Online Build - Roden 1/32 Albatros D.III

Iwik · 15 September 2007, 02:59 AM

Hi there!

Yeah, not bad...

Just kidding. I'm just plain jealous and on my butt.

Awesome. You're just digustingly good. However, it would have been nice to have some wood panel with streaks going from the top to the bottom, if you see what I mean.

Ciao
Iwik

bobs_buckles · 15 September 2007, 07:48 AM

Hello Brad,
As always, superb work m8.

You mention you used Eduard Jackets for the Spandaus. Do you have a product code for these? I could do with these for my 1/32 Pfalz.
Cheers mate.
Bob

Galloway · 15 September 2007, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobs_buckles

Hello Brad,
As always, superb work m8.

You mention you used Eduard Jackets for the Spandaus. Do you have a product code for these? I could do with these for my 1/32 Pfalz.
Cheers mate.
Bob

Hello Bob,

Unless your converting your 1/32nd scale Pfalz D.III to a D.IIIa (or building it with the upper cowling removed)?
I wouldn't bother with the etched jackets, as no one will be able to see them!
Then again, I am guilty of building detail into my kits that no one knows is there but me!

Ken

mgtaylor · 15 September 2007, 03:51 PM

Dear Brad

Awesome BUild NO JOKE . (hee hee the Ed PE mg Cooling jackets are on backward/Unless the Mold is wrong ? The dots go on the muzzel end ?) Seriously I am NOT a rivet Counter they look Awesome Any which way you did it !

However Seriously I am asking PLEASE DO Share with us all your Post Rib shading technique on the Upper wing ? !!

I assume you covered the areas with the original solid camo colors out of the bottles and then masked off the Ribs..........AND then...................????????????

Sprayed on a thinned Smoke over the tapes AND THEN...went back over the areas between the ribs with the thinned Original colors again to "Lighten up the areas again ?" AND THEN removed the masks ?

Please share with us a AIRBRUSH shading lesson 101 ?

Yours Mike

Brad Cancian · 15 September 2007, 05:04 PM

Hi guys,

Thanks for the really nice words again

Iwik - I deliberately kept the streaks on the wood panelling all in the same direction - close examination of photos of the Albatros demonstrate (to me anyways) that the grains were all kept in the same direction (along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft) - this makes sense when you think about the fact that the ply had to be bent over a frame and it is much easier to bend with the grain than against it.

Mike - good pick up on the Spandaus, bugga! I only just noticed this on the Eduard instructions... well, oo late now, I ain't changing em

!

The rib technique was indeed a combination of pre and post shading. I start off by masking the ribs with thin strips of Tamiya tape, then lightly overspray along the rib lines with a dark grey. I take off the tape and then shoot the camo colours over the top, thin enough so that the pre-shading just shows through. I then lighten the original camo colours and spray these between the ribs (this is the post-shading bit). That's it! Once the decals are on, I will lay strips of very low tack tape over the decals, and hit all of the rib lines on the wings and panel lines on the fuselage with an overspray of Tamiya smoke - the heaviness of this final overspray depends on how weathered I want the model to look!

Bob - the product code for the etched set is 32-583 - I just recieved the Pfalz as well (yesterday in fact - it is another consignment build for the same customer as this Albatros) - it looks like a nice kit, if only Roden would include a small etched fret for seat belts etc...

BC

tcrean7828 · 15 September 2007, 11:17 PM

Mate,

Outstanding build!!!!!!! I tip my hat to you!!!!

cul

tcrean7828

tom

bobs_buckles · 16 September 2007, 12:49 AM

Hello Ken,
I'm going to remove the upper cowling on the port side. Need those lovely looking jackets to make her look sweet.
Cheers.
Bob

Quote:

Originally Posted by Galloway

Hello Bob,

Unless your converting your 1/32nd scale Pfalz D.III to a D.IIIa (or building it with the upper cowling removed)?
I wouldn't bother with the etched jackets, as no one will be able to see them!
Then again, I am guilty of building detail into my kits that no one knows is there but me!

