Begin to build models again.

It`s not only a golden age for ww1 aviation kits. I venture to suggest that it is a golden age for ALL modellers!! When you look at the range and prices of the kits on offer across all the various disciplines then frankly we are spoilt for choice.And I ain`t complaining

[Lufbery]

WWI modeler newbie question here:

What's the difference between Eduard and DML, and what's a PROFIPACK? I've got a DML Spad 13 with a bust of EVR packaged with it. I'll start building it in a week or so.

Thanks,

-Drew

[Craig]

Albatroid;
The problems I experienced with the CSM Pfalz D.XII were as follows:

• bad fit between fuselage halves. This just took some extra work; the Blue Max kit was a little better.

• Too-thick wings and struts - but they weren’t warped, as were the Blue Max version’s.

• The center section struts were quite difficult to line up properly. I used the templates provided to drill the holes, and not only was the fit wildly inaccurate, but the gap between the wings was too great.

• The lower wings didn’t match up with the faired wing roots.

The other metal parts, aside from the struts, were fine, as were the photo-etched parts. I also replaced the lozenge decals with the excellent (and easy to apply) Eagle Strike version.
All in all, it’s a workable kit, but the Blue Max required much less angst.

Cheers,
Craig

[Matt_Bittner]

Eduard is a better DML. Seriously, people think of them in the same breath as Tamiya and Hasegawa - they have improved drastically in the last few years.

Profipack is what Eduard calls it when they include photoetch with the kit (and normally different markings then their non-profi release). Depending on the kit, it's either superflous or a much needed addition. For example, I will not buy the 1/72nd Eduard Albatros D.V/D.Va without the photoetch. However, you can get away without it with their 1/72nd Fokker Dr.I.

[Lufbery]

Matt,

Thanks for the reply.

[CharlesNungesser]

Dear Friends!

How do you do it when you paint an aircraft and it should look like wood, like the propeller for example?

Charles there is a product on the market from Dulux Paints [in the uk at least!] called "Brushwood".It comes in two parts comprising a basecoat and a topcoat,the basecoat is,or appears to be ,emulsion with a translucent topcoat.It comes in various "woods"ie oak,mahogany.What I have found is if you change the basecoat to a "model friendly!" paint you can then apply the top coat as per instructions,and to get a deeper colour apply more coats!!,it looks quite convincing[to my eyes at least!!].I will save the best for last You can find testers of this stuff in your local hardware store for about a quid and it lasts for AGES

[CharlesNungesser]

How is it with books about modeling WWI aviation?

[PeterL]

"How is it with books about modeling WWI aviation? "

The only magazine specific to WWI modeling is Windsock It's a bit pricey IMO and generally only available by subscription or mail order, both of which jack up the price that little bit more. I am lucky in that my local model shop gets half a dozen copies as it comes out. If RR reads this I wish he'd stagger publication of Windsock and Datafiles instead of having them published simultaniously. It makes a very big hole in my model budget every two months.

Other than that you will pick up a heck of a lot from such as Al Wright's WWI Modeling Page. And you really should join the WWI Modelers Mailing List which you can also get to through Al's site.

[Albatroid]

Charles N,

Depending on what tone I'm gonna make the propeller I may use darker or lighter colors, but I do the props with the same routine, for instance:

If i'm doing a medium tone uniform grained prop I may (1)basecoat it in RAF Middlestone, then (2) render in some grain using two or more brown or reddish tones using Prismacolor artixt pencils, then (3) I use a thinned solution of a darker color like dark sienna to "stain" the prop. The last step should be transparent, and apply in successive layers until it is the tone you want.

If I'm doing a laminated prop with alternating layers of light and dark wood I might use a basecoat of say butternut, then mask it off with tape, spray in the dark tone elements in say RAF Dark Earth, apply the grain as above, then do the "stain".

My models are no showstoppers or blue ribbon winnners, but if you want to see how my props come out just follow the link below and select "Imperial German Air Corps" from the menu. Good day and best wishes.

http://pages.ivillage.com/spandau2001