Online Build - Roden 1/32 Albatros D.III

[JohnReid]

Lookin good!

[alan giles]

Can't help but be impressed by the effects,Brad,but something leaps at me in the last photos,ironically due to the pristine wood effect!
I posted some time ago,following the first pics of Ray Rimell's build,about a little error I thought existed in Roden's panel lines(and which he had not corrected)where they had correctly moulded a horizontal edge passing just behind the highest cambered part of the lower wing root,but also a further panel line,parallel and a few mm higher,above which they moulded the rigging points,i.e.too far above the wing root. If I have failed to express myself let me refer you to the Windsock Datafile Special,photo 108,page 42. Of course,I could be having a 'senior moment',so maybe some of you more expert types can agree/shoot me down in flames.

[Brad Cancian]

G'day Alan,

I just went and had a look at the photo you refer to - excellent pick up, I think you are absolutely correct. There does seem to be a panel there, it almost looks like it is a thin panel external to the fuselage?? Indeed I took the cue for the rigging points from the kit, which as you have pointed out is indeed wrong. I may have to do some minor modifications here - if it is indeed an external panel, some very thin plastic card should suffice. I will pop the rigging point "rings" off the kit and re-position also....

Again, great pick up!

BC

[Brad Cancian]

Well I decided after work tonight to make the modifications that Alan rightly pointed out needed to be done.

After looking a little more closely at the reference pics, I am convinced that this is an external panel sitting proud of the fuselage surface. So, I whipped out some thin plastic card and fabricated some panels. I also moved the rigging loops down to wing root level where the reference pics pointed out that they needed to be (even the Eduard instructions show these rings higher up).



I still need to touch up the paint work, but you get the idea...

Again, many thanks for pointing this one out Alan!

BC

[alan giles]

Nicely done. I'm so relieved that you didn't muck up that wood grain! Actually I reckon it's a single sheet of ply from spar mount to top longeron and between wing fairings on Albatros built jobs.Maybe Roden got a bit confused by OAW's practice of extending the nose sheeting into that area.

[alan giles]

Further to what you say,Brad,check out photo 125. There's a clearer, shadow-assisted view of the panel in question. I think it looks as if Roden's lower panel line is correctly positioned but that that the area below,against which the wing is mounted,should be in some relief,as you have deduced.
Accuracy? We'll get there,it's only taken 90 years so far!

[Brad Cancian]

Alan,

I think the way that Roden produced this lower wing joint was the first thing that made me think that the edge on the lower wing part was supposed to be flush with the side fuselage panels - that and the fact that the datafile drawings and the Eduard kit in 1/48 does not have this "step", which possibly mislead me (although the pics are right there in the datafile itself!). This is likely the reason why I had all of the fit troubles with the lower wing join as I was possibly trying to force it into a position that it was not intended to go into. Looks like Roden was actually on the right track with this detail and maybe I did them a dis-service earlier by mentioning a poor wing joint!! Sorry Roden!!

I agree that the lower wing is supposed to be "in relief" against the panel in question (which is what leads me to think that it may be a separate reinforcement panel?)

What would I do without good folks like you Alan to point these things out to me!

Cheers again!

BC

[FOKKERJ]

Originally Posted by Koloman Mayrhofer

hallo,
first congratulation to that model,fantastic and don´t worry the step on the fuselage bottom wing joint is correct and was found on the original too ,so a bit less noticeable. the reason is that the fuselage side if you look on it from the top is a bit curved why the wingroot is straight. on the original in the position of the spar it is 3mm and at the leading and trailing edge something about 5 to 6mm. once you know what to look for you find this on original fotos.
cheers
koloman mayrhofer

Hi Koloman Mayrhofer,

Is this the same thing that Alan and Brad were discussing or something else?

Thanks, FOKKERJ

By the way Brad, an absolutely beautiful job!
Nice woodgrain and direction. The Mercedes belongs along side of the Albatros on an engine stand!

Regards, FOKKERJ

[Koloman Mayrhofer]

hallo,
yes this is the same detail.
also the attachment points for the two main flying wires are a bit above the top of the rib as they are not attached to the wingroot but rather to the fuselage longerons wich are more inboard inline with the landing gear leg.
if you look at the museum and collection thread you will find a link with lots of fotos of my plane .
basicly roden had done an exellent job on this model with only having the fuselage 3 mm to long which give the model a to pointed look at the front but that is nitpicking.
cheers
koloman mayrhofer

[StephenLawson]

Greetings all;
The 1/32 Voss figure has been sent to Paul. Brad you are doing your usual fine job. Most impressive. I hope that my minor contribution will stand up with your major effort. As Voss said on the side of this machine. "How do we fight? With heart, luck and an iron will."