Knights of the Sky WWI GB The End

razordws wrote:

" . . Stephen, I have enjoyed your comments and the pictures of some of your works in progress.  Please keep them coming."

As requested here it is.  Roden's 1/48 Sopwih 1 1/2 Strutter completed as A1093 of 45 RFC and presented at the first half of my build for the "Knights of the Sky WWI GB"

I agree too, the 109's were awesome rafhart.   I look forward to seeing your squadron of fokkers!

Stephen, I have enjoyed your comments and the pictures of some of your works in progress.  Please keep them coming.

gzt wrote:

It looks to me that Rafhart build Me109s faster than they were coming from production lines

LOL, I agree!  I must say, his 109's are beautiful pieces of work!

23 of us now!  Woohoo!

Welcome Rafhart, I added you to the list!

LOL, maybe he will build the whole squadron, or even the whole Jasta while we struggle with our first one!

LOL

It looks to me that Rafhart build Me109s faster than they were coming from production lines

Rafhart's performance is encouraging :)

Greg 

gzt wrote:

LOL, Rafhart will build the whole squadron while we do just one :)

Heck, I couldn't come anywhere close to that feat before I was married, never mind now.

Rafhart wrote:

Welcome may I join ??? ..... lest time i bulding Fokker E.III in 5 days.

LOL, Rafhart will build the whole squadron while we do just one :) - and a great quality models !

WELCOME RAFHART !

Will you build it with German or maybe this time with Polish markings ?

Greg 

Glad to have you on board, Rafhart! The more the merrier!

Looking forward to seeing your Dr.I . If it's anywhere near as good as your exceptional 109's, it'll be a fine addition to the GB! So grab the group badge, pull up a chair, and have some fun!

Welcome may I join ???

I have Fokker Dr.I in painting Red Baron Eduard 1:72 katalog nr.7016

lest time i bulding Fokker E.III in 5 days.

Here is the completed fuselage Albatros D.III for the Group build Project.

 Here are some shots of the Roden Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter before completion.  Note the kit "W" cabane struts are replaced with Aeroclub's "STRUTZ"

gzt wrote:

Stephen, did you use this one for your conversion : 19. Albatros D.III (OEF) by P M Grosz. This Austro-Hungarian version of the famous Albatros D.III was built in a wide number of variants; all covered by GAs together with 42 archive photos and 21 close-ups with detailed colour notes. £9.50 Great pictures of the Albatros in Austria ! It really makes me feel like I have to make this conversion :) Thanks Stephen Greg

You are welcome Greg.  Yes,thats the one. (I believe it has one of Bromowski's red D.III machines with the deaths head on the front cover.)   By the way ANYTHING  written by the late Peter Grosz is a good resource.   The builder of the full scale replica spent 14 years  building it from scratch.  One trick I will let you in on.  To make the Austro-Diamler motor turn the kit engine around back to front and build it up from there.  Good luck.

StephenLawson wrote:

Actually I have some experience with the kit.  My build is pending publication with another magazine "BUT"  I know several other modelers who did what I did.  Yes, replace the tail booms if you want this build to last more than a couple years. I have acquaintences in Sweden and in the Czech Republic that went the same way I did and and their builds are high quality. The problem with the plastic kit booms is that they don't stand up to humidity & temperature changes even with painting.  Just my opinion.  It may depend on your climate as to how quickly the plastic booms fail, warp or twist.

Many thanks! Brass rod it shall be then. 

StephenLawson wrote:

gzt wrote: I have a problem and hopefuly you gentlemen can help me out here. I have Albatros DIII (Eduard 1/48) and I need to convert it into OEF 253 series. Anyone know if any conversion kits exist ? or anyone have drawings of comparing both side by side ? I understnad the OEF 253 has the nose changed due to the larger engine vut what exactly and up to what extend those changes would affect the std DIII ? Or anyone know about DIII (oef) 253 in 1/48 scale  kit available ??  Greg  Here is my conversion of the Eduard basic kit #8017 to a Oeffag 253 series.  It is relatively easy. The windsock Datafiles has  the Austro-Hung Alb. D.III subject. See; http://www.windsockdatafilespecials.co.uk/ Here is a bit of fun with a full scale replica recently completed. http://www.aeroscale.co.uk/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=viewtopic&topic_id=99610&page=1

Stephen,

did you use this one for your conversion :

19. Albatros D.III (OEF) by P M Grosz. This Austro-Hungarian version of the famous Albatros D.III was built in a wide number of variants; all covered by GAs together with 42 archive photos and 21 close-ups with detailed colour notes. £9.50

? 

