The group build to end all group builds - THE GREAT WAR

Well, the SVSM 2012 Kickoff Classic in San Jose was a little disappointing on the Great War side.   Absolutely no WWI armor was represented, and only a couple of bipes from the war:

A very nice1:32 Sopwith Pup.  My photos don't do it justice...the lighting wasn't that good and when I tried to use my flash it altered the colors and washed out some of the subtle shading and highlights.

And a little 1:72 .....???   Shoot, I forgot to check the tag on this one.  Maybe a Spad??

Yeah Mike, I've just been busy with other projects, but the Pfalz is still on my plate!  I'll post photos tomorrow as I'm still working on the armor project and want to "git er done!" so I can focus on the bipe!  The armor is an old Italeri BT-5 for the "Ostfront II" GB.  Here's a link to the GB thread with my latest update:  /forums/t/141690.aspx?PageIndex=9

Paul, man o man you're wearing me out just READING about all the work you're going to do on that Roden kit!!  Sounds killer though!  I'm definitely keeping an eye out for this....you AC builders are amazing and I get to learn all kinds of cool stuff from you!

ruddratt wrote the following:

Definitely looking forward to seeing those Seimens Schuckerts too! 

Well Mike, am not really planning on building the old (and I do mean OLD) Eduard 1/48th scale Schuckerts at this time.  They are of the same quality as my Hannover kit and I don't really feel up to putting in that kind of work at this time.  Besides am thinking of building only one of them as a D.III (late), The other I am planning on doing the mod thing and making it into a D.IV (scratch built wings anyone?).

I am only planning on building the Roden 1/32 kit for now.  It has enough headaches to deal with as it is. The louver panel behind and below the engine needs to have all the louvers opened up and that will be tricky as they are both innie and outie type louvers.  That means that half of the louver is punched out in the original piece and the part on the other side of the hole is punched in making a larger directed airflow.  That is going to be the most challenging part to do it correctly.  A lot of drilling with small drills and some new tricks to thin the panel.  Also the canyons that are engraved in the fuselage to show panel lines are going to have to be filled and re-scribed.  In addition I read that hand hold openings at the rear of the fuselage are not quite in the correct place.

Those are the main things.  I will have to come up with some instrument faces since the kit has none.  (instruments but no faces    )  Not much scratch building should be needed, just rework.

As for painting, I have the markings chosen, just not sure yet if I am going to use the lozenge decals or not (probably not).  Have read that the colors on the decals are not quite correct and I really don't like to use LARGE decals.  Have a plan in place to paint the pattern (of course) but will have to finish a tool I started back early last year.  Built the tool and tested it.  (sort of worked needed a LOT of changes)  Have it worked out now and much simplified (read as IMPROVED)  Painting the lozenge will also allow the ability to pre-shade and make tone adjustments.  Wood pattern for the plywood have a plan for that too.  Will have to dig out some old D&D doors to get the color right for the base pattern.  Then over coat with the darkening coat.  Should be interesting.  

Thanks Ernest!

Been wondering where you've been. I am really looking forward to seeing pics of the Pfalz, as well as the builds from the San Jose show.

....and what armor kit are you working on? Would love to see some pics of that as well.

Sorry guys, I've been doing a little work on the Pfalz and at the same time some work on another armor build.  Looks like more excellent work has been accomplished here!!

Mike - First, I'm very glad the X-Rays didn't show any problems.  Good health is more important than good models!  Second (and a very close second!!) the DR 1 looks just amazing!  You did a fantastic job on it and its inspiring me to do well on the Glencoe kit.  I'm so glad I watched that "Red Baron" movie, because it had DR 1s that looked very close to yours!! 

Eric - thanks for the "Hells Angels" movie tip.  Never watched it, but I do recal some scenes about it in "The Aviator" movie about Howard Hughes (diCaprio).  I'll have to check it out sometime.

