Has anyone built the Model Airways Albatros DVa?

If you have any comments or help in building the kit it would be greatly appreciated.

I particularly need to find photographs of the Mercedes 180 hp engine to see the colourings - not the Mark Millar virtual version.Picture of finished prop also requested plus details of manufacturers logo.

Also does anyone know if 1/16th Spandau photoetch cooling jackets are available as the kit items are way over scale.

All help very greatfully received.

Thanks guys

Scottie.

Scottie:
Tom's Model Works has 1/16 scale fretted Spandau jackets.
Blue Skies,
Dan-San

I have this kit, but have not built it yet. The fuse cross-section is based on the Wylam drawings, so the fuselage is a bit more portly than it should be. It shouldn't be too noticeable in the finished kit though, as it is a bare bones model.

The kit your speaking of is based on drawing from the Wylam series. *Out dated and fraut with errors. *I have the kit on my bench in the first stages of familiarization. *I just wish that they had used the current information. *Bob Waugh where are you? *The engine research *should lead you to Mr. David Watts (he's also done good research on the Spandau Maxim types.)

The cylinder water jackets should be the color of blued gun metal. Engines and Things has some nice plan view drawings with their *resin engine kits. *They show some of the basic differences in the Merc. D.III 160hp -IIIa 170hp and IIIau (mit umlaut) 180hp. Dan San Abbott wil be able to give you the finer details. *Note the position of the rocker box covers as a visual indicator. *If their centered on the rocker springs then its the D.III or D.IIIa engine. *If the rocker box is off center with the spring at its leading edge then it is the D.IIIau (mit umlaut.) *The Mercedes D.IIIau was installed in all production Albatros D.Va types. As replacement motors came available these may have been installed in the frontline Alb. D.V but this is still a grey area. *The D.IIIau 180hp *was later the basic installation in all Fokker D.VII types. *Some documentation has the generic term 160hp as early research and even documentation of the day (i.e.1918) has this generic term. *

On the subject of the Spandau Jackets. *These Items are large enough to reproduce in thin toolers metals. * These can be found in most rail road hobby shops and tends to be .010 - .015 thick. STL

Hi -Thanks for all of your repies.

Can anyone give me a web address where I can find a photo of the Merc?

I scanned the web about 2 weeks ago and found some guy somewhere in the US who had an original engine (plus colour pics) which he was intending to restore. Unfortunately I got side tracked and didn't save the URL...Drat!

I will put some webcam pics on the site as work progresses with the model.

Beware of the Hun in the Sun!

As is usual: surf around the internet for a few hours and find the answer to my own question?

Found photos of the requested Mercedes engine on the Great Albatros Cookup site- just in case any of you were wondering!!

Scott
Fine then - don't trust me *;)
well... I don't blame you - On a model of that scale I would look for "real" pictures as well.

I assume the photos you found are these taken by Ernest Thomas:
http://wwi-cookup.com/albatros/museum/muse...collection.html
I also used these photos as my primary color reference when i built the "virtual" version.
One thing which confused me was that rod which runs down the side to carry the electrical lines back to the magneto. I thought it must be brass, but Ernest tells me they (present day restorer) painted it red .
I aslo have some photos of the Rhinebeck engine when it was still sitting out on a bench before it's ill fated instalation into their DVa. I can scan them for you, but I'm not sure of it's historical accuracy - the cranckase was painted green, and it has a bracket on the port side which i think was supposed to be for an electrical generator.

As far as color goes - if you are modeling a used engine it would seem that varying shades of grease, grit and grime wiould be the most accurate *;)

as for Wylam drawings
are you SURE they based this kit on Wylam's work?
Some of the stuff in his DVa drawings are pure fiction.
Don't get me wrong, I love his stuff, It's just that I think if he didn't have any data on hand - he just made it up.
be extremly careful when using any Wylam drawings as reference, Even the Air Age book has a disclaimer in the front warning the reader of inaccuracies.

BTW - I believe his Merc drawing are accurate.
In fact, all his engine drawings look pretty good to me

have fun
Mark