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Hi all, My bad as I posted the build thread here instead of the work in progress page 🤪 The 'Wingnut Wings' Fokker D.VII (OAW). Built as the 'Seven Swabians', Serial No: 4697/18 of Jasta 65, flown by Alfred Bader. The forum build thread is above in this thread. The fully detailed build log is available to download from the Build Logs page at: Mikes WW1 aircraft Models Mike

Hi all, The pilot figure is completed. ‘Black Dog’ German fighter pilot WW1 N°3 (F32172). Painted with 'AK Interactive' acrylic paints. That's this model completed. Thanks for your comments and support during this build, Mike

Hi all, The finished model is now up in the WNW and WW1 Ready for Inspection page. Thanks for your support and comments throughout this build, Mike

Hi all, The 'Wingnut Wings' SE5a (Hisso) with a 'Proper Plane' 3D printed conversion front end to a Wolseley Viper powered aircraft. Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a (Wolseley Viper engine) Serial No: C1149 as flown by Capt. Duncan Grinnell-Milne with No.56 Squadron (RAF) during late 1918. Dual comparison build with the 'Kotare' Supermarine 'Spitfire Mk.1a. The forum build thread is: The fully detailed build log will be available to download, once I've uploaded the Fokker D.VII Seven Swabians build, at my site: Mikes WW1 Aircraft Models Mike

Hi all, I had read of Aluminium doped Strutters, but was guided by the Windsock data file 34. It seems at the time of writing, doped Aluminium Strutters had not been known. From what I now read it seems a few Strutters were supplied to the French for evaluation. They were considered worth using and licenses were given to allow the French to build the aircraft for their use. Production was slow to start, as happened with the earlier Caudron aircraft. The Sopwith aircraft built by the French looked similar to the British counterpart, although it's thought the 1.A2 (reconnaissance) version may have had reinforced wings and different equipment. However, only the few early models originally supplied British were clear dope linen. Later French built Strutters were probably Aluminium doped and by the end of 1917, the five coloured dope camouflage was universally adopted. The camouflaged aircraft had the standard French 5 colours pigmented dope. On the upper wings pigmented dope was used, which is why a difference can sometimes been seen in hue between doped surfaces and the roundels. If the landing gear, cowlings and plywood coverings were camouflaged, it was with the standard paints. On the Aluminium doped aircraft, the colouring was apparently: One coat of clear tautening dope Two coats of Aluminium tautening dope One coat of clear finishing dope That fuselage and wings were similarly doped. The cowlings left the factory burnished (sometime painted in unit level) and the exposed plywood decking was varnished. The landing gear was either painted silver (most often) or left with the blue -grey protective paint. As with most WW1 aircraft research, very little can be actually confirmed. However, given this and the helpful comments elsewhere, I've decided to amend the colouring of this model to that of an all Aluminium doped finish. Mike

Hi all, The Se5a (Viper) and Spitfire Mk.1a dual build and the Fokker D.VII build are nearing completion. Therefore I'm starting the next build. A Roden kit for a model of a French Sopwith 1 1/2 ‘Strutter’ (1.A2), Ser No.326 ‘7’ of French Escadrille SOP226. Mike

Hi all, Just the last bits fitted now. Upper wing fitted. Aileron control cables from fuselage to upper wing. Fuselage grab handles and pilots foot step. Propeller fitted. Just the figure and display base to go, Mike

Hi all, Landing gear with bracing cables fitted. Flight control cables mostly rigged. Cabane and interplane struts fitted. Proper Plane Niendorf propeller also ready for fitting. Next is fitting the upper wing and aileron cables, Mike

Hi all, The W's are done. Weathered, Weapons, Windscreen. Also the exhaust and a modification to add a flare pistol to the centre, leading edge of the upper wing. The pre-rigging is also added. Next up is assembly, Mike

