Knights of the Sky WWI GB The End

Fine by me.

Just thought I'd pop this GB up to page one, as we are getting close to the start date! 

A question for some of you...

Those of you that are still undecided on your subjects, have you had a chance to finallize your entry?  No pressure, just thought I'd ask so I could update the list if possible.

Also, I was thinking...

Since the first is on a Monday, and there is so much excitement to start this lil' GB, I was thinking about moving the start date up to Saturday, the 29th.  Does anyone have any objections?

Greetings all;

Here are a couple of shots of that Roden 1/32 Pfalz D.III I finished for a review over on Aeroscale.

bobbaily wrote:

Hey all-in anticipation of the start of this build, I opened up the Eduard 1/48 Albatros D.III last night-it's the 'Profipack' kit which includes pe & resin machine guns.  Kit was only $12.-...seems to be a good value.  Noticed that the spruce attachments are very 'heavy', especially on the wings-gonna be a bit of filing & sanding there.  Interior looks a bit complex.  Also looks like the lower wing surfaces have small 'indentions' where the rigging would go-nice touch.  I need some assistance from the group-the version I'm planning on building (unless I get brave and attempt to do varnished plywood) is 'German purple'.  The plane in question is: Albatros D.III, D.1910-D.2200/16 of Lt. Joachim von Bertrab (5 kills), Jasta 30, spring 1917. Von Bertrab earned four of his five kills on the 6th April, 1917.  Thanks

See  all of page11 & 12 of this thread.  I did his machine and one of his victims earlier this year for another  forum and posted the images here to help stir some interest.   The German purple is an erroneous term.  Mauve was used in some of the various camouflage patterns post summer 1917.  But Bertrab's was either black or a very dark purple.  Some of the British pilots facing Jasta  30 noted one fellow flew a purple machine.  Historians have debated whether it was Bertrab's or not for years.

On 6 April 1917, the United States entered the war. It was also the day that Ltn. von Bertrab of Jasta 30, flying his dark purple Albatros D.III with its unique comet insignia, shot down four British aircraft in three hours. His fifth and final victory was achieved a month later. The war ended for Bertrab on 12 August 1917. While attacking a balloon, his Albatros D.V was shot down by a Nieuport piloted by Edward Mannock. Bertrab survived but was captured.

Bob, I hope that Stephen will correct me if I am wrong, but the only purple (or color closest to it) that I am aware of for those birds is a color called 'German Mauve'. I know of two manufacturers that produce this color....Pollyscale and Mister Kit. There may be others, but these are the 2 that I use. In fact, if you go to the Mister Kit website, there are some nice color charts for WWI aircraft of different nationalities.

http://www.misterkitusa.com/9dfef5d6-cefe-4ca8-85f5-6af12015385b-9.html

The dimples on the surfaces for rigging are what I use for guides as to where to drill with a #79 or a #80 bit. Also, on the heavy attachment points, they are probably best dealt with using a razor saw (especially on the larger pieces). This will reduce the risk of damage to the parts.

Hey all-in anticipation of the start of this build, I opened up the Eduard 1/48 Albatros D.III last night-it's the 'Profipack' kit which includes pe & resin machine guns.  Kit was only $12.-...seems to be a good value.  Noticed that the spruce attachments are very 'heavy', especially on the wings-gonna be a bit of filing & sanding there.  Interior looks a bit complex.  Also looks like the lower wing surfaces have small 'indentions' where the rigging would go-nice touch.

 I need some assistance from the group-the version I'm planning on building (unless I get brave and attempt to do varnished plywood) is 'German purple'.  The Eduard paint chart calls for Tamiya XF-7 (which turns out to be red!) or Humbrol 60, Revell 330 or Testors 1550.  Does anyone know what the Model Master acrylic equilivent would be?

Thanks

edit-did a quick Google search for the Humbrol & revell color charts-the colors that Eduard calls out for both are red also.  The box art shows the plane in question, but it is almost a flat black.

When I have a moment, I'll gather more detail & post.

edit....again....

The plane in question is:

Albatros D.III, D.1910-D.2200/16 of Lt. Joachim von Bertrab (5 kills), Jasta 30, spring 1917. Von Bertrab earned four of his five kills on the 6th April, 1917.

Link to picture:

http://www.eduard.cz/products/pdf/n80/8035_8.pdf

Thanks

LOL! Yep, she knows, buddy. She's been going crazy trying to think of new ones for me to do before the 2-weeks is up.

Mike-

Did ya tell your wife she has two more weeks of honey-do projects and that's it?

ruddratt wrote:

Only 2 more weeks, fellas! Everyone got their rigging materials at the ready?

Two more weeks, woohoo!

Only 2 more weeks, fellas!

Everyone got their rigging materials at the ready?

Thanks everybody...

 I look forward to this one-- and it looks like I'll have lot of great resources if I run into trouble...

 I just have to find the pics I took last year when I visited Old Rhinebeck...

