Fokker F-27 Friendship
Airfix

Fokker F-27 model in 1/72 scale
DUTCH Readers... kijk hier voor een Nederlandse F-27 model pagina...   The Fokker F-27 Friendship was the most successful commuter regional airliner built after 1945. Designed with a modern fuselage and wing using modern manufacturing techniques such as glued sandwich panels and equipped with turboprops, the aircraft was efficient, easy to maintain and reliable. It flew in all continents and was flying from sand strips out in Africa. Many flew for decades.  Many commercial airlines and airforces used the F-27 with a number of variants.    Look here for some real aircraft photos on my site...   More detail information on the Airfix models issued and other F-27 kits like ESCI and REVELL can be found here....
The first released Airfix model is still by far the best model of the F-27 available in 1/72 but is inaccurate in areas. It needs some refinement but can be built in a nice model. The kit appeared in various boxes:  .. Here, the major parts are seen:
The usual old Airfix kit is for a "short nose" model. The first kit releases with short nose is applicable for older airline Friendships and air forces. However, the model issued 2009 has optional parts for a "long nose" for the  weather radar as well. The long nose was developed at Fairchild that license manufactured the F-27 and installed a weather radar. (later on, Fokker adapted the "Fairchild nose" as standard in later F-27 production as many civil aviation authorities required airlines to fit their aircraft with weather radar). The kit also had optional different propellers. (see photo above with separate sprue). The latest issued box/kit has new decals as weel, with nice schemes seen here such as for the restored NLM plane:
How is the Airfix kit? The biggest flaw in the kit shapes is the absence of the double curved fuselage cross section, the slightly not high enough fuselage cross section, and the way much too small dorsal fin.    When using the Airfix F-27 model as the kit to start with, check the fuselage wanted for the other variants:   1/72 fuselage extensions relative to the (short fuselage) Airfix F-27 model: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------       F-27 200 /300 /400         mk.500     Fokker 50   Fokker 60 fwd of wing:        OK              12,5 mm  12,5 mm       28 mm aft  of wing:        OK                8 mm         8 mm       15 mm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: when you want to build the mark F-27-500, it will need:  - lengthen the fuselage by 12,5 mm in front and 8 mm aft of the wing in 1/72.  - the main landing gear legs are longer...  Some aircraft had an APU in the end of the right nacelle; this was than a bit longer. Additional airconditioning could also be offered with a required extra air scoop at the right rear fuselage.    The missing fuselage cross section kink can be made by applying pieces of 1 mm thick card to the bottom of the fuselage. Use putty, and sand smooth. Apply several putty layers until you get a nice shape with the kink and the also more "higher" cross section. An easier way is to suggest the kit with strips and filler/ putty. The kit's windows are inaccurate as these are way too small and located too low in the fuselage. Oval shaped F-27 windows sizes are: 542 mm x 368 mm (height x width) (hole in metal).  Note: within each window, 17 mm edge of fibre plastic is seen, so clear window sizes in 1/72 approx 7,2 x 4,5 mm. For the model made, all the windows were enlarged and reshaped with a file and set a bit higher in the process. It is noted that on some planes, depending on the customer, not all windows are always set in the fuselage. For military Troopships, they even differ per particular plane. The cockpit glazing has a bad fit, so assemble and fit/fill as needed with carefull sanding.      The doors vary in size as well depending on the particular plane. On many planes larger cargo doors were fitted and regular height passenger entry doors. (Fairchild aircraft had rear airstairs). The dorsal fin (forward of the vertical tail) is also not large enough in the Airfix kit. It should be "twice as high" at the fin-vertical tail junction. The length is correct. Use card and filler here. Add also the two stabilizer actuator fairings at the base of the vertical tail, these are missing in the kit.   The wing surfaces are separate parts and quite good as there are slots and gaps on the real thing for both the F-27 and Fokker 50/60. Fill the kit's incorrect lower flap double line with putty as a single flap is used. The rudder should be refined somewhat with the fairing actuators of the elevators at the base of the fin added made from spare part "bomb halves."  But make some small corrections here: The wing-fuselage fairing aft of the wing trailing edge is "missing", so make one with some card and putty. Also the wing leading edge landing light is often fitted and sitting behind a transparant curved leading edge panel. Also add the tip anti-collision lights.   IMPORTANT: The wing-fuselage junction fit is very weak; it is strongly advised to add a metal spar here in the model.  The engine nacelles can be detailed with the wheel bay details and the missing smaller intakes and flush aerodynamic exhausts. The newer F-27 versions sometimes do not have the heat panels cool ribs (as in kit). UPDATE: in 2024 LACI issued a nice 3D printed after market set 72003 for the nacelles with Dart engine. Though crafted for the ESCI kit it may be used for the Airfix kit is as well. The kit old propellers have the curved tips, blade chords are a bit too small but hardly noticeable; the other type propellers (found in the later Airfix 2009 kit release) have squared tips and larger diameter; but still about 1 mm too small in diameter, but hardly noticeable. The kit's main undercarriage leg parts as per kit should be somewhat longer. You can add some 4 mm card in the main bay to get a better result and "higher sit". (the longer F-27-500 variant has even longer main gear legs to enable take-off rotation). Replacing the gear doors with some thin card parts can be done, they are rather thick in the Airfix kit.
