Little Fokkers! Matchbox v. FROG D.21 in 1/72 

The design of this Fokker was lead by Erich Schatzki, e Jewish engineer who had fled Nazi Germany and who earlier had been employed at Junkers. Later he worked at Koolhoven, another Dutch aircraft manufacturer, on the FK58 (which has certain similarities tot the DXXI). Later on, when war was inevitable, he went to the US and came to work at Republic. Here he had a significant part in the development of the P-47, which on its turn has some similarities to the FK58

Thanks, I enjoyed that, those Frog kits take me back a long time, they used to be pocket money kits when I was a young kid! I used to be proud that I could stick down clear parts without smearing cement all over them, great memories!

Originally designed for the Netherlands East Indies, the DXXI saw service with the Netherlands (fought until they ran out of ammunition in 1940) , Denmark (640hp, 2x synchronised MG, 2x Madsen 20mm, their base was captured before they knew they were at war) and Finland (fair number in both the Winter War and Continuation War until about 1943, using skis in the winter) the Finns flew at least one prototype with retractable landing-gear, but this version was rejected in favour of more Bf 109s. This "Matchbox," kit probably doesn't include decals because the Germans don't like swastikas any more, even blue Finnish ones (The Finns adopted such markings in 1918, but replaced it with a roundel in 1945 as part of their Peace Treaty with the Soviet Union). Latvia used a red Swastika up until 1940, when they vanished from the map. Republican Spain bought 2 aircraft and a license to manufacture, but the Nationalists overran the factory site before manufacture could begin. I found the Frog decals to be excessively thick.

Hi Peter! The Finns started using their version of the Swastika in 1918 -- long before the German Nazis appropriated the symbol. It was first painted on an aircraft donated by Swedish Count Eric von Rosen to the Finnish White forces during their civil war against the Reds. True swastikas are either right-or-left oriented, and the Finnish right-oriented one is a symbol of freedom and independence to them. Technically, since it's oriented at a 45-dgree angle, the Nazi version is not a swastika at all, but a hooked cross. Although dropped from their aircraft, it is still worn on patches of many units of the Finnish armed forces, and often incorporated into traditional dress.

I do like a swing bag kit. Single engine 1/72 kits don't really need a box, and a bag kept prices down. A clear bag also gave the potential purchaser an opportunity to check the mouldings, something a sealed box does not offer. Anyway, the Frog Fokker looks a decent kit for 1962 origins.

Had the Frog kit at one time. Never built it...but it was one of their more classic kits....

I had the frog kit in 1972

Possibly my favourite FROG kit. I just love the shape of it. It looks like it should have featured in one of Hergé's 'Tintin' books, in a bright primary colour. The 'Matchbox' one is screaming out for some detail work to be done on it. And a pilot figure - it'd have to be a kosher Matchbox one, I think.

Lindo! Eu tenho montado e guardei a caixa. Pois a arte da Matchbox é belíssima.

Hi Peter Just a coup[le of things This Kit was never anything to do with Matchbox and the source was actually Pioneer II The Frog Kit is supposed to be a slightly better kit as the Frog Kit has in-accuracies the Pioneer II kit had more I built the Pioneer II Kit up in Finish Markings and the final reveal is on my channel if you want to view it in Finish markings

The reason for the brown underside I have read somewhere was that the Dutch had adopted a ''French'' type of camouflage. I don't know if this is true and if so, why (or even if?) the French ever applied such a colour on the underside of their own aircraft. The lightest colour is ''beige''. I often see this colour applied as a rather fat yellowish brownish hue on models kits of early WW2-era Dutch military aircraft, but other sources claim the correct hue should be a more pale greyish white ochre. Doesn't matter in what beige colour the Dutch Nationaal Militair Museum in Soesterberg paints their D.XXI.

The Finnish swastika was used way before the Nazi's but after 1945 they changed to the white and blue roundel. Interestingly though the flag of the Finnish Airforce was a blue swastika in a winged circled and remained so right until 2020.

I have an Osprey Aircam book on the Finnnish AF that has the swastika on their first aircraft in 1918!!!

FINE. D'o you remember the blackburn buccaneer of Frog ? With a splendid saaf

I think the Matchbox kit was a PM models mold out of Turkey. They had an F-100C kit, also from the 1980's, that I reviewed for a book. The author had to tone down the review because he did not want to be sued! That F-100 was not a very good kit...

Hahaha!!! I remember the Keith Floyd episode, hilarious! Great review Peter.

Another enjoyable video 😁

Anthony Fokker (dutch plane constructor/builder) and Focke-wulf (german company) are 2 completly different cups of tea... 🙂

And yet, annoyingly, they didn't give the option of Finnish decals! Very interesting comment of Peter's about the similarity of looks with the Lysander, but at the same time makes you tremble at the thought of a fighter with some of these characteristics up against the Me109. Still the Dutch did their best and didn't embarrasses themselves and the Finns - as usual - punched way above their weight in their Fokkers!

Nooo! There's no need to debag the kit! I can't watch any more. 😭

Republican Spain actually obtained a license, and set up a factory to build these things, but the Nationalists overran the site before production could start. The Netherlands used a sort of 3-way yin/yang marking in red/white/blue, but changed to the orange triangles/rudder after a Dutch aircraft was shot down by the Luftwaffe - ostensibly in mistake for a British aircraft. The Finns used a blue swastika on a white field from 1918, until the treaty that ended WW2, when they replaced it with a roundel.

I don’t think Focke Wulf had anything to do with Fokker. Separate entities. Great review though👍

I may not be "always most welcome" after I tell you I am building a Matchbox kit at the moment (July 2022). I did have that D.21 kit once upon a time. I can't remember if I completed the build. Probably did.

Those Fokkers were NOT Messerschmits...

Mars is VERY cold. Both Finland and Latvia used swastikas as their air force symbols before the Nazis decided to use it as their symbol.

"Deeh Koo"!? Aaargh! 😲 Pronounce the De in De Kooy so it rhymes with "the", and say Kooy like "boy" only with K instead of B. De Kooy is a famous airbase in Noord Holland that is still used by the Royal Dutch Navy 😃

Mars is very cold... Venus or Mercury on the other hand.... Finland officially had the swastika as it's air force emblem, (a winged swastika), until 2020, although it stopped using it as a roundel after 1945. Finland used it as early as 1918, when they became independent. So it *long pre-dates the NAZI emblem.* PS. As you have already noted - Fokker has nothing to do with Focke-Wulf. Anthony Fokker stopped making aircraft for the Germans after WWI, where he was working at the outbreak of the war. The DXXI was put to brief use against the German invasion fleet after they attacked the Netherlands, shooting down several Ju-52 and at least a couple of 109s, and subsequently used BY the NAZIS after they occupied the country.

Roached decals

Ze Germans!

Nice play of words, and believe it or not, bu indeed the so dreaded "f"word is indeed related to the word "fokker", the word and of course name means actually "breeder". I didn't Revell ever owned the Matchbox brand... to bad it's now owned by the the disgusting "Mattel" brand.