INTERMEDIATE BUILD

How friendly is Italeri’s Fokker F27?

Massimo Santarossa finds out, as
he constructs this turboprop
airliner in 1/72 scale

FLYING THE

DUTCHMAN
I
nspired by the need to
improve upon surplus
military transports then
being used as airliners
– such as the Douglas DC3
– the company that bears the
surname of Dutchman Anthony
Fokker first flew its F27
Friendship in 1955.
Innovations this type introduced
were the use of Rolls-Royce
Dart turbo-prop engines, a
pressurised cabin and high-
mounted wings. These led
to more comfortable seating,
unobstructed views from the
passenger windows and ease
of ground servicing. Revolutions
in materials and construction
kept weight down, making
the aeroplanes much more
economical to operate.
In 1958, the F27 entered
service with Irish airline Aer
Lingus. Initial orders were slow
to materialise, but once the
aircraft’s reputation for reliability,

MODEL SPEC
Fokker F27 Friendship
By: Italeri
Stock Code: 1430
Scale: 1/72
Price: £35.99
Available from: www.hobbyco.net

Scale drawings were used to check the accuracy of the model’s shape, which
was not perfect but came pretty close. The project complexity comes down to
individual choice on what needs correcting and what is acceptable

42 Airfix Model World KeyModelWorld.com


efficiency and performance
became widespread, demand for
the airliner increased. A licensing
agreement with Fairchild in
the US meant airframes were
produced on both sides of
the Atlantic and, before
production ended in 1987,
799 examples had been built by
the two companies, including
stretched and military versions.
Italian-Dutch fusion
Italeri’s 1/72 Friendship was
originally released by Esci in
1991. On the plus side of the
ledger, the kit featured neatly
engraved panel lines and crisply
moulded parts. Some of
the shortcomings
included basic detailing, both
internally and externally, plus
several accuracy errors.
As offered, the model could
have easily been built into a fine-
looking F27, especially with the
colourful, well-printed decals
that were included. For this build,
though, an attempt would be
made to improve some areas and
enliven the overall build.
The first task was to determine
which areas of the kit needed
modifying and which could
be accepted as supplied. The
general shape of the fuselage
was close enough that correcting
it would not be worth the effort.
That said, other detail did require
attention: the kit comes with two
different fuselage inserts for the
forward cabin/cargo door. With
the correct part in position, the
rounded corners were filled and
KeyModelWorld.com
INTERMEDIATE BUILD | Fokker F27 Friendship
scribed into straight panel lines.
Curiously, an additional door
was moulded on the right side of
the fuselage, which was quickly
dispatched with putty.
Ready for boarding
A basic interior was provided,
comprising passenger and pilot
As a military version can be made, two different fuselage plugs were provided.
seats, bulkheads and cargo The outline shows its position and rounded corners, which were filled and
nets. Some of these would be re-scribed to match the remaining panel lines
visible behind the attractively
clear windows so it was decided
to enliven these areas. As
sometimes happens, enthusiasm
took over and a full crew and
passenger load, along with
cockpit details, were added.
Additions to the flight deck were
created by fitting panels made
from sheet styrene while spares
box decals simulated a number
of gauges and switches, with a Adding figures provided a further dimension during the build. They were
painted using various colours, given a wash of Burnt Umber oil to highlight detail
couple of maps placed on the
and seated using glue or Blu Tack ‘cushions’
anti-glare shield.
Contrasting colours were Although little of the interior
would be seen despite the clear
used in the cockpit and cabin, windows, creating the details
these being based on photos and passengers was a fun and
found online of Air UK-operated stimulating exercise and therefore
aircraft. Figures came from two well worth the time spent
sources; the flight crew were
from PJ Productions (www.
pj-productions.be) and the
passengers from Preiser (www.
preiserusa.com). The former
were 1/72 resin items, which
were well cast and fitted into
place perfectly, whereas the
After the fuselage halves were
passengers, being designed for joined, any misalignments
HO scale railways, were 1/87. were corrected by filling and
Being a bit short in ‘scale stature’, sanding, whereupon lost
panel lines were re-scribed.
they were placed on Blu Tack Tape was used to keep debris
‘cushions’ so they could be seen out of the cockpit
through the windows.
Deciding what colours to paint
the figures was confusing initially,
though the crew were easy:
white shirts and dark trousers.
For the rest, each figure was
given an imaginary personality
“Italeri’s 1/72 Friendship
was originally released
by Esci in 1991”
Airfix Model World 43
INTERMEDIATE BUILD

