1:32nd scale Albatros D.I

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
I've taken a short break to start the new tool Airfix 1:72nd scale Avro Vulcan B.Mk.2 for a friend who used to be a crew chief on No.44 Squadron at RAF Waddington.
I won't have a build thread for the Vulcan as there are many on-line video builds of it already and it's a relatively straight forward build.
However, as it's not due to be delivered until December, I've made a start on another WW1 aircraft.

This model from 'Roden' will represent the Albatros D.I of Ltn. Dieter Collin of Jasta 2 ’Boelcke’, flying from Berthincourt, September 1916.



During 1915 the German Fokker Eindecker fighters were dominant over the current allied aircraft of the time.
Eventually however, better designed fighters, such as the De-Havilland DH.2 of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the French Nieuport fighters soon gained the advantage.
The German Idflieg (Inspectorate of Flying Troops) sought better designed fighters from German aircraft companies and protoypes from Halberstadt and Fokker were being test flown by the Spring of 1916.
However these designs, although better, did not surpass the allied aircraft in general performance.
The Albatros Flugzeugwerke Gmbh company, which had only produced two seat aircraft, created what was then considered to be a radical design for a fighter, which was designed by Robert Thelen.
Following the lead of the allied bi-plane fighters, particularly the French Nieuport’s, the prototype Albatros D.I featured a more powerful engine and a streamlined plywood skinned fuselage (semi-monocoque), which differed from it’s contemporaries, which had linen covered structure.
Performance during flight testing was enough for the Idflieg to place an initial order for 50 aircraft with serial numbers D.422/16 to D.471/16.
Although a second batch was ordered with serial numbers D.472/6 to D.521/16, these were never built as the improved Albatros D.II was already in production.
In total, seven units were formed and operated the Albatros D.I, the second unit being Jasta 2, formed at Laguincourt during August 1916 and commanded by Oberleutnant (later Hauptmann) Oswald Boelcke.
The introduction of this aircraft caused concern, especially as it proved superior to the RFC DH.2 fighters.
However, it’s operational career was short and by the end of 1916 the Albatros D.I was being replaced by the newer D.II.
Of the 50 aircraft built, some survived to the end of the war, being used as flight trainers.

This particular Albatros D.I was a pre-production version and had differences to the production aircraft.
An Anemometer was fitted to the forward, starboard interplane strut and the expansion tank for the engine cooling system was located at the front of the forward engine cylinder.
The propeller fitted was an ‘Axial’, rather than the more often fitted ‘Reschke’ type.
The serial number of this aircraft has been stated as being D384/16, but it seems this may not be the case.
Although the aircraft was probably delivered in the standard factory finish, it was later painted in an undefined green colour.
In addition, the white Crossfield of the Balken Cross markings on the upper wing were painted over, leaving the remaining Crossfields intact.

Initially this aircraft was flown by Diether Collin and his personal marking of a white ‘Co’, outlined in black, was added to the fuselage sides, to the rear of the Balken Cross.
Later this aircraft was flown by the Prussian Prince Friedrich Karl, when the markings of Collin were replaced with skull and cross bones on a black background marking.
These were applied to the fuselage sides and the propeller spinner.
On the 21st of March 1917, Prince Karl was wound during combat with DH.2 fighters of No.32 Squadron (RFC).
He made a forced lading between the lines but was shot in the spine as he attempted to reach the safety of his own lines and died of his wounds.
The aircraft was later captured and given the RFC identification of G-17.

On the 13th of August 1918, Diether Collin was severely wounded during combat with Sopwith Camels of No.204 Squadron (RAF) over Bailleul and later that day died of his wounds, aged 25.


Mike

[Peterpools]

Mike

Looking forward to your build of the Roden Albatross D.1 and will be following all the way.

Congratulations on your upcoming Vulcan commission build. I've followed four build threads so far and there are just a few areas that require some extra care, namely inside the intakes and the top of the delta wing which has a fair amount of sink marks. I don't have the kit so how bad the sink marks are is from what I've watched and no two kits seem to have the same amount.

Still would be more then interested in following your build and thoughts on the kit.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

[sandbagger]

Hi Peter,

I don't plan to post a build thread for the Vulcan as there are plenty of videos etc on-line already and it's a relatively straight forward build anyway.

Yes the intakes could be a problem with top/bottom join seam and around the intake splitter.

I sanded the seam then have them a couple of coats of Mt. Surfacer 500 and once fully set, sanded them flush.

As for sink marks - yes along the trailing edges of the wings, just forward from the flaps and on the top and undersides of the wings.

I think they're caused due to the moulding of the recesses that the flap leading edges fit into.

I've airbrushed grey primer over the model and quite honestly the sink marks are barely visible.

They might show up more if high gloss finish is applied over them, by I'll be using semi-matte.

Mike

OT so just the one shot

[Peterpools]

Mike

Thanks for the photo of your Vulcan which looks perfect and how you dealt with the sink marks and intakes. What I did find interesting on the builds that I've been following, is how differently everyone went about correcting these issues.

Are you going to be doing the all white scheme as from the photograph, I can see a nice mottled effect on the wings?

Keep 'em comin

Peter

 

[sandbagger]

Hi Peter,

No I'll be doing the upper surface grey/green camo with the white anti-flash undersides.

Conventional not Blue Steel and pre-Falklands.

I managed to find decals from 'Kits-World' that have the No.44 Squadron markings as well as those from No.9, 12, 27, 35, 50, 83, 101 and 617 Squadrons,

Mike

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
This particular Albatros D.I was a pre-production version and had differences to the production aircraft.
An Anemometer was fitted to the forward, starboard interplane strut and the expansion tank for the engine cooling system was located at the front of the forward engine cylinder.
The propeller fitted was an ‘Axial’, rather than the more often fitted ‘Reschke’ type.

