The German Fokker D.VII is frequently cited as one of the best fighter aircraft of the First World War. But its story of inception is what makes it a supremely interesting subject. During the latter half of 1917, the Allies had regained air superiority over the Western Front with the S.E. 5 and the Spad fighters. To counter this, the German government invited aircraft manufacturers to submit prototype single-seat fighter designs for evaluation at a competition to be held at Adlershof airfield in Berlin in January 1918. The aircraft would be demonstrated by the manufacturers, and would be tested by front-line combat pilots. The design with the best overall performance would be awarded a production contract. Thirty-one airplanes from ten manufacturers entered the competition and the Fokker D.VII was the winner, earning an initial contract for 400 units.

When the Fokker D.VII entered squadron service in early May of 1918 and appeared on the Western Front, Allied pilots at first underestimated the new fighter because it lacked the sleek, graceful lines of the German Albatros fighters. But the plane quickly proved to be vastly superior to existing fighters, despite the comparatively clumsy appearance of the D.VII. One reason for this was the soon-to-be-famous ability of the Fokker D.VII to seemingly "hang on its propeller" and fire into the unprotected underside of Allied two-seater reconnaissance aircraft. The Fokker D.VII's thick wing section endowed the airplane with good stall characteristics. Positioning below and behind a two-seater, where the enemy observer could not bring his guns to bear, a D.VII pilot could safely put his airplane into a nose-high attitude, with full power, in a nearly stalled condition. The capability of the D.VII to perform this maneuver made it a highly feared opponent in combat.

Hangar 9’s almost-ready-to-fly version of the Fokker D.VII is an accurate 60-size reproduction of Germany’s famed fighter. Following on our success with the British-inspired Sopwith Camel, the Fokker is the second WWI fighter in the Hangar 9 warbird line. Constructed of laser-cut balsa, this model is sure to stand the test of time, just like its full-scale cousin. And, its painted fiberglass parts and accurate scale Lozenge camouflage covering on the bottom of the wings and tail give it that authentic battle-bird look and appeal that make this aircraft a sure hit with scale modelers. Even the most discerning modeler will appreciate the exceptional level of detail—including the scale wheels, scale pilot figure, dummy engine and molded guns. The dummy engine is a 6-cylinder Mercedes engine with exhaust stack and simulated rocker arms. 
  
The Fokker D.VII is designed to accommodate a variety of 2- or 4-stroke glow engines, or electric power and includes all the mounting hardware needed. Making this aircraft ready for electric power is as easy as mounting a motor on the included mount, charging and flying.