and ‘dressed’ appropriately, of being part of them. This could

depending on who they were. not be left unattended. Before
Among the passengers, one can work could begin, the nacelle
see Heidi and her grandfather, interiors were addressed. Italeri’s
the youngsters from the movie instructions would
Airplane, a quantity surveyor
named Ethel and even an air
marshal, although for security
Before work could begin on the nacelles, the circular mounting points for the reasons he cannot be identified.
landing gear were opened at the rear so the struts could be fitted later in the
construction process In the end, not much of the have you fit the undercarriage
interior detail could be seen, struts before closing the nacelle
but there was enough visible to halves – it was felt this would lead
stir the modelling imagination. to difficulties in handling, if not
As for all the work involved in outright damage. The rear portion
this ‘losing effort’, it was worth of each mounting ring was
it simply because it was an removed so the supports could
exercise in pure imagination, be slipped into position later.
which in itself yielded very Correcting the nacelle profiles
enjoyable bench time. began with cutting guides
The fuselage was then from sheet styrene; these were
closed in sections over several subsequently installed between
A scale drawing was attached to sheet styrene and a contour guide was hours to minimise any step or the nacelle halves, the intake
created by cutting around the correct profile. The forward and aft sections were misalignment of parts. By and rings attached, and the units
then glued between the nacelle halves
large, this worked and any then offered to the wings. The fit
Lengths of problem areas were sanded to was not exactly perfect,
superfine Milliput the correct shape, while lost but the puttying that was to
were placed panel lines were reinstated via a follow would offer correction.
alongside the
contour guides, scriber. Focus then switched to Milliput Superfine white putty
here on one side the wings.
only. The putty
was then shaped
roughly via a
Millipower
wet cotton swab, Of the kit’s accuracy errors, the
sculpting tool and most egregious was the shape
a moistened finger of the engine nacelles. The tops
of these should blend into the
tops of the wings, but not into the
leading edges (the box art depicts
this correctly). Furthermore,
the moulded oil cooler intakes
extended above the nacelles as if
they were afterthoughts, instead
Landing gear parts were treated to
additional details and reprofiling to
enliven them. A dental tool was used
to scribe the area around the
nosewheel to make it look like a
separate part

44 Airfix Model World KeyModelWorld.com

 INTERMEDIATE BUILD | Fokker F27 Friendship

“The first task was to determine which

areas of the kit needed modifying
and which could be accepted”

(www.milliput.com) was rolled
into thin lengths and placed
along the guide strips. This
product was easy to work with
because, much like clay, it can
be shaped using a sculpting
tool, cotton swab or a finger
dampened with water. Once
the rough shape was achieved,
the part was put aside to dry
overnight. The next day, the
contours were refined with
abrasive paper and sanding
sticks. Eventually a shape was
achieved that appeared correct,
but to be certain, the nacelles
were sprayed with Tamiya Grey
primer (www.hobbyco.net). This
revealed areas that were not
up to standard, so additional
remedial filler/sanding work was
undertaken. When the parts
finally passed the primer test,
new panel lines were instituted.
Adding airworthiness
One area where it’s easy to
add additional detailing is an
aeroplane’s landing gear. In this
case, the moulded triangles
intended to pass for scissor links
on the main struts were replaced
with sections of aluminium cut
to shape from a drinks can,
while brake lines were added
via 34-gauge (0.16mm) wire.
The nosewheel and strut were
moulded as one, so the shape
of the wheel was enhanced by
scribing its outline carefully with
a dental tool.
Reworking the undercarriage
bay doors also paid off, so they
were thinned, removing their
incorrectly moulded rib detailing.
The parts were then skinned
with 10-thou sheet styrene that
had been cut to shape and
had lightening holes added. At
the wingtips, kit-supplied pitot
tubes were replaced with new
items fashioned from 12-gauge
(2.06mm) hypodermic needles
and lengths of runner that were
heat-stretched. While the candle
was lit for the latter, new anti-

When dry, the puttied shape was further refined with sandpaper and sanding Seeing flaws in white putty on white plastic was difficult, so the part was
sticks. Milliput was easy to sand; its fine grain made it very smooth and it took sprayed with grey primer. Any issues that were revealed were dealt with using
scribing well Mr. Surfacer (www.albionhobbies.com) and additional sanding

Once the improved profile of the nacelle was achieved, new panel lines Undercarriage doors were detailed by removing their moulded ribs, and were
were outlined and added using a scriber and Dymo tape as a guide. then skinned with 10-thou styrene featuring lightening holes. A wash of Paynes
Notice the smooth finish of the Milliput Grey oil would enhance them further