That's not wood?! 

Crazy.

You're too good for your own good...or something

Here is a recent  painted kit propeller from the new Roden 1/32 scale Pfalz D.III kit.  I am doing a review on this at Aeroscale.

Jeeves-

to our GB!  I am glad to hear you would like to join, and I know you will have a lot of fun here.  I have added you to the roster.  Welcome aboard!

ruddratt wrote:

". . .On the two examples above, I just noticed the different angles that the main wheels sit at. While one pair is perpendicular to the ground the other pair have a very noticable tow-in. Are those differences particular to certain variants (for example I read that tow-in was a very common occurance on the Sopwith Camel), or could they just vary from aircraft to aircraft ragardless of the type?"

Several things could effect the toe - in at the top.  The bungees like the individual condition of each machine could vary. The D.III had probably been reconditioned .  My interpretation  is just that.  Over stressed, heavy landings, heat or cold could be factors.  My guess is that since the D.V & D. Va were acutally heavier machines - an that is the main cause.

Great builds, Stephen.....and I really enjoy reading the histories of the different aircraft as well. They indicate to me much research on your part and add an additional sense of realism to your builds.

On the two examples above, I just noticed the different angles that the main wheels sit at. While one pair is perpendicular to the ground the other pair have a very noticable tow-in. Are those differences particular to certain variants (for example I read that tow-in was a very common occurance on the Sopwith Camel), or could they just vary from aircraft to aircraft ragardless of the type?

The Albatros D.V 1119/17 has a painted kit propeller and represents the machine assigned to Oblt. E. von  Althaus Commander Of Jasta 10 during July 1917.  When MvR returned from his head wound treatments reports came to him that caused him to transfer von Althaus out of JG.I.  The insignia is from the international Morse code and displays the letters "HA".  This goes back to the days when he was refered to as "Hussar Althaus".   Cavalry in the field began Morse code tranmissions with such identifyers.

ruddratt wrote:

"I'm in the same boat, John. Would be purely guess-work on my part. Amazing stuff, Stephen. I particularly liked the 'On the home from the front' D.III with the unusual camo (lozenge on the lower right wing only) and the D.V 1119/17 with the fuselage spine and the head rest.

Greetings rudratt; 

The diorama "Home from the Front" is one of my older 1/48 builds.  Done before the Eduard Albatros D.III was released it incorporates resin copies of the Eduard Alb. D. Va wings and the Glencoe fuselage.  The wood veneer is the marqueting wood I spoke of earlier.   The prop is laminated wood as well.  The pilot is an OOP item from Van's Scale Modeles.  The mechanic is a modified CMK item.

The build depicts a late built Albatros D.III that has a replacement lower wing.  The red brown had been deleted from use by the  time this machine was assembled on the factory floor at Johannistahl.   It was one of the few D. III types still with Jasta 5 during the late winter of 1917-1918.   It is believed to have been used by a Ltn. Stroebel and is shown here having returned from an uneventful  but cold patrol on 24 Dec. 1917. 

I'm in the same boat, John. Would be purely guess-work on my part.

Amazing stuff, Stephen. I particularly liked the 'On the homefront' D.III with the unusual camo (lozenge on the lower right wing only) and the D.V 1119/17 with the fuselage spine and the head rest.

No worries. Yes I did paint fuselage and hopefully I have gotten better since then.  I took my original cue from the Disney people and their cool simulated wood painting on their fixtures at Disneyland and later at Disneyworld.   About the only wood decal that I have tried that I like is from Detail Masters.  But it needs a good cream coloured base to get a really nice effect.  Painting wood requires several steps if you used enamels or acrylics.  Most of the car modelers that have done Woodys know what really does the job on panel station wagons.  The key is every panel must be different if even slightly.  Often the base colour need to be different as well.  Then its a matter of dry  brushing and washes.

Here is a portfolio of my Albatros Fighter builds.  Some of the fuselage skins and propellers are painted and some are actual wood.  See if you can guess which is which without looking at the descriptions first.

Albatros fighter portfolio

jeaton01 wrote:

Stephen, have you built the Eduard Brandenburg D.1?  I've been studying the pieces and I may have my work cut out for me.  The moldings look very heavy and soft, except for one of the large wing struts, which is short shot, I'll be hitting the Contrail strut bin for that.

Greetings jeaton01;  You evidently have the earl Eduard low pressure injection mold kit.  I did this when it first came out and I have one on my site (I think) and I have the plastic parts and decals to another kit.   It shouldn't be too hard to scratchbuild the strut.   Contrail stock would be your best bet.

Daywalker wrote:

Thank you Stephen!  Very nice photos, and the hand-drawn instructions really helped clarify how to do it.  One thing, the first step in the instructions, not exactly sure what is happening.

Hey Daywalker.  The dollhouse woods I mentioned often come with a gummed backing that needs to be scraped off.  Soaking with solvent and scraping is the best way to remove it.