I'll post some pics on the Pfalz this weekend.  Tomorrow I'm going to the Silicon Valley Scale Modelers model show in San Jose!  I'll make sure to take pics of all the Great War builds and post them here!

Thank you kindly, Paul ! ...and yep, that photo discussion we had earlier on this thread was invaluable. Lot's of great tips - I'm extremely happy with the pics I took, but there's still a lot of room for improvement.

Definitely looking forward to seeing those Seimens Schuckerts too!

Eric, first off, thank you very much for the nice comments about my DR.I. I've always thought it was a neat little aircraft and was eager to add one or two to my collection. I'm not familiar with the Academy/Hobby Boss DR.1 in 1/32. The only ones I know of in that scale are the Roden kit and an upgrade to Roden's entry released by Squadron.

I'm going to keep my eyes open for that movie as well. Looks like it would be an interesting viewing, especially the way you described the aerial tactics.

....and as Marc said, yep this GB is going to go on for quite a while, which is great news. For that, I'm very grateful.

The Triplane is looking VERY NICE there Mike!  The photos are quite an improvement as well!

Been working on newsletter for the local club and trying to make a major dent on my Night Fighter build.  Researching the Seimens Schuckert D.III so as to do a build up of the Roden kit that I have.  Also have 2 of the old Eduard 1/48 kits of that plane.  Located some decals for the 1/32 scale kit that are done by a fellow in France.  There are a number of nice markings though I believe that the one I will build I can do some masks and airbrush the markings.  That coupled with the reference I have aquired and the few items that I am going to order from Sprue Bros it should be fairly straight forward on the build.

If I can keep my nose to the grindstone I might even have something at the local IPMS contest here in Memphis, May 26th.

Good to hear. The subject deserves a permanent home, especially with WNW bringing new people to biplanes and an odd revival in the industry's interest in pre-WWII ship modeIs. (Zvezda's got Dreadnought out: Bronco's turn of the century kits have done well, and now Trumpie has a 1/700 1918 version of their new 1/350 1942 Queen Elizabeth: a 1918 1/350 version will almost certainly follow.)

I've got an Academy Nieuport that is either 1st or 2d on the airplane build list. (Have to warm up biplane skills before doing my WNW Pfalz III. Still don't really get buckles - better to practice on a $15 kit. The WNW kit is almost too pretty to build.) My next build is the ancient Glencoe 1/225 USS Oregon that was a prominent member of the posse at Santiago in 1898 - after sailing from the Pacific -almost as far as the Rooskies sailed to get to Tsushima. It's for the "Castles of Steel" GB, but I'll send a pic here (unless it's a catastrophe) as Oregon was used for reserve purposes during the War to End War. (After which it was made a museum. Then in the war after the war to end war it was put into third rate service and sadly scrapped. To think, Mikasa could have had a twin in Oregon today.)

Eric

There really isn't an end date fpor this GB any longer.  If someone wants to through somethibng in the mix... who am i to say no

Couple of things:

First, very sweet triplane. It is very good to see that you did penance by giving it an absolutely outstanding camo job. (I belong to an interesting old fasioned WWI model mailing list - mostly bipes. Triplanes are in general considered a kit for the unwashed - basically no rigging you see.)  I've got a little stash of Pay Pal cash and I'm thinking of what to use it on. I think a 1/32 Hobby Boss/Academy tripe would be a good choice. Des Latorre considers it a decent kit and I really like 1/32 for WWI. I could have bought the thing a year ago on Scale Hobbyist for $18. Des just did their Camel and the guy's a genius. Should note he's got his first scratch build on display with (as usual) an extremely detailed photo-build. It's simply amazing and he makes it look like a human could do it (minus the engine: need a mini-lathe for that).  Just in case anyone's missed it, check out http://www.ww1aircraftmodels.com/. I consider it one of the best and most useful site serving the modeling community. Doesn't hurt that Des is a splendid gent. Anyway, I will steal your camo scheme - couldn't possibly come up with a better one. (If I ever build an Albatross III, it will be red.)

