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A sudden bout of insomnia has triggered me to start this build and thread. The Great War is unknown to me, when it comes to flying contraptions, but the sheer lunacy of taking off in these rackety things without parachutes has long horrored me. I will do my part in commemorating the madness, with Eduard’s Albatros D.V. 

 

 

Box shot below, it contains parts for two kits and a number of colourful options (it is difficult to say exactly how many, because the side of the box illustrates one plane more than the fine instruction booklet does, and I believe the decals are sufficient for that box-only scheme too - see instructions here: https://www.eduard.com/store/tag/Dual-combo/Albatros-D-V-DUAL-COMBO-1-72.html). My little 6-year old told me, very diplomatically, how good it would be if I built the plane with the dragon on it, so half the plastic is booked for already. For the second I’m inclined to go with the box art, finished in varnished natural wood.

 

 

1eLU476m.jpg

 

 

Contents below, plastic and PE and decal sheet. The plastic is rather hard and glossy compared to the Airfix stuff I’m used to -this is my first encounter with Eduard, and so far I’m pleased.

cXV7u0il.jpg

 

I will build one out of the box (it is a splendid box!) but will add as much fidgetry to the second as I can. The red dragon will likely end up in my son’s collection - from time to time I find my models suddenly having a new nesting place - so that one will be the simple build, as it were. 

 

 

Here is a shot of the PE fret, plenty of cockpit and external detail for two models, plus spares for the most delicate pieces. As you can see I have started a bit: the aluminium box is for cartridges and sits right in front of the pilot. There is another PE fret with seat belts by the way.

ucrBfvsl.jpg

 

I am not sure if I can manage to finish both planes,  I am a slow builder, but will try to get one completed at least.

Edited by Torbjorn
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13 hours ago, Torbjorn said:

I am not sure if I can manage to finish both planes,  I am a slow builder, but will try to get one completed at least.

One would be good Torbjorn.

If I remember correctly, this may have switches on the instrument panel - they are bad enough in 1/48, but I'd forget them in 1/72 (maybe replace them with wire)

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On 9/19/2018 at 2:54 PM, Robert Stuart said:

One would be good Torbjorn.

If I remember correctly, this may have switches on the instrument panel - they are bad enough in 1/48, but I'd forget them in 1/72 (maybe replace them with wire)

I’ll start optimistically and build in parallel, and revise the plan when it is getting late. :) Yep: the PE numbered 25 are switches. Plenty of spares: I will take that as a hint!

 

Started painting the insides, forst attempt at simulating wood. I think it passable, but will practice before doing the same on the outside. Sprayed Vallejo model air Wood, and overpainted with flat brown using an old brush with stiff bristles pointing in all directions. At this scale the grain will barely be seen, so I’m aiming for a ”averaged” view so to speak, not to paint individual grains. This photoalbum contains images I try to imitate: http://s1011.photobucket.com/user/Jamo_kiwi/library/TVAL Albatros 7343?sort=6&page=1

 

I considered using oils, but acrylics are so much quicker.

 

AjZxh9Xm.jpg

I also added stringers which also will be painted wood, wooden brackets for the construction holding the chair and support for a screen behind the pilot. This area is open in the kit, but was closed on the real thing. I’m not sure if the screen should be wood or something else though.

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Have been fiddling with the pits.

 

Here is the out of the box version, still havent painted details:

km9Iqjtm.jpg

 

 

The stick is a bit bland (although very fine) compared to the original, so I tried making one. Soldered fine wire to a copper rod to form the handhold, and built up the wooden handles with white glue. Current unpainted state:

NEzBtnRl.jpg

 

 

The blobs of plastic are to hold the control wires and won’t be seen.

 

Here are the sides of the plane I’m adding detail to, on the right side a meter and a pump. There should be a second pump, but I forgot to pose it.

P0D6bRel.jpg

On the left side I added some stringers and wires and support structure for the chair.

 

zifSoXFl.jpg

 

I hope to colour the uncoloured and close the fuselages soon: the weather shamans claim it will rain for two weeks straight so plenty of modelling time.