Great pictures of the Albatros in Austria ! It really makes me feel like I have to make this conversion :)

Thanks Stephen

Greg 

Daywalker wrote:

StephenLawson wrote: Here is my conversion of the Eduard basic kit #8017 to a Oeffag 253 series.  It is relatively easy. Stephen- How did you do the sworls on the wings?  Are those decals?  They look amazing!

Yes, the sworl pattern is a set of decals from the fellow who operates the "Chandelle" website, Mr. Rob. C. Johnson. He did a few as a test to see what it would cost to manufacture them.  I was lucky enough to be the only one to get a set to test on a kit.  Some years ago I contacted Dr. Merrill of Americal Gryphon decals to make a set.  It never came to be.  Now that he is out of business and Eagle Strike has been sold to Squadron our options are getting smaller.  Rob did some other unique decals for post war Fokkers and Nieuports.  One was a Nieuport 24 bis N 5086 that had first been flown with the Poles and then captured. It was photographed several times and Rob did its markings of "Diana" the huntress. 

 Chandelle site = http://www.chandelle-jah.com/

ruddratt wrote:

Wow! That is not something you see every day! Stephen, if you don't mind me asking, I need to pick your brain a bit about this upcoming GB, specifically the Airco DH.2. I've been reading a lot of reviews about this 1/48 Eduard kit, and the main issue on many of them has to do with addressing the fragility of the twin-boom structures. Some went as far as to replace the horizontal pieces with brass rod, where others mention the rigging supplies enough structural integrity to the kit parts without any further modification to them. I have the brass rod, but my question is is it really necessary? Do you have any experience with this kit? If so, what would you recommend?

Actually I have some experience with the kit.  My build is pending publication with another magazine "BUT"  I know several other modelers who did what I did.  Yes, replace the tail booms if you want this build to last more than a couple years. I have acquaintences in Sweden and in the Czech Republic that went the same way I did and and their builds are high quality.

The problem with the plastic kit booms is that they don't stand up to humidity & temperature changes even with painting.  Just my opinion.  It may depend on your climate as to how quickly the plastic booms fail, warp or twist.

StephenLawson wrote:

Here is my conversion of the Eduard basic kit #8017 to a Oeffag 253 series.  It is relatively easy.

Stephan- How did you do the swirls on the wings?  Are those decals?  They look amazing!

Wow! That is not something you see every day!

Stephen, if you don't mind me asking, I need to pick your brain a bit about this upcoming GB, specifically the Airco DH.2. I've been reading a lot of reviews about this 1/48 Eduard kit, and the main issue on many of them has to do with addressing the fragility of the twin-boom structures. Some went as far as to replace the horizontal pieces with brass rod, where others mention the rigging supplies enough structural integrity to the kit parts without any further modification to them. I have the brass rod, but my question is is it really necessary? Do you have any experience with this kit? If so, what would you recommend?

StephenLawson wrote:

Actually the Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter  kit comes with clear plastic wings and fuselage.  It seems translucent as I have not painted the outer surfaces yet in the first three images.  The next two are of a second kit that the fuselage was normal grey plastic.  For the Strutter I am going to post here when finished I am going for a unique appearance.  Its fuselage was white.  I asked Mike Westrop why the RFC would do this and his response was ". . .I quit trying to figure them out years ago. . ."   In two line ups of 45 RFC in the spring of 1917 there were two white fuselaged (not clear doped linen) Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutters in the middle of a group of dark (PC10) painted ones.  Maybe  reconn ircraft with special cameras we just don't know but it gave me the urge to follow through with it.

gzt wrote:

I have a problem and hopefuly you gentlemen can help me out here. I have Albatros DIII (Eduard 1/48) and I need to convert it into OEF 253 series. Anyone know if any conversion kits exist ? or anyone have drawings of comparing both side by side ? I understnad the OEF 253 has the nose changed due to the larger engine vut what exactly and up to what extend those changes would affect the std DIII ? Or anyone know about DIII (oef) 253 in 1/48 scale  kit available ??  Greg

Here is my conversion of the Eduard basic kit #8017 to a Oeffag 253 series.  It is relatively easy.

