Anytime, my friend!

Hiya mates

Mike, good to have you back and really swell that you had a joyous time at the modelshop

Also a little update on my little project, the kit is a Pfalz as I thought, actually a Pfalz DIII, of Eduards making. Got it quite cheap as well,NKr 198 for the combo(double)kit,with a shitload of decalversions(7 I think) and an amazing bundle of etchings on top of the paintmasks

A real bargin, as modelkits in good ole Norway tends to be real expensive.NKr 198 will say in the neighbourhood of £16.

Will have to say that I`m quite intimidated by all those tiny etched parts thoug, but dare nought win nought, so thumbs up for myself,and patience `till I`m done with my other projects,namely the spitfire GB

Tony-

Yep, that oughta get you in!  I put you down on the list!

Dave, triumf, feels great to be back!  

Bob, I've yet to build a Roden D.VII, but here's a review....

http://kits.kitreview.com/roden415reviewrb_1.htm

I have built an Eduard D.VII, so I'll do my best to compare the two based on what I've read and what I've actually done.

There is no major cleanup of parts required on the Eduard kit except for the usual mold lines present on every model. These are small on the Eduard kit and easily dealt with. The upper and lower wing halves fit great, so when cleaning up the seams after gluing there is no loss of the scalloping on the trailing edges. The Eduard cockpit appears to be more comprehensive than the Roden kit, but not by much...the Roden cockpit still looks real nice. Here it's the PE that makes the difference and gives the edge to Eduard. I know for a fact that with careful alignment, the struts on the Eduard kit require no trimming to properly mount the upper wing. Eduard does not give you the option of building it with the engine completely exposed...kind of a shame, because the engine is gorgeous! Roden does not appear to supply you with lozenge for the inner cockpit walls and rear cockpit bulkheads like the Eduard kit does. That was a real nice touch on Eduard's part. The guns with the Roden kit look a lot nicer than the Eduard ones, until you add all that PE...then the Eduard guns kick butt! Both kits give you separate ailerons for the upper wing and elevator/rudder for the tail surfaces (I really like that!).....just be careful how you position the stick and rudder pedals if you show these in anything but a neutral position.

The wing rib detail is more pronounced on the Eduard kit (Roden's is more to scale and probably more accurate), but once the lozenge is applied, the locations for all those rib tapes will be easier to see on the Eduard kit, and the rib detail will also look less conspicuous and more to scale at that point.

The main gear assembly on the Eduard kit is tricky....4 individual struts that have to be lined up at the same time and mounted to both the lower fuselage/wing and the axle, so you're basically dealing with eight attachment points at once. It takes a little fiddling, but everything lines up properly. The Roden kit might be easier there, but the Eduard kit will look more accurate.

I can't vouch for Roden's decals having never actually tried them, but the Eduard decals went on without a problem, and I like the fact that their lozenge decals/rib tapes are pre-cut to the shapes/lengths you need and require little trimming. Plus, you get both 4-color and 5-color lozenge. Both kits give you options for 4 aircraft, but Eduards are far more comprehensive, and the full-color instructions are very nicely printed.

One more note on the Eduard cockpit...aligning each part individually (gluing it to one fuselage half and taping the halves together with the part aligned) and giving it a little time to set up before moving on to the next one will assure you of a near-perfect fit of all major cockpit components between both fuselage halves.

The Eduard kit, with a little patience, pretty much just falls together. It's about as close to a 'shake & bake' as one can get for a WWI biplane.

Now, I know I haven't covered everything, but if you have any specific questions about the Eduard kit, I'll be more than happy to answer them the best I can.

Happy to help, Bob!

There is quite a bit more rigging on the Albatros than on the D.VII, but rigging is always tedious, no matter how much or how little. The tricky part is working around existing rigging to install more. Here is where careful planning is needed....always work from the inside, out. I use .007" stainless steel wire I purchased from smallparts, Inc.. I just measure the length with a set of calipers, cut is slightly oversize, then test fit and trim until it fits straight. All this is done with the holes already pre-drilled with a #80 bit. There is also a material called EZ-line. I've used this as well, and the kit prep (pre-drilling the holes) is the same as it is for using stainless steel wire, so it's possible to switch mediums mid-stream if you wish. Here's the link.......

http://www.bobeshobbyhouse.com/ezl.html

Bob, you can always build both of 'em!

waikong, not much to tell. It glues easily with CA, it doesn't fray and it looks great. When I attach it, I CA it to pre-drilled holes after I've cut it to about 90% of the actual length I need. Plenty of leeway here as your measurements do not have to be as precise as when using stainless steel wire. This allows it to stretch and remain taut without putting much stress on the attachment points. One disadvantage it seems to have over the stainless steel is that it's not as effective in adding structural strength to wing assemblies and the like. Another is that it is best attached between struts on a biplane after both wings are mounted. This way the elastic properties will not pull the strut end-points out of alignment with their corresponding mounting points on the upper wing. Depending on where the mounting points are, stainless steel wire can be attached before the upper wing is installed, and can actually aid in making sure all the attachment points stay in proper alignment.

LOL!   Marc, this is one of the few places I can actually get a word in (at least until my wife shows up ).

...and Finescale Models is awesome! You name it, he's got it! If I hadn't found out about it here, chances are I would have never found it there, as I had no plans on taking the Sea Bus up to N. Vancouver.

That's a neat kit, Darren, and it, along with your superb modeling skills, will make an excellent contribution to this GB. Glad to have you on board, buddy!

Mike, Frank,

thanks lads! I'll be asking lots of advice when I start this one as I am hopeless at rigging.

So, just to entertain the troops.....here's one I made earlier. Waaaay earlier! This is the 1/28 Revell kit of Manfred von Richthoven's Fokker DR.1. I built this one about 8 years ago, needless to say its nothing amazing but I keep it on the shelf as I still like it. 

BTW, the kit itself is not that easy as I remember, the wings were a real pain to fit. As for the rigging......well, I know better these days!