 

 

I also prepared the inline 160hp Daimler- Mercedes engine for painting by adding ignition wires and the little airpump up front. Next to it is the intake manifold: I added insulation by strips of Tamiya tape. It looks like a mess because I just blobbed it with PVC thinned with white colour. Hopefully it’ll cure nicely.

 

Qwrlg7Hl.jpg

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks, Andwil!

—-

Still going forward, albeit slowly. I have to admit, this is more complex than monoplanes. Especially with a gazillion different colours of the different parts that need planning and masking. No pictures, but I’ve started painting the wings separately, after drilling holes for the wires.

 

 

Cockpits finally completed. It is apparent that Eduard has used the 48th scale as a base, because the instructions show some pieces only used in the kit of that scale but omitted here. 

 

Here isbthe OOB version. I mistakenly put the stick towards the right, so I had to cut free the ailerons to correspond:

GaZutpAl.jpg

 

And OOB version closed up: 

Xiz1LZUl.jpg

 

Enhanced version: The hairs sticking out are the airelon wires that goes into blocks in the upper wing (the PE plate covering the open area between guns, seen in the pic above, actually blocks the path of these wires, so I made a new plate for this plane:

qyOcVagl.jpg

 

 

2d7JlxF.jpg

 

 

I also used my riveter to simulate the nail pattern. This is prominent on the varnished wood planes only, so I did not do it on the other one, which will be painted grey.

 

3ODmOql.jpg

 

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Since the wings have their own colours, not repeated elsewhere, I painted them separately. Before I forget, these are the mixes I used (in case I need to repaint).

Undersides, blue gray: 1 part Vallejo model color light blue gray, 1 part Model air Light gray

 

Upper:

Lilac: mix of Vallejo model color red, model airs Light grey, White, French blue (I forgot ratios already apparently :( )

Green: 1 part Light gray, 1 IDF green, 1 US interior green

 

CvNisErl.jpg

The photo makes the colours more vivid than in real life, but I think I still want to dullen the upper side with light gray a bit, not sure if I should do it before or after the crosses. The lilac is still drying on the photo: 

 

HnolvVwl.jpg

 

 

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These are coming on beautifully. I love the extra detail in the second one, even though I never go that far myself because it can't be seen.

Looking forward to more!

 

Ian

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On 10/15/2018 at 5:02 PM, limeypilot said:

These are coming on beautifully. I love the extra detail in the second one, even though I never go that far myself because it can't be seen.

Looking forward to more!

 

Ian

Thank you. I’m a tad lazy and try not to add stuff that won’t be seen too: I only overdid it with the ignition wires since those can only be seen on the right side. :)

 

 

—-

The kit has now been discontinued by Eduard, but for anyone who has picked it up it might be of interest to know that the lower wings do not fit. Some serious carving is required, and very close to delicate cockpit details if you don’t do this beforehand. Poor Richard Flashar will now have to fly his plane without the benefit of having control of the rudder :( 

 

And note that if you follow the instructions you will end up with a hybrid between a D.V and a D.Va. The kit contains parts for both (I mean, you can build either version), but the instructions don’t tell you this.

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 Added the lower wings and started the fuselage painting process. Deviating from the instructions somewhat: where they say aluminium I paint gray-green primer. 

MivFsX1l.jpg

 

 

Upper wings almost finished. On top there is a radiator. Water from the engine goes in and out through two pipes which aren’t included in the kit (instructions show them, sonI guess the 48th scale version has them :))so they will be made from 0.8-1.0 mm brass rod. The little tower on front on the radiator is a separate piece: it holds up a funnel connected to small pipe: this is a tank radiator. I added the funnel and the tube (.3 or .2 mm copper wire) which goes through the wing and disappeares into the fuselage opening for the engine. Eduard has molded the tube on top, but towards left instead of right.

6m2BT7Jl.jpg

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Preparing for the last painting run: the garish green til of Flashar’s machine and the wooden fuselage of the Böning’s. Undortunately my airbrush isn’t cooperating. I need tremendous pressure to get any colour through, I believe it has become clogged :(  I’ve tried soaking in strong solvents but to no avail. I might have to try mechanical means and order an airbrush cleaning brush, which might take weeks to get here. I might brush paint the wood in the end: streaking is no downside there.

