What is the Fokker D.VIII?

The Fokker D.VIII (originally the Fokker E.V) was a German parasol-monoplane fighter of WWI, designed by Reinhold Platz and the last Fokker design to enter operational service with the German Air Service. Known as the Flying Razor by Allied pilots, it had the distinction of scoring the last aerial victory of WWI. After wing failure accidents led to a temporary grounding, it was strengthened and redesignated the D.VIII.

Kit Cutters Completion Guide

Ron Weiss Giant-Scale Short Kit — 1/3 Scale

112" Fokker D.VIII

Q: What's the finished size and weight of this Fokker D.VIII?

112" wingspan, 84" length at 1/3 scale. Finished weight is 26–28 lb. These figures come from Ron Weiss's published Fokker D.VIII specification.

The Flying Razor — Germany's last fighter of WWI and the aircraft that scored the war's final aerial victory — in 1/3 scale.

Buy the Kit — $276.00 See Everything You Need

Wingspan

112 in

Length

84 in

Scale

1/3

Weight (AUW)

26–28 lb

Power

62–100cc gas

Gear

Fixed wire

Skill

Advanced

A Legend, Faithfully Cut

The Fokker D.VIII — originally designated the E.V — was designed by Reinhold Platz and entered service in the final months of WWI as Germany's most advanced fighter. Allied pilots called it the Flying Razor for its high parasol wing and slender silhouette. It was the last Fokker design to become operational with the German Air Service, and it scored the last aerial victory of the war on November 11, 1918 — the final day of fighting. Ron Weiss's 1/3 scale giant design captures that distinctive single-wing parasol layout faithfully, with one significant advantage over the WWII warbirds in this catalog: no retracts, no canopy, and one of the shortest accessory lists in the lineup.

Kit Cutters supplies the precision laser-cut wood. This guide covers the rest: the honest, model-specific list of what you'll buy to complete it, with real sources for every part.

112-inch Ron Weiss Fokker D.VIII giant-scale RC WWI fighter in flight

What's in the Box?

Included in the Short Kit

Precision laser-cut wood parts only — ribs, formers, shaped parts
Two-piece parasol wing rib set
Fuselage formers and shaped parts

⬇ Download Pack List (PDF)

Required Separately

Plans / building instructions (buy from Ziroli — copyright)
Spars, sheeting, and stick balsa
Engine (62–100cc gas), cowl, covering, electronics
No canopy — open cockpit
No retracts — fixed wire gear built per plan

Everything Else You Need to Complete This Kit

The Fokker D.VIII has one of the shortest accessory lists of any kit in this catalog — no retracts, no canopy, fixed wire gear built per plan. What you do need is well-sourced and available directly from Ziroli.

Power System

Gas

Ron Weiss specifies 62–100cc gas for the 1/3 scale version. The plan shows a generic 3 cu in engine. The DA-60, DA-70, or DA-85 suit the 26–28 lb finished weight well.

Engine	62–100cc gas (plan shows generic 3 cu in engine). DA-60, DA-70, or DA-85 are proven choices for this weight range.	Desert Aircraft
Fuel tank	Dubro or B&B Specialties tank, sized to engine	Ziroli
Prop hub washer	Ziroli WWI prop hub washer — specific to this class of WWI gas-powered models	Ziroli
Prop	Sized per engine; a scale-look 2-blade wood prop suits the WWI aesthetic	Builder preference

Cowl

Designer sells

Ron Weiss DR-1 / D.VIII fiberglass cowl

Multi-layer fiberglass cowl — shared between the Ron Weiss DR-1 Triplane and D.VIII designs

Ziroli

Landing Gear

No purchase needed

Fixed wire gear	Fixed wire gear built per plan — no retracts, no air kit, no pneumatic system. Significantly simpler than any WWII warbird in this catalog.	Per plan
Main wheels	Dubro Vintage Scale Wheels — period-correct spoked WWI wheel appearance	Ziroli

The D.VIII's fixed wire gear is one of the most builder-friendly aspects of this kit. No retract mechanism, no air plumbing, no separate gear purchase — just bent wire per the plan and the Dubro Vintage Scale Wheels for scale appearance.

Servos

4+ channels

Ailerons	2× 65+ oz-in, ball bearing	Builder preference
Elevator	1× 65+ oz-in, ball bearing	Builder preference
Rudder	1× 90+ oz-in, ball bearing	Builder preference
Throttle	1× 50 oz-in	Builder preference

Minimum 4 channels — ailerons, elevator, rudder, throttle. No flap servo, no gear servo. The simplest servo configuration of any model in this catalog.