Second, if you want to see WWI aircraft in action the holy grail is Howard Hughes great movie "Hells Angels" (1929) which is available at Netflix or Amazon. The plot is insane, although Jean Harlow is there in "pre-code" mode: you can see why she generated lust. That said, the fully reconditioned film boasts extraordinary special effects - a Zeppelin raid early in the film will rattle your tree. But it's the live action shots, which make up nearly half the film, that are amazing. The planes were the real deal: SE-5s are the most common but there are Camels and even some DVIIs (guess they weren't all destroyed.) The stunt flyers included some combat veterans from across Europe and the US - their last chance to play hard in fighter aircraft. (The star player is a Handley Paige bomber that is put through stunt flying that amazes.) Hughes was working in a world where lawyers worked for people that had money and risks were part of the game: no director today would consider putting men into the danger those guys were in. (I'll leave you to decide whether one film of a head-on collision was a fake - as claimed by Hughes - or the real deal as claimed by some reporters.) No CGI will ever come close to replicating the combat scenes in Hells Angels. And it's a priceless source document. The formations and even the maneuvers employed were genuine and the sense of how cramped those battles were comes across splendidly. It makes any modern film look sad. It's just a really terrible flick. (A little like "Birth of a Nation" DW Griffith's racist account of the Civil War. The battle scene advisers were Civil War veterans. The film was made in 1915 so there were still a couple million vets around. So an unusual look at the Civil War and a bad epoch in American social history. Movie is presently available for free streaming to Netflix account holders.)

Last, is this GB going to end? It certainly has been a good one - even if I chickened out on the Emher Mark V tank.

Eric

Jack, thanks for the comments and the well-wishes!

For the tail surfaces, it was a matter of lightly feathering some Tamiya weather powders between the ribs, carefully, without overdoing it. On the wheel hubs, I shot a light dusting of Tamiya Deck Tan into the center over a background color of Tamiya Khaki Drab. Some dark earth and sooty-colored Tamiya powder feathered around the outer edge of the rims finished it off. Glad you like it!

Mike - your Fokker turned out awesome!

How did you achieve the feathered colour gradation on the the tail and hubs?

Best wishes on getting that shoulder on the mend.

regards,

Jack

Many thanks fellas! Those were all awesome comments and I do appreciate them very much!

Waikong, sorry to hear you're feeling under the weather - hope you're feeling better soon!

Marc, the shoulder injury came from a tumble I took on the ice. It bore the entire brunt of the fall and took quite a hit. Not sure how long ago it was (6 weeks maybe?), but it's still pretty sore. ....and take care of that thumb of yours. I'm hoping everything goes well at the docs.

My next entry for this GB will be to finish up that WnW SE.5. It's been sitting in limbo way too long. First though, I need to attend to a few other GB commitments, but I'll still be around!

Marc, sorry to hear about your thumb. Best of luck at the doctors. I'm actually sick at home too - "getting old stinks, until you think about the alternative"

P.S. That brings the build total to 20

The DRi came out fantastic! LOve the streaking, the black/white scheme, and those nice pe macine gun jackets.

Mike, Mikester, Mike-a-arama.   D,D,D,D,D,DAY-UM!  That's nice. Are you going to start the "pretty" one now?

Got you on the website and tweaked to color balance a little.  Hope I went in the right direction.

Got to go back cuz I missed what's up with your shoulder.  What' ever it is I hope it's OK.  I am going through a thing with the MC joint at the base of my thumb.  Getting worse by the day and I can get a doc appt. 'til Friday.  I won't be able to hold a pen by them

or perhaps

OH WOW

Outstanding work and the photos are head and shoulders  above your earlier ones.

Oh and do confirm once again that your shoulder injury was not, from patting yerself on the back, as told to me by...