The production aircraft had a larger, triangular shaped expansion tank located along and above the engine and slightly to the left side (as supplied in the kit).
However, this particular aircraft was a pre-production build and had a conical coolant expansion tank located at the front of the forward engine cylinder.
This was one of possibly only two or three pre-production aircraft with this type of expansion tank.

On production aircraft, with the over engine expansion tanks, it can be seen that a pipe was connected to the top of the expansion tank and up over the leading edge of the upper wing.
My assumption is that this pipe was intended to release to atmosphere, any excess build up of pressure within the cooling system. 

The following photograph is of this particular aircraft after it was recovered from the crash site of the then pilot, Prince Karl.
The photograph shows two pipes routed rearwards over the engine, from the coolant expansion tank.
The Albatros D.I did not have a flush mounted radiator fitted into the upper wing, but had instead 'Windhoff' radiators located on the fuselage sides.
My assumption is that the upper pipe was attached to the upper wing and vented to atmosphere any over pressurization in the cooling system.
The lower pipe was possibly routed down inside the fuselage a cockpit coolant temperature gauge.

Mike

[Peterpools]

Mike

Terrific reference photographs and answers a lot of questions.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
The engine is completed.
It's the basic kit engine with just a few enhancements, as most will be hidden by the the fuselage.
I've added:
Ignition lead support tubes (1.0 diameter brass tube).
Ignition leads at the spark plugs and magnetos (0.3 mm diameter lead wire).
Coolant expansion tank and pipe (modified WNW engine cylinder and 0.4 mm diameter Nickel-Silver tube and flexible black tube).
Coolant supply pipe from water pump to cylinder integral gallery.
Carburettor control rods (blackened 0.4 mm Brass tube).
Air vale at rear of camshaft housing.
Fuel feed pipes to base of the carburettor.
Spare WNW data plate decals.

Mike

[Peterpools]

Mike

Terrific work on the kit engine - love the details and realists finish

Keep 'em comin

Peter

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
I'm getting close to the fuselage being closed up.
As is usual, most of this won't be seen, but hey-ho.
I just have to add the flight control lines, engine controls, wiring at the starter magneto and switch and the gun trigger cables.

Mike

[harv]

Wow ! Looks awesome  !.....harv 

[Peterpools]

MIke

I need to catch my breath - incredible work.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

[DocRob]

Amazing work, like always, but never fails to impress me.

Cheers Rob

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
The fuselage is now closed up with joints filled and sanded.
I've replaced the kit supplied machine guns with equivalent weapons from 'GasPatch'.
The guns and fuselage detail needed modification to fit the guns correctly.

Mike

[Peterpools]

MIke

Nice work replacing the kit MG's with a set from GasPatch. Fuselage mods worked out very well.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

 

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
I need to replace the two machine guns.
This aircraft was armed with the earlier LMG 08, not the later 08/15 I used.

Mike

[Peterpools]

MIke

Are the differences that noticeable?

Keep 'em comin

Peter

 

 

[sandbagger]

Hi Peter,

I replaced the machine guns with 'GasPatch' resin version, based on the kit supplied weapons.

However, as was pointed out to me, this aircraft was fitted with the earlier LMG 08 weapons.

The following shows the difference between the incorrect replacements (previous post photograph) and the correct weapons (below),

Mike

 

 

[Peterpools]

Thanks MIke

I'm still looking to see the differences

Keep 'em comin

Peter

[harv]

Me too Peter......harv

[sandbagger]

Hi all,

Below you can see main visible differences between the earlier Spandau (LMG) 08 weapon and the later 08/15 weapon.

Mike

 

Early 08 (as in the previous post photograph)

Later 08/15

[Peterpools]

Mike

Thanks for the addition images and I can now see the difference but on a completed model, I'm willing to bet most would never see the difference. Of course, after being treated to your work, accuracy is a prime goal and always achieved.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
I'm a bit slower than normal working this model as I'm working another unrelated model at the same time.
In order to sand and fill gaps after fitting the lower wing, some of the surface detail under the lower wing was also removed.
I thought this would be a good opportunity to try the 'Quinta Studios' 3D printed detail set for this aircraft.
To that end I've sanded off the surface details in preparation.
If the 'Quinta' parts don't work out I will revert to the photo-etch detail set I have from 'Part'.

In the meantime I've had to fill the pre-moulded recesses in the fuselage sides, above the lower wing roots.
These are intended for attaching the flying wires, but are not located correctly.
The flying wires for the Albatros D.I were routed through a cover panel on the upper surface of the lower wing root at the fuselage.
The wires passed through a recess below and into the fuselage attachment points.

Mike

[Peterpools]

MIke

Good luck with the Quinta Studios' 3D printed detail set. I can't believe how much detail you can pick out from 100 year old photographs as I could never, ever see what you do.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
Slower than usual progress on the Albatros D.I (real life got in the way).
I've airbrushed the fuselage and upper surface of the elevator with a mix of Tamiya Cockpit Green (XF73) mixed with White (X2).
It's the closest I could get to the colour profile by Ronnie Barr.
The nose and forward decking panel is Tamiya Medium Sea Grey (XF83).
Next up is the two tone brown/green for the upper surface of the wings and tail plane, which will be covered with clear linen effect 'Aviattic decal..
The undersides will be light blue linen effect 'Aviattic decal.
It'll all be weathered in due course.

Mike