Corgi Fokker DVII
- Jasta 4, Ltn Ernst Udet, June 1918 (AA38902) After rejection by the German Army for being too small, Ernst Udet volunteered as a motorcycle dispatch rider before realising his dream of joining the German Air Service in 1915. Initially an observer, Udet became a pilot achieving 62 victories & commanding Jastas 4, 11 & 37. His awards included the ‘ Iron Cross’ & ‘ Blue Max’. This Fokker DVII is from Jasta 4 & wears one of Udet’s more colourful schemes. The inscription ‘LO!’ on the fuselage is in honour of his girlfriend & the ‘ Du Doch Nicht!!’ on the tail roughly translates to ‘ Surely Not You!!’ a taunt to opponents. Ironically, Udet had to make his escape from this plane using one of the newly introduced ‘ Heinecke’ parachutes. After the war Udet became a stunt & race flyer. In 1934 he accepted a role within the recently formed Luftwaffe & was promoted to Generaloberst in 1940. He soon fell from favour being made a scapegoat for various Luftwaffe failures including defeat in the Battle of Britain & Udet felt pressured enough to commit suicide in November 1941. This limited edition model from Corgi is part of the highly collectable Aviation Archive range of die-cast model aircraft. Scales include 1:48, 1:72 & 1:144 & features aeroplanes from World War I, World War II & the modern era. Most models in the Aviation Archive range are limited editions.