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Joystick 1/72 Albatros C1 vacform


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Hi All,

         While waiting for paint and filler to dry I decided to start another kit as I usually have a couple on the go. My shelves are short on early German designs so I've gone with one of the early C types. I've built Joystick before and been quite impressed. To date there has been cockpit floors and seats etc and strut material. Mine have had white metal parts although not all have the engine. This kit is one of them and has the cylinders as part of the fuselage mould. I've got spare manifolds and there is a white metal exhaust so I'm going to try and improve on the original cylinders. There are Iron Cross transfers and touch wood those previously supplied have been ok. Made a start with the cockpits. Added a seat for the observer, three sprue ends as magazines and a piece of sprue to represent a hand held camera.

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Edited by stevehed
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I love the Joystick range of models, I have done a few over the years, and have the beautiful Avro Bison II in the stash! None of mine had white metal (from memory but that could have probably failed somewhat!)

You have made a great start with a very graceful aircraft.

 

Cheers, Ray

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Thanks Ray. Many years ago after working my way through the Revell and Airfix WW1 ranges I discovered vac forms and aircraft I'd never heard of. Have been a fan ever since.

 

Got the fuselage together and am going with a sky camouflage pale blue with grey top surfaces. First coat on but think the second should be a little darker.

 

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Nice Albatros theme here. I picked up a couple of Joystick models from a second hand section in a model shop a while ago, so I will be interested to see how it goes. They certainly look like nice kits.

 

The vac formed engine looks pretty good, all things considered.

 

Regards,

Adrian

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I will watch this with interest as I believe I have one of these - certainly one or two Joystick vacs in  the stash though I doubt they will ever get built!

 

 

Later!

 

Actually I have just dug out the bag of vac forms and if anybody wants any of the following send me a PM. I have Aeroclub engines, guns, wheels and possibly props for those that did not come with them included I think. All 1/72

 

Joystick Albatros CI and CIII, Aviatik BII, and AEG C IV, Classic DH 9 and DFW CV and Formaplane Halberstadt CL II and Fe 2B. I would rather they went to somebody who might build them than have them cluttering up my attic.

 

Cheers

 

Pete

 

Later, I have already found a new home for the above kits - isn't the interweb wonderful!

 

 

Edited by PeterB
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Just seen this Steve - see my post in the chat thread.

 

I have one of these on my to do list (scratch builds), and am interested to see how this comes together. Did you replace the engine in the end or just tart up modify the kit parts?

 

P

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16 hours ago, pheonix said:

Just seen this Steve - see my post in the chat thread.

 

I have one of these on my to do list (scratch builds), and am interested to see how this comes together. Did you replace the engine in the end or just tart up modify the kit parts?

 

P

It's a tart up as I've ran out of engine parts, for example the half Roden pieces that were left over from the Austro Daimler/Mercedes choices in the Albatros D kits. There is a kit supplied white metal exhaust which is handy because it is not the normal run of the mill pipework. As I had spare manifold pipes from a conversion the decision was made to spruce up the kit moulds. Seemed the easiest option.

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There are some lovely WWI kits in the Joystick range. I have most but haven't built any yet so I'll be watching this to see how well they go together.

 

Ian

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Working my way through the tricky bits before adding the wings. Tail units are butt jointed with struts supporting the elevators. Evergreen 20 thou rod which is also what I used to make the cabane framework. The side radiators are provided as a single piece but the individual units can be separated for better effect and then the water pipes are added to the rear. The side radiators require a water reservoir which sits over the top of the engine. In this case it is simply a pipe which only needed a piece of 35 thou rod. A single pipe at the front and two at the rear complete the layout. I've drilled some rigging holes in the fuselage and hopefully can get the lower wings on soon.

 

Ian, I like Joystick and think they are compare with the better Formaplane. The early types, such as the Lloyd CII and this kit lack white metal engines but I think most modellers will find enough kit to be able to build something half decent.

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Yes, the Joystick kits are pretty good and by the time I bought mine they had the benefit of some white metal as well, though not quite all that was needed. However nearly everything else was available from Aeroclub - engines, guns, wheels, props (though only a limited selection of the latter). Their Aviatik B.II was a bit more of a problem as nobody seemed to make a 120 HP Mercedes but perhaps the 160 HP will do at a push!

 

Coming along nicely but I doubt I would have the patience to build mine so they have gone to somebody who may just build them.

 

Cheers

 

Pete

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Getting into the part that makes the kit start to look like an aeroplane. Usual make do support structure while the wings set. Have to be careful but I used a thin smear of poly cement to allow wiggle time to get the wing butt into place. Then I allowed it to tilt over so I could add CA gel which firmed the joint lovely. When the wings were in place I realised the elevators weren't straight so remedial work was required. The upper wing halves are joined together by two strips of 20x40 card as the spars. I hope they'll be strong enough to handle as one wing is easier to position than separate wings that seem to have minds of their own.

 

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Remember the little jig Airfix started putting in some of their WWI biplane kits?  A piece of plastic "card "with a couple of notches in it to line the wings up - simple but ruddy effective!

 

Pete

Edited by PeterB
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I've got a couple of the Airfix jigs. They came with the Pup and are best suited for scout size. I have made larger versions from cardboard but I have to admit I like lined paper as a guide.

 

The C1 inches forward and I've got a windscreen and the rear gun ring in place plus Franz has now joined Emil on board. Upper wing was successfully made whole by adding two 2.5mm lengths of 20x40 strip to act as spars. cement to get an attachment and fiddle time to make sure the wing was level and CA to secure the connection. It's now cemented in place using two struts and I'm going to add the outers next and get a secure fix. It looks like I'm going to have to reposition the front cabane struts as they are too far forward.

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Starting to get somewhere now. Top wing went on no problem although not quite as level as I'd first thought but I can live with it. Once the interplane struts were secure I snipped the cabanes into separate items and reset the angles. Again not perfect but I'm not going to dismantle it now. Rigging is invisible thread. I've got to build the rear skid support struts and I'm going to use 20x40thou strip for the undercarriage legs.

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Beautiful work Steve.  There can be a delicacy about vacform kits that really suits WWI subjects (I'm thinking particularly about the cockpit openings).

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Have cracked on over the weekend and got this one finished. Not perfect but I've always been more looks like than replica builder. The tail skid was scratched using 20thou rod and is composed of two triangles which lock together. I've used two zero decals to represent the bomb doors and the Parabellum and exhaust stack are white metal and came with the kit. I used strip for the undercarriage legs and rod for the axle. This was secured with a dab of glue and invisible thread was wrapped around the rod and strip in similar fashion to the original rubber bungee cord. It was tied off and a touch of CA secured the knot. Prop and wheels are kit supplied white metal and I've only used the smallest serial numbers. According to WSDF Albatros aircraft were frequently sent from the factory without identification numbers so I have hidden this one under the elevators. There is no axle brake supplied and as there are several photos of aircraft without this device I've left it off. Couple of photos before the main gallery shots. Two for the price of one this time. The other aircraft is a kit bashed LVG CII which was started last year. John Masters Ardpol version inspired me to resume the build as a time filler when paint was drying. It's two thirds of an Emhar Anasal fuselage that has undergone serious surgery with practically everything else scratched. It may have qualified in it's own right but as it was started I thought twice about entering it.

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