 aircraft dispatched from the Fokker factory at Schwerin on 12 December 1917 and was delivered to Ltn. Lothar von Ricthofen’s Jasta 11. Ltn. von Contra is one Jasta 11 pilot known to have flown it in Feb 1918.

The aircraft is finished in the streaky Fokker factory finish. This finish can be difficult to replicate, but by patiently building up the colour, good results can be achieved. You may use a base coat such as an enamel-based paint while you apply the streaking with acrylic paints. If you are unhappy with the results, immediately strip the acrylics with a remover that will not affect your enamel base.

The aircraft arrived from the factory with black iron cross insignias painted on large white cross-fields. These cross-fields were often overpainted in the field leaving 25mm borders around the iron cross insignia. The order to convert to straight-sided cross-dated March 17th 1918 resulted in the cross style that I used on the model. The rudder is white with the appropriate cross style painted in black.

The original personal markings consisted of horizontal white fuselage stripe and a pale (possibly blue) disc applied to the fuselage sides as well as possibly to the turtledeck Along the way it eventually acquired a full set of Jasta 11 markings consisting of red cowl and interplane struts. The cabane struts, landing gear struts, wheel centres and wingtip skids could also acquire a coat of Jasta 11 red. Based on the May 1918 photo of this aircraft, the wing tip skids appear to have been in factory finish.

In May 1918 Jasta 5 shared the same airfield as JG.1 and was the recipient of at least 11 hand-me-down triplanes from Jasta 6 and Jasta 11. These units were re-equipping with the superb Fokker D.VII fighter. Jasta 5 exchanged it’s worn out Albatros D.V /D.Va fighters for equally worn out examples of Anthony Fokker’s quirky triplane.

The May 1918 photo shows changes made to the personal markings with the disc overpainted. A white vertical stripe had at some point been added to the fuselage. The engine cowl, cabane struts, landing gear struts and wheel centres most likely remained in the red overpainting they received at Jasta 11. The red interplane struts were overpainted in possibly Jasta 5 green or Fokker green.

The triplanes tail most likely in green, as Jasta 5 was well known on both sides of the lines as the “Green Tails”.

The formidable Jasta 5 ace Josef Mai’s flight log shows he flew Dr.I 139/17 on May 15th 1918 to score his 12th victory over a Bristol F2B of the RAF’s 11 Sqdn.

Marlon Schultz , continued.


1/32 Roden Fokker Dr. I 127/17. This machine was dispatched from Fokker’s factory at Schwerin on Oct 29 1917 and as a result of the requirements for a strengthened wing, had it wings replaced in the field probably at Air Field Park 4.

It is not known how long it was out of service, but when photographed in late February 1918 on Phalempin aerodrome when the commander of Jagdgeschwader 1, Rittmeister Manfred von Richthofen visited Jasta 30 it was still basically in it’s factory finish. The engine cowling had only been painted red at this time and a update to the national insignias had started. A misinterpretation of the painting orders resulted in the overpainting of the white background of the rudder in camouflage leaving a 5 cm wide white border. This treatment should have been applied to the upper wing and fuselage crosses, but not to the rudder which was to be left as delivered, although this rudder overpainting became typical for Jasta 11 triplanes at this time period.

This aircraft later received additional red overpaint as in all struts, wheel centres, top surface of the top wing, entire tail unit along with turtle deck to a point aft of the cockpit. In this later form von Ricthofen used 127/17 to score his 71st, 74th, and 76th victories in late March/ early April 1918.

The model kit I used is the 1/32 scale Roden kit. The top wing inspection panel was modified to more realistically portray this feature. A written description with photos appeared in the “Rudder Post “ column of “ Windsock International Vol. 22 No.2

The triplane’s finish is light green, dark green and dark brown wet blended. Back in the 1980’s Wally Batter presented in the publication “WW1 Aero” a most convincing argument regarding the wet blending of two or more shades or hues on the fabric using the same brush dipped alternately in either colour without cleaning it. More recently the wet blending of colours on the Triplane was again discussed by Dave Roberts in Windsock International Vol. 18 No. 5 .

I have based my finish on the Robert’s article. Further inspiration was provided by the recent triplane profiles by Ray Rimell which appear in publications from Albatros Productions I must also give credit to my good long time friend Evelyn Petterson, master photograhic artist who taught me some very cool painting techniques.

This subject of wet blending of colour in the streaky Fokker finish is also discussed in Albatros Productions “Fokker D.VII Anthology 1 “

I used Cutting Edge Modelworks “ The Baron’s Tripes” for the decals on this model. These decals are most complete. I did find a couple of minor errors in details, but a quick check with Alex Imrie’s “The Fokker Triplane” corrected them.

I used etched gun jackets and seat belts by Toms Modelworks.

Marlon Schultz, continued.

This is an imaginary (hypothetical) scheme based on fact. I originally wished to build a factory finish Fokker D.VII of the third production batch when I began this kit in 1998. Through it's spurts of construction a few things changed.

The DML 1/48 scale model received the personal marking of a butterfly in 2002 when I decided it would belong to an unknown Jasta. A number of pilots in different Jasta's used the same personal marking. There are at least three versions of a "winged sword" marking. I thought why not the butterfly. I displayed it on both fuselage sides and turtledeck.

While reading "Fokker D.VII Anthology 3" I found the Jasta 79b information provided Greg Van Wyngarden most interesting.

There appears to be no photographic record of this Jasta's Fokker D.VII aircraft. World War I fighter pilot and artist Rudolf Stark whose notes and sketches on Bavarian Jagdstaffeln show the unit markings consisted of crossing blue and white bands on the uppersurface of the top wing. A tentative illustration based on Rudolf Stark's sketch is included and based on that illustration I added the Jasta 79b markings to my top wing.

It appears that personal markings were featured on the nose, fuselage, and tail.

I though a patriotic Bavarian pilot might have added the blue radiator shell and wheel centres. I cannot confirm it was the same pilot who painted the butterfly. The wheel centres retain the Fokker factory finish on the inside.

I added the Jasta marking over the Christmas season 2003 . The 4 colour lozenge and rib tape is by Americal Gryphon (Out of production.) They are my favourite lozenge decals.

The inside of the fuselage has the same manufacturer's 4 colour reverse lozenge for the fuselage interior. I then mist coat with clear doped linen to simulate the back side of the lozenge pattern printed linen.