 

The masking requirements of these schemes are silly, just saying.

jaNVFZ9l.jpg

 

 

 

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14 hours ago, Torbjorn said:

Unfortunately my airbrush isn’t cooperating. I need tremendous pressure to get any colour through, I believe it has become clogged :(  I’ve tried soaking in strong solvents but to no avail. I might have to try mechanical means and order an airbrush cleaning brush, which might take weeks to get here. 

 

Looking excellent so far, Torbjorn, and it's hard to believe this is in 1/72. I hope you get your airbrush issue sorted - too small to tap sharply with a hammer, I suppose! How about a soak in brush restorer which is suppose to dissolve dried paint?

 

I have a question on the camouflage scheme, though - you appear to be alternating the mauve and green differently on the wing upper surfaces between kits, green in the middle on one and mauve in the middle on the other. The Airfix version shows green in the middle on both wings in the painting guide but mauve in the middle on the Roy Cross header art - I'm a bit confused and was going to toss a coin. Did you see a definite pattern or guide for the mauve and green? Thanks. Mike

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I don’t think the AB will survive the hammer approach - it is a cheap Chinese product, not a Russian! I  will try again with soaking, but I think I need a miniature pipe brush :(

 

For the camo: Eduard has just copied the camo pattern between the different decal options, which means they are just a guess. I think there hardly ever exists precise indisputable information on the camo of an individual airplane from this time. I have followed Eduard’s instructions for Böning’s machine (green in the middle - the opened page from the manual seen in the last photo) but choose to follow WnW’s instructions for Flashar’s (lilac in the middle). WnW has arguably put more effort into research (I’m almost embarrased to use their manuals, I will need go buy a kit to support them and clear my conscience soon!) and should be more reliable - and I also like the variation. I assume both belong in the ”educated guess” category.

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On 28/10/2018 at 21:24, Torbjorn said:

I might have to try mechanical means and order an airbrush cleaning brush, which might take weeks to get here.

Or an ultra-sonic cleaner if you can find one ... a friend uses one she picked up in Liddle.

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http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1442&page=2

 

With regard to the mauve/green camouflage I remembered some information I gleaned from the Aerodrome. I'm sure there is more but this may help. In short, 50 aircraft were built with mauve/green/ mauve upper wings with the lower wings green, mauve-fuselage-mauve, green. The next 50 were green/mauve/green with mauve, green-fuselage-green, mauve lower wings and so on. When lozenge pattern was introduced it went 50 lozenge then 50 mauve/green etc. At least that was my understanding.

 

Regards, Steve

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11 hours ago, Robert Stuart said:

Or an ultra-sonic cleaner if you can find one ... a friend uses one she picked up in Liddle.

Looks nifty, but 19th century-style import fees and tolls makes purchasing a brand new high-end airbrush a better alternative 😕

Funny, never considered that cavitation would be so useful.

Anyhow, I soaked it in spirits, made a needle scraping tool and digged this out of my brush:

IFiJoqSl.jpg

 

And much more - strange that ANY paint came through. Now it is having another bath in white spirit (I did remove the nozzle first not to soak the rubber packing), and after a final cleaning tomorrow I hope I will be able to use it again.

Edited by Torbjorn
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1 hour ago, stevehed said:

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1442&page=2

 

With regard to the mauve/green camouflage I remembered some information I gleaned from the Aerodrome. I'm sure there is more but this may help. In short, 50 aircraft were built with mauve/green/ mauve upper wings with the lower wings green, mauve-fuselage-mauve, green. The next 50 were green/mauve/green with mauve, green-fuselage-green, mauve lower wings and so on. When lozenge pattern was introduced it went 50 lozenge then 50 mauve/green etc. At least that was my understanding.

 

Regards, Steve

Thanks for that Steve, that will cover my commuter reading session tomorrow morning :)

 

 

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According to that discussion. green in the middle on the upper wing meant lilac in the middle on the lower -contrary to both WnW and Eduard paint instructions. I will have to ponder a bit, and if correct then either repaint the lower wings or simply swap the upper ones. 

