JBOT 1/72 Junkers F13 Decals

A review of REVELL Germany’s 1:72^nd Junkers F-13 kit, which is issued with either land or float-equipped versions, has been done more than adequately by Steve Bathy in R.T. Vol. 24, # 4. Suffice it to say that this is a delightful little kit of a once well-known but now somewhat forgotten piece of aviation history. It was one of the first successful airliners, being used by Lufthansa in its early years and was unique in being of metal construction and of all things, a monoplane.

When I was a boy, back in the pre-dawn of history, the middle 1950s, bush pilots were amongst the great heroes of Canadian youth, many having household names. In the reader used in public schools for Grade 7 students, one of the favourite stories was the tale of the two F-13s, G-CADP “Vic” and G-CADQ “René.” The story basically tells how, during an oil-seeking survey the two ski-equipped Junkers had accidents upon landing at Ft. Simpson in the Northwest Territories. The aircraft were faced with waiting for months for the spring break-up to allow repair parts to be brought in by boat from the south. Luckily, one of the members of the Catholic mission was a master carpenter with a good workshop, and the brother was able to fashion a new propeller from oak sledboards provided by the HBC and glue made from boiled moose hides.

So, on to J-BOT’s decals. The corrugated wings of the aircraft provide a real challenge to decalling, but these are thin enough to fit nicely. Jim has done his research well, with some help from the reviewer, and was able to depict the aircraft at different periods of their careers. At first, they had the registration letters in large print on the rear fuselages, but later were decorated with the red and blue Imperial Oil Company logos and smaller letters. Jim has done both versions with a little twist. He has provided markings that show the painted-out originals peeking through the new with aluminium outlines depicting where the originals were painted out or removed. Alternatively, the modeller may put down the original letters beneath the logos so that they are still slightly visible. Talk about ingenuity!

J-BOT provides white decal background panels for the wing and tail surface registration letters, but when I do more versions, I will try painting these panels. There is even an extension on one panel to cover the tail of the “Q” on “René’s” wing! Alclad’s “aluminium” provides a good surface. One word of warning, provided by Jim himself. Be sure to spray a clear-coat over the decal sheet before using as they are extremely delicate.

I built one example of each aircraft, “René” on skis and “Vic” on wheels. I intend to do “Vic” on pontoons (“floats” to you uninitiated Southerners), guided by the suggestions in Stephen Bathy’s article on “City of Prince George,” “CF-ALX,” which is “Vic” in a later reincarnation. When doing a winter variation, use small strips of white pinstripe decal to simulate the tape used to reinforce the window “glazing.”

Some references include The Bush Pilots by J.A. Foster, Pilots of the Purple Twilight by Philip Godsell, and Bent Props and Blow Pots by Rex Terpening, all excellent yarns. Also, the Glenbow Museum website archives have some excellent photos.

My thanks to Jim Botaitis of J-BOT Decals for the samples.