KeyModelWorld.com Airfix Model World 45

INTERMEDIATE BUILD

“Classic Esci kits – considering the era in

which they originated, they still hold up well”

collision lights were created from
stretched clear styrene.
Colour quandary
Ideally, airliner builders keep
the wings off a model to ease
painting, and after some test
fitting, it was determined this
technique could be followed here.
In preparation, the model was
first wiped, to remove any dust
and debris that could mar the
finish, then the aircraft was given
two primer coats of Master Model
2751 Flat White (www.testors.com)
with light sanding between each.
Two thin layers of 2720 Classic
White mixed with lacquer thinner
were then laid down, which dried
to a smooth finish.
Shades of blue suggested by
the instructions were not on hand
immediately, but 1731 FS16473
Aircraft Grey was, so the wings
were sprayed with this tone.
However, the resulting colour
seemed rather dark compared
with photos of Air UK aircraft.
Doubt in the instructions
deepened further when it was
discovered that the suggested
blue shades, FS15056 and
Tamiya TS50, were not identical.
This then called into question
the underside aluminium hue,
because this appeared grey
many times in photos. The
decision was made to create
a custom blue by mixing X-14
Sky Blue and X-4 Blue in a 4:1
ratio, resulting in a shade that
appeared correct to my eye. This
was diluted with Tamiya’s own
lacquer thinner and applied in
two thin coats.
For the ‘belly’, it was decided to
use Alclad’s ALC-101 Aluminium
(www.alclad2.com) as this
would offset the darker grey
upper tones. Conversely, 1781
Aluminum was applied to the
landing gear, better replicating
painted material as opposed to
natural metal. The last shade
sprayed was X-18 Semi Gloss
Black, for the de-icer boots.

Prior to painting, the glazing was

protected with New Ware (www.
mek.kosmo.cz) pre-cut masks.
Made from Kabuki tape, they fit
well and eliminated what tends
to be a rather tedious task

When spraying black, one can never be too careful... Tamiya X-18 was applied
to the de-icer boots while the white and blue livery was protected under
substantial amounts of masking tape

Test-fitting showed the wings could

be attached after painting, which was
beneficial. Two-part epoxy ensured a strong
bond and the wingtip heights were within
A pin wash of Paynes 1mm of one another on completion
Grey oil paint brought
undercarriage detail
to the fore. Brake lines
were made from wire
while the scissor links
were created from
strips of aluminium cut
from a can

46 Airfix Model World KeyModelWorld.com


Super stickers
Italeri’s decals were a treat to use.
They featured perfect register,
dense colours and almost
no excess carrier film.
Before applying them, it was
decided to mount the wings,
which meant the model could be
held by the mainplanes instead
of the fuselage, reducing any
chance of damaging the decals
with clumsy fingers.
The flight surfaces were glued
with two-part epoxy; the small
mounting stubs did not look like
they could take the weight of
the finished model, even with
cyanoacrylate (CA), so a much
stronger adhesive was selected.
The resulting fit was pleasingly
perfect. The red and white
fuselage stripes came in three
sections. The centre portion
was chosen first as it was based
around the windows, which
being in a fixed position would
ensure correct alignment of the
remaining markings. The rest of
the decals went on in short order,
responding well to Microscale
(www.microscale.com) decaling
solutions. The whole process
took just a few pleasant hours to
accomplish and was one of the
high points in the project.
The landing gear was attached
using CA, the main sections
slipping into their modified
mounting positions neatly. With
the model resting securely on
KeyModelWorld.com
INTERMEDIATE BUILD | Fokker F27 Friendship
its wheels, a little weathering Decaling the F27 was a treat;
was undertaken. Airliners Italeri’s markings were easy to deal
generally appear pleasant and with, exhibited no tonal bleed even
over the dark blue and had no
clean at first glance, but given
carrier film in the window openings
closer inspection, dirt and grime
become apparent. As such, and
to add a little extra flavour to the
model’s appearance, panels were
highlighted with Doc O’Brien’s
Grungy Grey pigments (www.
microscale.com), which were
applied via a stiff brush and a
Post-It Note mask.
As is traditional, the last
remaining parts were fitted using
either CA for weight-bearing
items or white glue for everything
else. Mounting the horizontal
stabilisers required a bit of care
as there was a certain amount of
play in the join, so establishing
the correct dihedral while the CA
cured took patience.
Meet the Fokker
It is pleasing to see Italeri
re-releasing some of the classic
Esci kits – considering the era There was ample space in the main Subtle weathering was added to the
in which they originated, they undercarriage bays to install the gear model using pigments. A Post-It Note
still hold up well today. This is struts after main assembly. With a little makes for an easy mask that can be
manoeuvring, they were secured with reused and repositioned quickly, as its
also the case for this 1/72 F27
CA and featured a snug fit low tack doesn’t damage the finish
Friendship. Granted, there were a
few accuracy quibbles, and the kit Some of the more delicate parts installed at
the end of the build were the dual pitot tubes,
does not fall together by itself, but which had been fashioned from hypodermic
it is still highly buildable. It offered needles and lengths of stretched runner
no great construction challenges,
the plastic, both white and clear,
was well produced and the decal
sheet was absolutely top drawer.
Whether a modeller has limited
experience or is an expert at the
craft, Italeri’s Friendship will
be an enjoyable project.
Airfix Model World 47