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On 10/30/2018 at 11:40 PM, Torbjorn said:

Looks nifty, but 19th century-style import fees and tolls makes purchasing a brand new high-end airbrush a better alternative 😕

Funny, never considered that cavitation would be so useful.

Anyhow, I soaked it in spirits, made a needle scraping tool and digged this out of my brush:

IFiJoqSl.jpg

 

And much more - strange that ANY paint came through. Now it is having another bath in white spirit (I did remove the nozzle first not to soak the rubber packing), and after a final cleaning tomorrow I hope I will be able to use it again.

Torbjorn you will have to make a plan to clean the nozzle too no paint will get through there gauranteed.If you would like to know how to get your Chinese airbrush working along nicely even without the nozzle o-ring search "how to improve a cheap airbrush" on youtube.I have one whose nozzle packing is currently no longer an o-ring but a teflon washer and it works a treat.

 

HTH.

 

Regards:

Shaun

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Yep: the nozzle cross section had been reduced by around 30-50% by dried paint. I have dismantled and cleaned everything (except the air valve which I dare not touch - but it seems free from any dirt fortunately). I still have the o-ring but it has seen better days.

 

The inner surface is pretty rough, so no wonder paint gets stuck, and Vallejo dries at racer speed, which doesn’t help. Thanks for the tip: I found some interesting ideas how to polish it. I will also use retarder to make the paint dry slower, hopefully that’ll do the trick. Plus  avoiding to forget cleaning after painting again.

 

And yes it is a cheap Chinese product - it came as an extra with a £100 compressor :D

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 I reassembled it and I now have some paint. I’m considering buying a proper one though, as it clogs almost immediately. :(

 

Looked at the calendar and realised I have to speed up. Painted everything, now is assembly time. Attached the undercarriage arrangement before the upper wings, let’s see how that turns out. The plan is to brush paint the wooden finish to look like wood, attach the wings, do touch ups, rig, decals and final touch.

 

There are decals for the red lining on the fin and tailplane but I traced the edge with paint in any case.

 

4uxckCO.jpg

 

 

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Making good progress now, bad luck about the airbrush trouble.  I’m liking the shade of green on the tail now, good luck with the red edging!

 

AW

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Thank you both! It was certainly kind to call the AB troubles bad luck, since it is the unavoidable result of buying cheap equipment and following up by not cleaning it properly :D

 

 I tested the edge decal on the underside. Fit wasn’t excellent, and the decal had a huge clear section covering half the rudder/tailplane centimeter, which looked like it would be seen. I tore it off and manually painted it instead. 

 

 

 

Did I mention some of the decals are overscale? I almost suspect they were scaled down from 48th scale and never tested, with whomever doing the conversion rounding the numbers too much. Especially the crosses. I started putting the dragon, and discovered that it is bigger than advertised, so I hade to make an emergency fix  (I had already placed the two middle pieces (3 on the fuselage + 1 on the fin) so I cut the tail off the largest piece. I used a panel line as cutting guide (put decal over a panel line and cut in the panel line - makes a straight cut and does not destroy the paintjob): 

 

 

 

 

Mm1nGsKm.jpg

 

 

Further, Flashar’s Jasta 5 machine has a different fin cross according to the instructions, but the decal sheet doesn’t have it, only much larger ones. I ended up using a fuselage cross (there’s two extra if you make Flashar’s plane), it is too small but better than the opposite. The white framing is too wide if the instructions are correct, but like how it looks..

 

Ready for the upper wing (though will do some colour modulation on the red areas to make them look like they came from the same bucket):

 

AoKhuUWl.jpg

 

 

The ”wooden” machine is ready for decals and upper wing too. I tried to replicate the look of the flying replicas (link in some prevous post) with a light wood base colour, overpainted same colour but darker and lighter, then thinned brown oil colour in small spots and the nail holes. Finished with brush painted varnish.

9Maz5ZOl.jpg

 

 

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