... Cough-Cough (sorry bit of dust) ,  eh?

Thanks for the well-wishes fellas, and Ernest, glad I could help inspire you to take a crack at these amazing machines. I'm very much looking forward to seeing them all.  As the x-ray tech did not freak out after viewing my shoulder, I'm assuming there's no broken bones or anything like that - probably just soft tissue damage. I'll be getting the full low-down this friday.

....and now, some pics (of the DR1 of course, not my shoulder ). Have to say I really enjoyed this kit, and I'm glad it's the dual combo version, because I get to do it all over again. Anyway, I hope you enjoy looking at the pics (which I'm glad to say are getting much better thanks to all the great advice on this thread).

Yes the above mentioned movie is German made, but received harsh reviews.  The action scenes are great, as well as the background scenery (a whole town was computer generated).  It's downfall was fictitious events and the scenes jumped abruptly from one time frame to the next.  For a person with no knowledge of the Red Baron and WW1, it would be tough to follow.

regards,

Jack

Mike, take care of that shoulder and get better soon!  You're one of my inspirations for bulding these WWI bipes!!

On a side note, I was flipping through the movie channels this morning and found a 2008 German movie called, "The Red Baron".  I don't know how accurate it is, but the aerial scenes with all those Great War aircraft was amazing!  I kept rewinding to check out the paint and camo schemes of all the fighters!!    To be honest, I've never watched any WWI movies with aircraft (like "The Blue Max"), but I found this movie fascinating!

Mike, sorry to hear about your shoulder. Best of luck at the doctors.

Copy that, waikong. I miss seeing Marc's builds as well. So many of the detailing techniques he uses are really quite innovative.

Work has been progressing steadily on the DR.I. Most of the fiddly bits are on, so I've been focusing on the gun assembly and doing a bit more weathering. The next pics I post will most likely be of the completed build, with some detail shots of the guns (those AM sets for the Spandaus are little gems).

On a side note, has to go get some x-rays this morning - that shoulder of mine still has been more than a bit wonky the past few weeks, and got me to thinking that maybe I oughta get it looked at and see if there's anything out of whack.

Ah, it's that time of year again. My output last year though was poor, not too many contest worthy builds. The only one that stood a chance was done as a gift for a decorated Vietnam pilot - and that's been shiped off already. 

If you don't show up, you will be sorely missed.  I always enjoy your displays, especially those 1/144 eye sight harming wonders.  I was looking forward to see your wingnut wings butilds too.  Well, hope you show up and hope you get your modellilng *** back.

Waikong, when I saw your post i immediately thought of Mosquito Con and how I put a post up in the Gen'l area.  I almost forgot... maybe cuz it's not too likely I will be going.  But it's not an impossibility either

Geez, gave me a good shock there with your 'out of it comment' Marc. Glad to hear you are still going to be in the hobby, I always look forward to seeing your builds online and in person. It would be a loss to the modeling community if you stopped.

EBergerud

...because biplanes are terrific display items (as are elaborately rigged ships) - the Camel is always the plane people first notice even though it's far from my best work.

I totally agree. When people look at my completed builds, it's the bipes that get the first and most 'ooooohs' and 'aaaahhhs'. Not a ship guy myself, but I did build a fully rigged Constitution for my dad many years back, and to this day it is still quite the conversation piece when his friends come to visit (I invested about four months on that build - longest for any of my projects).

I agree 100% Ruddratt on Marc's builds I have seen many in person and all I can say is wow......I don't know how he does it lol......Thanks for the info on posting the badges

John

John I doubt I am out for good.  It would take a significant shift in the balance of the universe for that to happen  When I go through the stash and make a list i will let you know.

Mike... WOW. Thask so much for those kind words. From a modeler sucj as yourself that is no small compliments.

Ed...How strong is this tacky glue you mention?  Where would make it in a comparison to gluing a PE part to plastic with say Elmer's at the low end and CA at the high end?