Covering & Finishing

Covering	Solartex iron-on fabric cloth recommended for WWI linen appearance; or 1 oz fiberglass cloth and resin on fuselage	Chief Aircraft / specialty
Paint	German Luftstreitkräfte scheme — streaky lozenge camouflage on wings, grey fuselage; or late-war solid colors	Builder preference

Scale Accessories

All from Ziroli

Oberursel UR2 dummy engine	1/3 scale cast resin Oberursel UR2 rotary engine kit — scale replica of the actual D.VIII powerplant. Fits inside the fiberglass cowl.	Ziroli
WWI Spandau machine gun	Scale WWI Spandau with gun sight — resin kit. The D.VIII was armed with two synchronized Spandau LMG 08/15 guns.	Ziroli

Hardware

Control horns & linkages	Sized per plan; parasol wing requires cabane strut and wing wire rigging	Specialty RC retailer
Hinges	Flat hinges or Robart hinge points	Robart / specialty
Wing wire rigging	Scale rigging wire for the parasol wing support struts and bracing wires — per plan	Specialty RC retailer

Detailed Specifications

Wingspan	112 in
Fuselage length	84 in
Scale	1/3 (4" = 1 ft)
Weight (AUW)	26–28 lb
Power	62–100cc gas (plan shows generic 3 cu in engine)
Wing	Two-piece parasol monoplane — high-mounted above fuselage on cabane struts
Gear	Fixed wire — no retracts
Canopy	N/A — open cockpit
Min. radio channels	4 (aileron, elevator, rudder, throttle)

Specs from Ron Weiss's published Fokker D.VIII plan specification, sold through Nick Ziroli Plans. The plan consists of three large sheets illustrating all structure. Fixed wire gear and two-piece wing throughout.

Ron Weiss

Ron Weiss is known for his exceptional WWI giant-scale designs, including the Fokker DR-1 Triplane and D.VIII. His plans are distributed through Nick Ziroli Plans and are recognized for structural accuracy and authentic scale representation of WWI aircraft. The D.VIII cowl is shared with the DR-1 design.

Plans distributed by Ziroli Plans · Plans must be purchased separately (copyright).

Get Ron Weiss Plans

The Build Journey

The D.VIII is a more straightforward build than the WWII warbirds — no retracts, no multi-piece wing systems, and a shorter accessory list. The most distinctive challenge is the parasol wing construction and the cabane strut and wire rigging system that supports it above the fuselage. Treat these ranges as a rough sense of scope.

Where a short kit saves you time

The plan includes full-size templates for all parts. A Kit Cutters short kit removes the entire parts-cutting stage — your ribs, formers, and wing parts arrive precision laser-cut and labeled, so you start at assembly.

Plans only (hand-cut)

You trace and cut every rib and former from raw stock using the plan templates, then build.

more time, lower part cost

Short kit (laser-cut)

All parts arrive laser-cut and labeled. Skip straight to assembly.

less time, cleaner fit

The four stages of assembly

Stage 1: Fuselage Assembly

The D.VIII's rounded fuselage with its open cockpit.

Align and pin main fuselage formers
Build the open cockpit area
Install engine mount and firewall
Fit fixed wire gear mounting

Stage 2: Parasol Wing Assembly

The two-piece high-mounted parasol wing — the D.VIII's defining feature.

Build port and starboard wing panels
Install aileron hinges and linkages
Build the cabane strut system
Mount wing above fuselage and rig bracing wires

Stage 3: Tail Assembly

Conventional tail group — straightforward construction.

Build the horizontal stabilizer
Build elevator surfaces
Assemble fin and rudder
Install fixed tailskid per plan

Stage 4: Systems & Final Assembly

Engine, scale details, covering, and pre-flight.

Install engine and fit fiberglass cowl
Install Oberursel dummy engine inside cowl
Cover with Solartex and paint lozenge scheme
Install Spandau gun details

Frequently Asked Questions

The short kit is laser-cut wood parts only. To complete it you'll also need the Ron Weiss plans, spars and sheeting, a 62–100cc gas engine, fiberglass cowl, covering, and finishing supplies. There is no landing gear to buy — the D.VIII uses fixed wire gear built per plan. There is also no canopy — it is an open cockpit aircraft.

No. The D.VIII uses fixed wire landing gear built per plan. No retracts, no pneumatic system, no air kit. This significantly simplifies the build and reduces the accessory list compared to WWII warbirds.

Plans are purchased separately from Nick Ziroli Plans (ziroligiantscaleplans.com), who distributes Ron Weiss plans. The plan is $60 and consists of three large sheets illustrating all structure. Kit Cutters supplies the laser-cut wood; Ziroli supplies the plans and accessories.

The Fokker D.VIII (originally the E.V) was a German parasol-monoplane fighter of WWI, designed by Reinhold Platz. Known as the Flying Razor by Allied pilots, it was the last Fokker design to enter operational service with the German Air Service and scored the last aerial victory of WWI on November 11, 1918.

Ron Weiss specifies 62–100cc gas for the 1/3 scale version. The plan shows a generic 3 cu in engine (approximately 50cc equivalent). Builders commonly use the DA-60, DA-70, or DA-85 for the 26–28 lb finished weight range.

1/3 scale (4" = 1 ft). The wingspan is 112", length 84", and finished weight is 26–28 lb. The plan consists of three large sheets illustrating all structure, with fixed wire gear and two-piece wing construction.

The Oberursel UR2 is a 1/3 scale cast resin dummy rotary engine — a scale replica of the actual engine used in the Fokker D.VIII. It fits inside the fiberglass cowl to give the model an authentic rotary engine appearance. The real D.VIII used the Oberursel Ur.II rotary of 110 hp.

112" wingspan, 84" length at 1/3 scale (4" = 1 ft). Finished weight is 26–28 lb. These figures come from Ron Weiss's published Fokker D.VIII specification.

Ready to Build Your Fokker D.VIII?

Buy the 112" Fokker D.VIII Kit — $276.00

Prices and availability are subject to change — verify on each vendor's site before ordering. Kit Cutters supplies laser-cut wood parts only; plans and accessories are sold by their respective vendors.

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