Knights of the Sky WWI GB The End

As per the wife, I'm going to have to do this kit straight out of the box--and I'm sure that it'll build up perfectly, since I have all the details that I'll ever need!!!

As far as markings go, I'm pretty sure that I've settled on the markings for B6212, FSL W.A. Moyle's aircraft.  I like the black cowl, and the blue/black tail!  Seems like a fairly simple scheme, that'll be a bit eye catching!!  You have any cool tidbits on this a/c?

MrDrummy wrote:

". . .got in my next build-- an Eduard 1:48 Sopwith F-1 Camel.   I opened the box and nearly yelled out loud it was so awesome looking!  Packed so well, such amazing looking instruction sheets, decals, resin and PE parts....wow.  These guys really are top of the market, aren't they? I'll start building here in the next few days, I imagine!!

They are a sight aren't they?  The Eduard Camels are fine looking kits. You know that Part of Poland just released a set of PE brass for this kit?  Yeah I know I am a big tease. Any thoughts on what colour scheme? 

Jeeves wrote:

OK-- I am finally near the paint stage for my Nieuport 11 but  have a question.  I am looking to do Raoul Lufbery's scheme of green and khaki over aluminum.  Could someone give me an indication of what types of Modelmaster Acyrl paints I should use to recreate these??  I could grab Tamiya-- but that is a 40 minute drive so I am hoping to stay closer.  I do have some Tamiya Flat Aluminum and am unsure if that is OK for the undersides?

 For early Nieuport 11 & 16 here is a bit of fun. 

Click Here 

Typically some of the Nieuport 11 and most of the type 16 are seen in the French 3 or 4 colour sprayed on camouflage. This seems to include lt. to medium grn, dk. grn and a red (light?) and dark brown. Though some of the early examples came to the French in a warm buff colour called "ecru" and were further over-painted in the field. "CDL" or clear doped linen was seen on trainers. It is generally believed that the undersides of these machines were painted an ecru colour (warm buff.) The kit instructions recommend with aluminum doped under surfaces.

It is important to know here that French camouflage pigmented dopes did not start carrying aluminum powder until very late 1917. So none of the Nieuport 11 or 16 types had them. It was straight earth tone pigments for their camouflage.

It should be noted that the lt. sky blue-grey. Began being applied on late Nieuport 11 and 16 types in mid 1916. This was usually confined to the under-surfaces only. Yet there were exceptions. This has not been released anywhere in print except in the "Nieuport Flyers of the Lafayette" but a letter from Victor Chapman (10 May 1916) to his mother describes the aircraft he was flying at the time as being Nieuports with four colours of camouflage earth tones. Two browns a light and a dark and two greens a light and a dark.

Also from another source "steel" metal fittings of French aircraft frame works and the fabric wraps around the struts were the same blue as the French steel helmets of their WWI infantry. Since they were apart of the overall colour scheme I asked those in the know about edge tapes. This response deals strictly with the Nieuport 11 & 16 airframes as the previous few comments.

"Bon Jour Stefan,
The closest thing to empirical evidence is a piece of interplane strut from a Nieuport flown by Guynemer. It has blue tape binding. The color is basically the same as what I call horizon blue. Such a color would photograph lighter than the uppersurface camouflage and darker than the undersurface, whether light blue or clear doped. In my opinion, the edge was painted a contrasting color. On clear-doped surfaces, the dope was covered with a coat of oil-based varnish. The camouflage of that time was also an oil-based product, generically known as Ripolin (a brand name). Gertrude Stein reported that Picasso used Ripolin instead of artists colors because it was a lot less expensive. I really can't see how they would attach a tape with oil based paint. It had to have been masked and painted.

In the beginning, it may have been intended to protect the clear-doped fabric from the sun at the highly-stressed edges. That is merely a hypothesis with no evidence whatsoever. When they started camouflaging the planes, they probably kept up the practice for its aesthetic effect.

Such contemporary artists renditions and autochrome photos are inconclusive as to the color of the edges. They merely appear gray. Of course, colors other than blue or black may have been used. But if they used blue on the strut bindings, it is likely that they used that color elsewhere. . . "

Jeeves, for the look of a doped aluminum finish, I mix some Tamiya grey (XF-19 works well) and their flat aluminum (1 part grey to 3 parts aluminum) and tweak it from there until it looks right.

Justin, I knew you wouldn't be disappointed with the Camel. It really is a sweet kit! Check out Mark's (wing nut's) build earlier in this thread.....it's awesome! Lot's of rigging on this guy, but after seeing your Albatros, I know you're up for the challenge!

Jeeves--

Wish I knew anything about your situation-- just not that up with Model Master stuff.

Also, got in my next build-- an Eduard 1:48 Sopwith F-1 Camel.   I opened the box and nearly yelled out loud it was so awesome looking!  Packed so well, such amazing looking instruction sheets, decals, resin and PE parts....wow.  These guys really are top of the market, aren't they? 

I'll start building here in the next few days, I imagine!! 

Thanks, gentlemen.

Thanks for the positive comments, guys!

Yeah, those rib tapes were a bit of an eye-crosser.

I think you did a bang-up job on this one! Among the things that really popped out at me immediately were the stitching details under the fuselage, the lozenge-colored rib tapes (both really nice touches!), and the excellent cockpit detail, including the lozenge pattern on the inside walls. I like this one!! Splendid work all around, Mark!

