Historic: 

In contrast to the relatively drab presentation of many Allied aircraft operating over the Western Front during the Great War, Luftstreitkrafte units routinely presented their aircraft in brightly coloured and highly distinctive markings, mainly for reasons of combat recognition, but also in part to highlight their confidence and fighting prowess. It is, however, sobering to think that these markings were applied on to nothing more than doped linen and how these intrepid airmen had absolutely no protection from gunfire or explosion whatsoever. Indeed, during the melee of a swirling dogfight, a pilot was in as much danger of being hit by a stray bullet from a friendly machine gun, as he was of being struck by the enemy. In what was rather an unusual occurrence, Royal Prussian Jasta 18 went through an unprecedented change in March 1918, when the unit's commander Rudolf Berthold took all of the pilots under his command with him, when he was transferred to another unit. This left new commander August Raben with a collection of relatively inexperienced pilots and a posting to the heavy fighting near Lille, but despite some early setbacks, soon saw their victory tally increasing.

Jasta 18 were known as the "Red Noses" for obvious reasons, but under Raben's command, he changed the colour of his aircraft from the previous blue to predominantly red and white. The unit's insignia of a black raven was retained, as this was strikingly similar to the personal emblem he carried on his own aircraft (after his surname) - most of the fighters of Jasta 18 would carry the black raven on either side of their fuselage. In addition to carrying the black raven on the side of his aircraft, Hamburg native Kurt Monnington also painted a sinister skull and crossbones on his aircraft, a personal emblem which was related to the Army unit with which he began his military career and where he won the Iron Cross 2nd class. Embarking on his flying service with a reconnaissance unit, Monnington would not score his first aerial victory until joining Jasta 18 and "Staffel Raben" in March 1918, but would end the war with eight confirmed victories, the majority of which were scored over British bombers. Initially flying the Albatros D. V on joining Jasta 18, he took delivery of his new Fokker D. VII fighter during the following May and would use this aircraft to score all his aerial victories. Surviving the war, Monnington passed away in his native Hamburg in February 1939 aged 47, however, his name was circulated once more many years later, when his great nephew made a request for information relating to his pilot relative on various enthusiast websites. It appears that all his great granduncle's records, photographs and wartime memorabilia had been destroyed during an RAF bombing raid in 1944 and he was hoping that historians and enthusiasts could help him in the production a record of his Great War flying service. Hopefully, he found what he was looking for and that this model might make for a fitting addition.

Info: Fokker D.VII Luftstreitkrafte Jasta 18, Kurt Monnington, Western Front, May 1918