Hi all, I've added all of the necessary decals now. The fuselage, wings and control surfaces are all from the specific Aviattic set (‘Aviattic’ clear backed Seven Swabians (ATT32173) and (ATT32070). Unfortunately the pre-shading on the wings and tailplane were not dark enough, so are not really visible. Now it's onto the weathering stage, Mike

Hi all, Next step is applying the Aviattic decal set for this aircraft. The base coat is gloss white as the decals are translucent. The base coat needs to be a light colour for the linen effect to show. Also pre-shading (Tamiya Smoke X19) of the rib tapes and frames should show slightly, Mike

Hi all, The engine is now fitted. The engine is fairly basic as the access panels will be fitted, covering it all apart from the top detail. The only added details are the spark plugs and ignition leads, Mike

Hi all, The cockpit assembly has been fitted into the fuselage. The cockpit was built from the box apart from a few things I added. Lead wire of 0.3 mm diameter was used to represent the trigger cables between the control column and machine guns. It was also used for the outlet pipe from the fuel tank pressurizing hand pump. Blackened Nickel-Silver tube of 0.3 and 0.5 mm diameter was used to represent the control rods from the throttle levers. EZ black (fine) line was used to represent the control cable from the ignition advance lever. Mono-filament of 0.08 mm diameter, blackened 0.4 mm diameter tube and Proper Plane resin 1:32nd scale turnbuckles (RD-005) were used for: Rudder control cables. Elevator control cables, Twin aileron control cables. Decals used were from the kit and from the specific decal set for this aircraft by Aviattic (ATt32173). Now it's onto the engine, Mike

Hi Doc, As it's an OAW built Fokker D.VII, maybe leave the BMW kits as they are and look out for an OAW kit online. Either that or get the different front panels from Aviattic and a Mercedes engine (I have enough spare parts to build one that I can send you) and convert a BMW kit, Mike

Hi all, While I'm waiting for the parts I need to make the display case, I'm starting on my next build. Also it'll be a break from a complex rigged aircraft. Fokker D.VII (OAW) 'Seven Swabians', Serial No: 4697/18 of Jasta 65, flown it seems by Alfred Bader. The Seven Swabians (Die Sieben Schwaben) is a German fairy tale, collected by The Brothers Grimm in the second volume edition of their Kinder- und Hausmarchen (1857) under the number KHM119. The term Swabians refers to people from the German region Swabia, though in Switzerland it refers to Germans in general. One version of the tale is as follows: Once upon a time there were Seven Swabians who travelled through the world. To be safe from danger they carried one long spear with them. One day in July they walk through a meadow just by nightfall and notice a hornet buzzing by. Unaware what they just heard the men start to panic, thinking it was a war drum. One of them tries to flee, jumps over a fence and then walks right on the teeth of a rake, whereupon the handle hits him in the face. He quickly begs for mercy and tells the invisible attacker that he'll surrender, whereupon his six friends do the same. Later, when they finally understand they were fooled they decide to keep this embarrassing anecdote a secret. To prevent the story from getting out they swear to not say anything about it until one of them should accidentally open his mouth. Later they encounter a hare sleeping in the sun. They take the animal for a monster and decide to attack it. After bracing themselves with all the courage they can get they strike out and the hare runs away, whereupon they realize they've once again been fooled. The septet travels onward until they reach the river Moselle. Unaware how to cross it they ask a man on the opposite side of the river for help. Due to the distance and their language the man doesn't understand what they were saying and he asked them in the dialect of Trier: "Wat, Wat?" This causes the men to think that they have to wade through the water. As the first Swabian gets into the river he starts to sink into the mud. His hat is blown away to the opposite shore, next to a frog who croaks noises that sound like "wat, wat, wat". The six surviving Swabians think it's their friend telling them to wade across; they rush in the water and all drown. The aircraft has two distinct scenes painted on each side of the fuselage. On the left (port) side of the fuselage shows the Swabians seeing the hare. On the right (starboard) side of the fuselage shows the Swabians charging the escaping animal. Behind the cockpit is the House of Wurttemberg Coat of Arms. Mike