The windsock Datafiles has  the Austro-Hung Alb. D.III subject. See;

http://www.windsockdatafilespecials.co.uk/

Here is a bit of fun with a full scale replica recently completed.

http://www.aeroscale.co.uk/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=viewtopic&topic_id=99610&page=1

I have a problem and hopefuly you gentlemen can help me out here.

I have Albatros DIII (Eduard 1/48) and I need to convert it into OEF 253 series.

Anyone know if any conversion kits exist ? or anyone have drawings of comparing both side by side ?

I understnad the OEF 253 has the nose changed due to the larger engine vut what exactly and up to what extend those changes would affect the std DIII ?

Or anyone know about DIII (oef) 253 in 1/48 scale  kit available ??

Greg 

ruddratt wrote:

StephenLawson wrote: Actually the Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter  kit comes with clear plastic wings and fuselage.  It seems translucent as I have not painted the outer surfaces yet in the first three images.  Sure had me fooled. At first I thought I actually was seeing through it, but then I thought "nahhh, can't be!" I don't know how many times I looked at that photo trying to make up my mind which it was!

StephenLawson wrote:

Actually the Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter  kit comes with clear plastic wings and fuselage.  It seems translucent as I have not painted the outer surfaces yet in the first three images.

Sure had me fooled. At first I thought I actually was seeing through it, but then I thought "nahhh, can't be!" I don't know how many times I looked at that photo trying to make up my mind which it was!

....and the white 1 1/2 sounds interesting.

ruddratt wrote:

Stephen, that is some great work! I love the stringers on the outside creating that see-thru effect on the 1  1/2 strutter. The pilot in the Albatros really gives modelers an idea of how cramped the cockpits in these birds really were. ...and I'm going to try your suggestion on instrument colors. Too late on my Pfalz as it's all buttoned up, but for my next one's, absolutely.

There are some records that we have from when Alb. D.III 2015/16 was tested by the British that their pilots thought the Albatros had a roomy cockpit compared to their own Sopwith Pups and such.

Daywalker wrote:

Looking good Stephan!  What technique did you use for the fabric effect on the Strutter?  It looks very real!

Actually the Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter  kit comes with clear plastic wings and fuselage.  It seems translucent as I have not painted the outer surfaces yet in the first three images.  The next two are of a second kit that the fuselage was normal grey plastic.  For the Strutter I am going to post here when finished I am going for a unique appearance.  Its fuselage was white.  I asked Mike Westrop why the RFC would do this and his response was ". . .I quit trying to figure them out years ago. . ."   In two line ups of 45 RFC in the spring of 1917 there were two white fuselaged (not clear doped linen) Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutters in the middle of a group of dark (PC10) painted ones.  Maybe  reconn aircraft with special cameras we just don't know but it gave me the urge to follow through with it.

Stephen, that is some great work! I love the stringers on the outside creating that see-thru effect on the 1  1/2 strutter. The pilot in the Albatros really gives modelers an idea of how cramped the cockpits in these birds really were.

...and I'm going to try your suggestion on instrument colors. Too late on my Pfalz as it's all buttoned up, but for my next one's, absolutely.

Here is a roughly simulated instrument panel on a second Strutter underconstruction.  You could just use black and white highlights but the dash panel has a little finer realism when its inplace using dark greys or light greys.  The fuel tank facades between the seats are apparent here.

Greetings all;
This is the Albatros kit before adding the fuel tank,  left side sparkplug wires and closing up the fuselage halves.  The figure is from Copper State Models seated German pilot.  For this build I only simulated the sparkplug wires for the pilot's left side as they are more readily seen.

Excellent!!