Another in Progress... 1/48 Eduard Alb. DVa

CharlesNungesser · 22 July 2006, 07:01 AM

Awesome work Brad, love the wood finish!!

Brad Cancian · 22 July 2006, 07:22 AM

Thanks for the great comments guys! I must say I am humbled!

To answer the questions -

redalb2253 - 'tis not a trade secret at all - I approach wood finishes in this way - in 1/48 you will not see individual grains but variations in tone across the panel. Thus to replicate wood in this scale you need to show tone variation more so than grains. The fuselage exterior was done the same way as the interior. I started by painting each panel a variation of the base colour - in this case light and dark variations on the Eduard buff coloured plastic. I then mixed varying ratios of white, yellow ochre and burnt sienna oils, thinned them a little with some turpentine, and brushed them onto the fuselage keeping the grain in the same direction. I tried to give each panel a bit of its own "personality"... The whole thing was then given some light coats of thinned Tamyia "clear yellow". Overall I was aiming for enough variation to keep it interesting but not so much that it looked odd.

WWW - the engine was painted quite simply - black for the cylinders and Testors stainless steel for the case. All I did was give it a wash using a mix of black and burnt sienna oils thinned with turps - et voila!

Stephen - thanks for the suggestions on colour schemes. After having a look through my references I have almost settled on a scheme - Ltn Sadowsky's D5253/17 of Jasta 14 - very simple markings, plywood fuselage and lozenge. It meets the criteria and shows that not all German aircraft were brightly coloured!

BC

StephenLawson · 22 July 2006, 05:23 PM

Hey Brad;

Do you mean Ltn. Sakowsky Alb. D.Va D.5253/17?

Albatros D.Va 5253/17 was flown by Ltn. Hans Sakowsky of Jasta 14. He was brought down and made a POW on 13 Nov.1917 in this machine by anti-aircraft fire. In the ensuing landing he wiped off its landing gear in a "pancake landing." It was given the British capture number G.90 it was repaired & displayed with other captured aircraft in the 'Agricultural Hall' in Islington. All of which had half of their coverings removed to display internal structures to public view for the price of 1 penny. Proceeds went to RAF hospital Fund.

StephenLawson · 22 July 2006, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brad Cancian

The cockpit itself required very little modification.

The pivot wheel for aileron control you added was only seen on the D.V types. The D.Va returned to the earlier Alb. D.III configuration.

Brad Cancian · 22 July 2006, 07:55 PM

G'day Stephen - yes that is the aircraft - although a Bob Pearson profile I have shows the fuselage to be varnished ply as opposed to light grey - the Albatros Special Datafile really doesn't point to either one, but given the serial is still present on the tail I would lean towards a natural ply fuselage? Is there some references somewhere that say the fuselage was grey?

As for the pivot wheel, thanks for pointing that one out, it came with the kit so I kinda went with the instructions on that one, I should have looked a little harder!

That said though, I'm still not settled on markings so the model could well still end up as a DV and not a DVa, in which case it will be right! That all said, it is tucked away under the ammo boxes so you have to look hard for it in there...

Awesome model by the way Stephen!!

Cheers,

BC

StephenLawson · 23 July 2006, 07:40 AM

Hey Brad,
On the colour; Yes, the full write up us on my website. This being a captured machine it was under scrutiny and records of it exist. I have a whole series of Jasta 14 Albatros images and they all have the overpainting. I published them in Cross & Cockade Intl. Vol. 31, #2, 2000 “Photos & Combat Log of Jasta 14." It was the unit practice (by the commander's orders) to repaint the serials in the exact same location as done by the factory but the script is a bit different in many cases.

Of special note in exiting images of the aircraft in allied hands after crash (but before landing gear was rebuilt for display) is the lack of woodgrain in the fuselage. Definately overpainted even if you disagree on the shade of gray. Though you may not benefit in a large way I post the link here will take other interested parties to the CD version, but there is the download as well. Click here on"Spoils of war."

Brad Cancian · 24 July 2006, 01:30 AM

Thanks for the run down on this particular Albatros Stephen, I am always receptive to info that stops me from making mistakes!!

BC

Brad Cancian · 1 August 2006, 05:12 AM

Well be it right or wrong, I have finally settled on a scheme - have a guess at what it may be...

Yep it's Ludwig Weber's DV D2236/17 from Jasta 3, dubbed "Lulu". I thought it was a bit of an odd but slightly quaint "name" for a killing machine, plus it allowed me to keep the natural ply fuselage and have lozenge wings. Based on the one small picture I have of this aircraft, as per the photo I have crudely hand painted the "Lulu" insignia on the aircraft (now that I have done this some one will find a nice high res pic of the insignia showing it much more nicely applied or someone will tell me she didn't have a ply fuselage.... again! Oh well... too late now, I have dug the heels in darn it!!)

Anyways here is my dilemma - serial number decals. I have nothing but the "D", a single "2", a single "3" and a single "/17" for each side of the fin taken from the Aeromaster Albatros Colleciton Part II sheet. Does anyone know where I can source a commercially available decal sheet for the remaining serial numbers? Failing that, does anyone have the pair of "2299" fin insignia decals from the Eduard 1/48 Albatros DV "Profipack" (the one with Loerzer's aircraft on the box) that they would be happy to part with?? If so, please name your price - With these numbers I could piece together the required serial, otherwise I wil have to buy the whole kit.... although....

Help my wallet, I beg you!! Sending me a PM may be better than posting here also...

BC