The Airfix model can be built, when corrected, as a nice representation of the real F-27-200/300/400. This improved Airfix model depicts a F-27-300 Troopship coded "C-8" of the Royal Netherlands AF ("Koninklijke Luchtmacht") without radar nose but with high-visibility paint scheme. Nice touches are the walkways and the added squadron markings. Note the added scoops on the nacelles and dark exhaust panel.
Several F-27's were (retro-)fitted with the radar nose, so add this as desired by lengthening in this 1/72 scale the nose 6 mm. The older Airfix model made has no radar nose. (NOTE: Summer 2009 the Airfix kit was re-issued with also optional parts for the radar nose and other props as well). .  Also seen on some planes, a cover is seen on the airco intake scoop, make from stretched sprue. The wingtips and the aileron hinges were given some extra details as well: . Also, the shape of the oval windows needs improvement as they are to large and in the wrong position.
The wing flap panel recessed line as per kit is quite prominent so was filled and rescribed.   Further details: - add static dischargers on wing tips - add 3 small drains below nacelle - only very old aircraft have the long antenne wire - add pitot tubes and windscreen wipers - add anti collision lights and sometime a wing leading edge beamlight - antenna's to be added depending on plane	.
(the model remains to be a "tail sitter" so some help is needed).       ... below at Leeuwarden air base...	.
UPDATE 2024:  I purchased another few 1/72 Fokker F-27 models and will make these with my own designed decals that are custom printed. Work in progress...
SCALE DRAWINGS FOKKER F-27 Part 1  [60 KB] Part 2 [84 KB] Print out the two parts  - Check out scale: wing span should be 29.00 m for all versions, so that's 40,3 cm in 1/72 scale  - Enlarge/reduce as needed to get the exact scale  (c) Copyright:  Meindert de Vreeze
Models of the Fairchild F-27 and FH-227 The Fairchild F-27 and Fairchild Hiller FH-227 were versions of the Fokker F27 and manufactured under license by Fairchild Hiller in the United States. The Fairchild F-27 was similar to the standard Fokker F-27, while the FH-227 was an independently developed, stretched version. More info here... For a 1/72 scale F-27 model the Airfix kit can be used as basis for the first F-27 versions with similar fuselage lengths. Rescribe doors and changed some smaller details like the airco scoop.     Making a 1/72 model of the much longer FH-227 needs a considerable conversion with a 25 mm lengthened fuselage forward of the wing.
REFERENCES: Fokker F-27, MIP "Modelbouw in plastic" magazine, IPMS Nederland, 1993/4, written by me (Meindert de Vreeze) and Bas Damen INTERNET: IPMS NEDERLAND F-27 walk around pages... IPMS Nederland real F-27 info pages... My own F-27 walk round here...    Photos of the "real thing" can be found on this site also... here    Fokker versions: Wiki page Fairchild versions: Wiki page
The F-27 was the basis of the Fokker 50 / 60 family, these aircraft also being used by the RNethAF (KLu).   Back to 1/72 models.......
(c) Copyright Meindert "designer"/ All rights reserved. Your comments are welcomed by  webmaster	page created September 14, 2002