Special Hobby 1/48 Pfalz D.XII the build

NeilE · 7 September 2004, 04:34 PM

Nice build article Stephen...

One little point though...

On the Australian Pfalz D-XII, the dominant interior colour (believed to be unrestored) is actually a painted light grey colour, close to a Humbrol 64, rather than a varnished wood finish.

How much time all up did it take you all up to complete it?

ATB

Neil

StephenLawson · 7 September 2004, 04:54 PM

This brings up a good point on the Austrailian owned D.XII 2600/18. Often the refinishing or rebuilding by restoration crews tend to add solid colours to interiors for varous reasons. Mostly as a way to keep moistrure and dry rot fungi out of the woods and fabric. Another similar treatment was the Fokker D.VII in Munich was painted medium-dark green in its interior areas. Even the interior face of the lozenge fabric was painted.

Now, there are other materials that modern builders use other than linen that rot far less. Most WWI single seat and multiseat aircraft were not heavily painted in their interiors. Simply because of weight.

I know of two exceptions,
1. early Roland C.II types appeared to be painted lt. blue on their interior walls & flooring.
2. Sea plane type aircraft were painted on their interiors to larger degrees because of the salt sea air.

Just my opinion.

I finished the build in under 25 hours over a four week period.

StephenLawson · 7 September 2004, 07:10 PM

Hello folks I have been asked offline to clarify a statemnt in step 1.

'... I also added a scratchbuilt tachometer between the machine gun breeches. The face was laid on its side in its housing ( this was for ease of reading in-flight and was a normal practice of its time.) This means that top dead center was moved to the 3 O'clock position...

Hope that helps.

shaneweier · 8 September 2004, 03:15 AM

Quote:

This brings up a good point on the Austrailian owned D.XII 2600/18. Often the refinishing or rebuilding by restoration crews tend to add solid colours to interiors for varous reasons.

Eight years ago I spent an entire day photographing and measuring that aircraft and the AWM's Albatros D.Va

I was given a research assistant by the AWM's PR manager (actually, about 5 different ones over 2 days there and at Treloar) and allowed to take some considerable liberties.

One was to climb on a ladder and photograph behind the seat. The curator had been kind enough to expose the areas left conserved but unrestored so that I could see the original interior colour.

We discussed it at length, including why the AWM has a policy of "No fake histories" and the research that was being conducted prior to the imminent restoration of both of these aircraft. About things like spectrographs and stripping paint in layers a couple of microns thick to determine the painting history...

The interior was painted light grey. It was painted light grey at the factory.

Of course, he may have been wrong, but it sure sounded convincing to me. But then, like the AWM people, I am but a simple yokel

Shane

StephenLawson · 8 September 2004, 10:09 AM

Interesting... The AWM and the ex- Champlin Fighter museum have the same interior description. 'Grey to lt. grey' Has anyone seen the one that was at Le Brouget? The one in the NASM's hands has been so mistreated it would be no good to even try there. Noting the Ex-Champlin D.XII is has gone through 5 separte restorations. It is very possible that the museums conversed on their findings.

Curiouser and curiouser

StephenLawson · 8 September 2004, 10:14 AM

I believe that this is Mr. Weier's image from AWM.

Lyle · 8 September 2004, 05:29 PM

It might be worth noting that the man responsible for the Champlin Museum's Pfalz restoration, Mr. Bob Rust, is still working on projects in his shop near Griffin, Georgia. At the time it was first restored (1958), the Pfalz was in the ownership of Frank Tallman. I visited him some years ago but the question of the Pfalz's interior color never popped up. Is anyone here in contact with him?

Lyle · 25 September 2004, 04:51 PM

Greetings Stephen,
Being something of a gadfly now and then, where are those pics of your Pfalz? We are most anxious to see what thou hast produced...

Dan_San_Abbott · 26 September 2004, 02:07 PM

StephenLawson:
Steve, could please give me your source that states, "interior fabric surfaces were painted". I have never seen or heard of this being done.
On aircraft with wood or plywood covered fuselage surfaces the interior surfaces were painted. I have two photographs of the fuselage cross of a Pfalz D.XII, one is interior and the other exterior. The interior of the shell is painted medium grey. On the exterior around the cross is a pea green color.
I would like to know your source on this painting of the interior surface of the fabric.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

StephenLawson · 26 September 2004, 03:20 PM

Hey Dan; The issue I am familair with is on restored aircraft. Often the refinishing or rebuilding by restoration crews tend to add solid colours to interiors for varous reasons. Mostly as a way to keep moistrure and dry rot fungi out of the woods and fabric. Another similar treatment was the Fokker D.VII in Munich was painted medium-dark green in its interior areas. Even the interior face of the lozenge fabric was painted.

Now, there are other materials that modern builders use other than linen that rot far less. Most WWI single seat and multiseat aircraft were not heavily painted in their interiors. Simply because of weight.