Knights of the Sky WWI GB The End

Glad to hear that, John!

Been busy myself sanding/scraping some of the molded-in cockpit detail away to make room for the PE on my DH.2.

Here is a link to photo from the Kermit Weeks museum, I don't know if this is an original or a replica. 

http://www.fantasyofflight.com/aircraftpages/fokkerdviii.htm

Edit:

Apparently there is only one authentic D VIII, which is in Italy.  I know I have some magazine articles on a replica built from research on the Italian airplane, in an old Air Progress or Air Classics.  I think that replica is now at the Seattle Museum of Flight, but it is Warner powered.

Daywalker wrote:

Does anyone know where I can find some good photos of the interior of a DVIII?  I just realized I have a bunch of reference photos of just about everything but the cockpit.

The Lafayette Foundation is finishing a modern replica of the Fokker E.V / D.VIII.

 I have done the recent issue Eduard kit for a kit review.  Its on my site (for lots of images) but for a free version see;here.

I know I wanted to use this build for the Campaign but  I had to get it finished (its been purchased.) So I'll have to start the year long campaign with the 1/48 Roden Bristol Fighter F2b.  So for encouragement and since I posted some inprogress shot of the build on page 14, here is the finished product.  Planet Models Rumpler C.IV.

Well, I'm here too.  Got started on the Albatross today by removing all the airframe parts from their respective sprues, and cleaning them up good. What a beautiful kit!!

Even though this kit SCREAMS for detail, I've decided to do this one straight OOB (other than the rigging,) and shy away from any PE or resin stuff. It seems to sometimes make things drag on too long, and snag a bit of the joy of model building!! 

It comes with great looking kit decals, and I'm going to build the 2nd option, which is the aircraft flown by the "Blau Maus."  All blue--hard to pull off, but sounds nice to me.  Stephen, I haven't gotten a chance to check your site for info, but I'm sure there's some on there on this guy, huh?  Please forgive my WWI ignorance.

Here's a shot of the workspace a few moments ago.  I swear that those aren't 109s sitting on the side there.. um..those...um...     Well, they won't hold me up too bad, anyway!! 

MrDrummy wrote:

Well, I'm here too.  Got started on the Albatros (D.III)  today by removing all the airframe parts from their respective sprues, and cleaning them up good. What a beautiful kit!!. . .It comes with great looking kit decals, and I'm going to build the 2nd option, which is the aircraft flown by the "Blau Maus."  All blue--hard to pull off, but sounds nice to me.  Stephen, I haven't gotten a chance to check your site for info, but I'm sure there's some on there on this guy, huh?  Please forgive my WWI ignorance.

Greetings Mr. Drummy;

The machine you are interested in is indeed on my site in the Alb. D.III CD catagory.  The title is "Wearing a Prussian Front".  This was a comment alluding to the fact pilots would rather wear the Prussian awards than those of the minor states in Germany.  These were usually Black and white enameling on gold and silver.  Jasta Boelcke's markings on their Albatros fighters were a white tail with black trim.  I did the machines of Voss & Ltn Frommherz (your fellow of the blau Maus).  Now there was an interesting chap.

The service record of Ltn.d.R. Hermann Frommherz

Coming from Kampf Geschwader 1 (Bombing unit one) he arrived at Jasta 2 on 22 March, 1917. On 1 May, 1917 he was received minor injuries in a crash but stayed with the Jasta.

On 24 October, 1917 he was transferred to the DFW operated Flieger Schule at Leübeck - Travemunde and served as a flight instructor.

He was transferred from Leübeck - Travemunde on 18 May, 1918 back to Jasta 2 (Boelcke.)

On 29 July, 1918 he was transferred to temporary command Jasta 27 in the same fighter group as Jasta 2 (Boelcke) - JG.III

On 7 August, 1918 the position was made permanent and he served as the Jasta 27 commander until the end of hostilities.

Quite the dashing fellow in his photos.

His Albatros D.III from production batch 1910-2200/16 represents the machine flown by Ltn. des Res. Hermann Frommherz while he served with Jasta 2(Boelcke) during April - May 1917. It should have a white tail unit ( Horizontal and vertical with a narrow black band around the fuselage at the juncture of these units.) This was the Jasta's unit marking during time. In all other respects the profile is generally accurate for Frommherz's "Blau Maus". The black and white sash that wraps around the fuselage needs to be fitted so that the sash slightly overlaps the forward and lower fuselage cross arms. The directions shows a gap between these items and this is not accurate for the profile. The term "Blau Maus" come from a nickname given to Albatros C.III two seaters that in one production batch came from the factory with an overall coat of light blue. The unit markings on these machines were often in black and white. It has been speculated that Ltn. Frommherz may have employed the paint scheme from his early days flying an 2 - seater Alb. C.III to the Albatros D.III we see here.