Mark,

Man!  That looks really nice!!!  If anything, I think that the "rough" spots kinda worked in your favor, making the thing look nicely weathered.  I REALLY think that you hit a homerun with that one.

Beautiful!!! 

Greetings ModelNerd!

No need to worry.  The old gal never looked so good.  Its a decent build of an old favorite. I am a large advocate of the older kits.  They got us where we are today.  I heartily recommend to anyone,  take one down from the shelf and revisit an old friend.  Even though we could  nit pick her many ribs (It was designed from Old Rhinebeck's first Fokker D.VII that used to be a C.I in her former life.)

ModelNerd, wonderful bird . I like the look of the 'dirty yellow', it has a very realistic appearance.

Rough spots? Hope to show some pictures of my SPAD XIII soon. It is the mother of rough spots. Subtitle: 'SirDrake learns to airbrush the hard way' . More to come...

SD 

Finished this Monogram D.VII last night. Don't look too closely, there's a few rough spots! My grand experiment of making my own lozenge decals wasn't a total failure, but it wasn't exactly an exemplary success, either! Turns out laser-printed decals are quite subject to cracking when flexed or folded. Even trimming around them can cause flaky edges. It was also a bit too bold of me to incorporate the white waist stripe and the insignias into the lozenges - I should have applied these separately, after the lozenges were put on. Oh well, it was an experiment. Next time I build a D.VII, I'm going to invest in an Eduard or Roden kit and stick to the decals in the box, I assure you! The grab handles are copper wire. The step-up thingey is copper wire and a bit of styrene rod. This is my first WWI plane, so go easy on me! But it was fun, so I think it won't be my last, you lucky devils! Your comments are welcome, I have thick skin and do not offend easily.

Special thanks to Mr. Stephen Lawson for assisting me in sorting out my lozenge questions.

Alright you guys out there who know a lot more than I do!

I'm wanting to purchase another 1:48 Eduard WWI kit, but I'm not sure which ones are good, and which ones are not so good.

Here are two of the ones that I'm thinking about. 

Nieuport 16

Sopwith F.1 Camel (Profipack)

Any thoughts? 

Hey Mike, Mkhoot, Mark, and SirDrake--

Thanks for dropping me a line on my Albatros.  I loved building that thing.  I think that I may order me a new one here in the next couple of days, and just build another one--maybe the later version this time!!  I just sold off one of my drumsets, and have got a cool grand sitting around in my bank account to spend just how I like (the wife even said so!)

I can't believe how good that painted on lozenge camo looks. WOW!  That's awesome.

Can't wait to see some more awesome stuff from you guys!

ruddratt wrote:

". . .Stephen, that is quite a list! As always, I look forward to seeing whatever projects you undertake! . . .and muting the lozenge on the fuselage? That is going to require some intricate masking on my entry, but I've got a few ideas on how to pull it off (figuratively, not literally of course ), which reminds me........Frank, PM inbound!

There are several ways but airbrushing a super thinned coating of paint will usually get the job done.  If you use a brush application clear dull coat the model first to give the painted lozenges a barrier. 

mk, that is some seriously good work. I know how tedious lozenge can be in decal form, so I can't even begin to imagine painting it on! Yikes!!

Stephen, that is quite a list! As always, I look forward to seeing whatever projects you undertake!

....and muting the lozenge on the fuselage? That is going to require some intricate masking on my entry, but I've got a few ideas on how to pull it off (figuratively, not literally of course ), which reminds me........Frank, PM inbound!

I have been  very busy lately with several projects.  One involves the application of the "New Lozenge" sheets I have to test.  These are going on 2 - 4 Fokker D.VII kits for use on their website.  The first two are almost finished. 

The second are the four 1/48 SE 5a types I had discussed here earlier. Cockpits are ready to close and next comes the top wing, rigging and etc.  Hint if you build these kits do not forget to blank out the engine compartment at the side  view or you will get a see "through view" where an engine should be.

Thirdly, the two large 1/32 scale Roden kits (SE 5a & Fokker D.VI) are being readied and the reviews are in progress.

Fourth on the list are two newly arrived 1/48 kits. The new Gavia Alb. D.I and the reissued Eduard Alb. D.II are being previewed at this time.

I was also been convinced to head up a "Between the Wars Group Build" over on the Aeroscale site. I have been tinkering with several ideas for my contibution.  I recently found the kit I wanted to use.  Though it won't have anything to do with WWI it will be a 1927 design.  Did I forget anything? Well if I did, I will catch with it later. 

mkhoot wrote:

I was finally able to get some work done on my Hannover. I've got the cockpit done. The fuselage closed up painted and decalled. Painting that lozenge pattern on the fuselage was a pain.

Greetings mkhoot!  Very nicely done!  I would like to offer one small comment that often the fuselage lozenges were muted by the application of an over all colour.  This was very thin and served only to take the hard edges away from the hand painted lozenges.  Note there are images of Hannover CL.IIIa types with and without this muting.

I was finally able to get some work done on my Hannover. I've got the cockpit done. The fuselage closed up painted and decalled. Painting that lozenge pattern on the fuselage was a pain.