During the Winter War of 1939/40, the Finns had used with much success, the Fokker D.XXI. These planes had been purchased from the Dutch and despite their fixed gear and fabric covered fuselage, were rugged and dependable, taking a goodly toll on Soviet air forces. A license to build the aircraft was obtained, though the Finns wanted something with a bit more power than the Bristol Mercury engines that were used to power the Dutch fighters.

The Finns also obtained a license to build the Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp, a slimmer, but longer engine than the Mercury. This resulted in a different look to the aircraft and along with some other Finnish modifications such as a larger rudder and increased transparency for better rearward vision, provided a somewhat more potent fighter. This aircraft was used equally as effectively against the Soviets in the Continuation War that began in 1941, though by 1943 most of the D.XXIs had been replaced by even more potent fighters. Still, they soldiered on in training commands and some lasted into the post war period.

THE KIT

This is a new company to me and had I not found this one at a swap meet, I'd still not know of its existence. The kit is resin with an etched metal fret and a vac canopy. Most of the etched fret is for the interior though there are pieces for the engine wiring harness and for the leading edge slots in the wing. Resin parts are superbly molded and I found no glitches of any kind in them. No air bubbles, no broken parts and only one area, around the front of the cowling, where it looks as if there is a touch of excess resin.           

The only optional parts with the kit are skis and while none of the decal placement drawings shows them, these were fit when the snow was too deep for regular wheels to be useful. There are three metal pieces included. The rod is for the control rod in the interior. Two small sections of tubing are for the exhaust.

Instructions are more than adequate to build the kit with the usual parts layout and seven construction steps. No interior color information is supplied so one will have to find additional references for that. I'm thinking aluminum. I've a number of Finnish AF references that I can check when build time comes. Markings are provided for three aircraft, FR-167 being a glitch. All are in the dark green/black upper with light blue undersides. All aircraft served with LLv 30. First is red 4 with 2./LLv 30 in 1941. It has a yellow fuselage band and wing tip undersides as do all the aircraft. Next is white 2 from 1./LLv 30 and it has a yellow cowling with white spinner. Finally the box art plane from E./LLv 30. Exterior camo colors are given as Humbrol references. Those of us lucky enough to still have some Aeromaster Finnish Colors will be using those!

Decals look to be well done and thin. I'm thinking that they are probably done by InScale, which produces excellent transparencies.

 

CONCLUSIONS