The first bad surprise after opening the box was the wing. Nicely curved:

But it should be straight! Why do I actually have to manufacture the parts by myselft when I buy a kit? Never had to bend styrene, but after reading around in the forum it seemed that hot water and some pieces of wood should do the trick.

First I put it straight between the wood, but after it cooled down and the wood was removed, it flexed back a little. Much better than in the beginning, but not good enough. So I "overbent" (is this an English word? Hmmmm.) it a bit on purpose

and voila: 

 
Feels (and looks) much better now...

 SD

John, Thank you for that link, nice photo of the interior there!

Stephen, Thanks for that link, I am very excited to read it and look at your build photos!

SD, Nicely done on your curved wing!  I tried that technique to straighten out the dive flaps on my Dauntless, but got the water too hot and melted one of them!   Luckily, there was a PE set for it that saved my backside!

Justin, Glad you're still here!  Those '109s shouldn't slow you down too much, nice kits and quick, enjoyable builds!

MMmmmmmmm..................25 minutes until this one is a "GO!"

Go ahead and stick me down for a 1/72 Spad XIII aswell as a 1/72 Fokker Dr.1 Tri-plane

 Got a dio coming up

Stephen-

I tried sending an email out to your site, but it came back as undeliverable.

Trust me to be late for the party................

Well, I have wasted no time this morning and have already started playing with the cockpit and wings. Hopefully I'll get some decent progress done on my next day off so I have somthing to show.

See you in 7 days...........

I got started on the SS III today, separated all of the control surfaces from the fixed flying surfaces and cleaned up the major plastic parts, lots of heavy sprue attachments and minor flash around edges of parts.  It is one of the early Eduard kits, of which I have several.  Sometime during this build I hope I get to the Eduard DFW 28 Floh.  What an odd looking airplane!. 

I also got a minor start on the pe interior parts, I assembled the seat and seat belts.  Instead of using super glue on these parts I soldered them.  The Eduard brass takes solder extremely well, it flows nicely without any flux except the resin in the core of the solder.  I've had difficulty getting superglue to stay stuck, so far I like the soldering method.  We'll see how it works on the framework parts.  Hopefully I won't get too much solder on and mess things up.

Frank,

I have read all the post up to this point.  I may still do the Avro but I'm not sure.  Once I get settled in the house I will have a better idea of what I will be working on.

Roy

Reply on it's way

Roy

Daywalker wrote:

Stephen- I tried sending an email out to your site, but it came back as undeliverable.

Great my new server has my e-mails blocked. . . I am gonna skin that webmaster. PM me .

Stephen- PM inbound!

Quick question to all y'all-

From what I've researched, it seems that the interior of the Albatros is all wood- anyone else care to confirm that for me?

Thanks, guys.

My first official build is the Roden Bristol Fighter (F2b.) Though I am staying pretty much OOB with this one I have to say, "What a box!"  The Rolls Royce Eagle went together well. I recommend using a section of brass rod for a replacement to a lower water pipe.  This can take the load and and the thin plastic engine bearers wont carry the whole weight.  I did substitute a spare "Part of Poland" radiator inset and shutters.

Next I will dress out the kit instrument panel by drilling out the instrument bezels molded to the part, apply clear plastic and gauge face decals  behind that. Since the kit does not have a floor I used the Part of Poland item as a template and cut one from sheet stock.  Here is my photo reference at the RAF Museum.

It's 10/3/07 6:43 PM anmd I am on my way downstairs to put the Camel's box on the bench

So I guess I am starting

Stephen-

Would you mind sharing your technique for the darker wood finish on the framework of your Bristol?  I like it a lot!

Daywalker wrote:

Stephen-  Would you mind sharing your technique for the darker wood finish on the framework of your Bristol?  I like it a lot!

 Greetings Frank,

Certainly, I begin with an acrylic base to represent the English clear doped linen interior. Then I shoot it with a couple light coats of clear flat and let cure for two days.  Then I begin with an orange based brown.  Testors small bottle of 1166 brown.  Then with that brown I lay down several thin layers effectively staining the framework.  Then after that dries for another day I use two light washes one red brown (on the fabric face ) and one black (in the corners.)  All told with patience it takes about 3 days.

Here is a brain teaser. . . The average grade linen used for BEF machines had a count of 96 -110 threads perpendicular to each other - every square inch.  What was the German lozenge thread count?

Thanks Stephen!  Sounds like a lot of work, but worth it in the end!  I am going to give that a try.

As for the brain teaser, I have no idea!

Slight change of plan.  My daughter wants me to builds the P-47 she gave me for my birthday so I iwll be back to this one in a short while.

But I did manage to get the box open.  What the heck is "sail color"?  Like canvas? And the sheet said to paint the fuel tank mahogony.  Did this thing have a wood fuel tank?