Ken

MerlinV · 16 September 2007, 05:26 AM

Sensational Stuff as always Brad.
The Plywood Grain effect is very convincing I think. Looking forward to being able to add to my "Brad Cancian" Folder with pics of the finished article.

Cheers,

Hugh

Iwik · 17 September 2007, 02:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brad Cancian

Hi guys,

Thanks for the really nice words again

Iwik - I deliberately kept the streaks on the wood panelling all in the same direction - close examination of photos of the Albatros demonstrate (to me anyways) that the grains were all kept in the same direction (along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft) - this makes sense when you think about the fact that the ply had to be bent over a frame and it is much easier to bend with the grain than against it.

BC

Hi there!
Can anyone comfirm or deny this? Were the plywood panels applied all in the same direction? That would be a good thing to know.
Ciao
Iwik

Brad Cancian · 22 September 2007, 10:32 PM

Hi guys, yet more progress pics...

Since last update, I have painted and added the machine guns to the upper decking. They did not sit straight - they both rotated about 20 degrees off vertical due to the kit ammo chutes on part 5A - and as such needed some persuasion to get to the right angle. The ammo chutes fitted in step 20 (parts 33A and 24A) also needed trimming and adjustment to get them to fit. In fact, I ditched the port chute (part 24A) as I couldn't get it to fit, plus I didn't think it would really be visible.

I have also added all of the little hatches and panels to the kit from the Eduard etched fret. I decided to re-attach the lower nose cowling as I was not happy with the big gap between the front fuselage frame (part 12A) and the fuselage halves - re-attaching the cowling hid this flaw. Also, I had trouble with the wing to fusealge fillet panels (parts 9B, 8B, 40A and 41A). They didn't fit very well at all (may have been self inflicted with all of the hassle I created getting the fuselage halves and wings on) and had sink marks which needed filling.

The undercarriage and struts were also cleaned up and painted - be careful removing these from the sprue as they are realistically thin.

It was then time for clear coating and decalling. I used a combination of the kit decals and the new Spada decals for Voss' machine. I found these decals to be at almost opposite ends of the "required techniques" spectrum. The kit decals were very quick to come away from the backing, but were rather thick. I also found out that once they are on the model, they don't want to budge, so lots of water was needed to float the decals into place. Microset didn't seem to make much of a dent in them either. That said, I didn't get any silvering. This was my first experience with Spada decals, and they were almost the opposite in some key areas. They required trimming (no biggie), and were extremely thin and slightly translucent. I had to take great care to get them into place without folding, wrinkling or cracking through handling, but once on they bedded down extremely well. I replaced the swastika decal with some cut from white decal film as I didn't think the Spada swastika would survive the handling. Overall, I was quite pleased with the Spada product once I worked out how best to use them.

Once the decals were on, it was time for clear coat, an oil wash, and the major weathering step (it is much easier to do this prior to the top wing going on).

I went for a heavily weathered look on this aircraft. I did this for a couple of reasons. Voss used this Albatros extensively throughout Feb-Jun 1917 (some sources say he used 2 Albatros' in this period), and scored a large number of his kills on it - it underwent an upper wing change at one point and followed him from Jasta 2 to Jasta 5. The aircraft markings also changed throughout its life - it initally had only the two hearts on the fusealge sides - the one on the upper decking was added later. In addition, Voss' spinner was likely painted black in Jasta 2, and overpainted red when he moved to command Jasta 5 as per squadron practice (hence why I went with a darker red than the hearts to replicate this overpainting). He was wounded in this aircraft on 6 Jun 1917 in his last combat flight with Jasta 5 - he crash landed and the aircraft was likely written off at this point. It was this period of time that I wanted to replicate, hence the heavy weathering.

Weathering was done using silver paint for paint chips and various oversprays of the panel lines. I also chipped away the heart decal on the port side where lots of scuffs from ladders and pilot / groundcrew climbing in and out of the cockpit would have occured. Some may think it is overdone....

Anyways, here are some quick pics of her dryfitted to the undercarriage and wheels...

Next is onto painting the prop and exhaust, then on to the big step of attaching the top wing... the end is in sight! Comments welcome!

BC