Info,please- Balatre

[JimR]

Looking for information(really,any...?#victories,if any,etc.)on German pilot Max(I think)Balatre.
....reason:his plane is the subject of the new Eduard Albatros DVa. BTW , probably the absolute best 1/72 kit DVa ever,IMHO. Thanks in advance,JimR

[Rick]

JimR:

I have no information regarding any German flyer by the name of Balatre, Max or not. In fact, Balatre (actually Balâtre) was a German airfield. Sounds as though Eduard got their data a little confused, or perhaps you are reading in wrong??

[JimR]

Hmm...looking at the instructions, it says:
Lt.Max Nather Balatre,Jasta 62,April-May 1918

maybe they have it wrong,&its really Max Nather???

[JimR]

Thats probably it.Just checked the aces list,and its likely Nather. My sheepish apologies,and lashes with a wet noodle to the proofreader at Eduard. JimR

[Ginger.]

Jim,
Iv'e just finished a bunch of Airfix Greentails,is it back to the drawing board when I spot my first Eduard Albatri?

[Rick]

Well, they only dropped a comma (like Ed the bowling alley/lawyer on TV this Fall).

[JimR]

Unfortunately,YES!!!I've modeled,for one reason or another,the 1/72 Alb.DVa probably about a dozen times.The Airfix kit is just so-so,the Pegasus kit(of which my Jasta 5 Greentails lineup consists of)is really very good but a little expensive,and the undercarriage seems "off" to me;but these new Eduards are the sweetest-exactly accurate per references,just knocks my sox off.and much cheaper than the Pegasi.Hear they even now have the 1/72 in "profipack"(like they always have for the 1/48-ers),w/photoetch details+ decals for that "STROPP" plane like at the Smithsonian.Gotta get one of those... JimR

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Jim R:
I thought I would add a little information on Ltn.Max Näther. He came from Jastaschule I and joined Jasta 62 on 31 March 1918. Ltn. Näther scored his first victory on 16 May 1918 shooting down a SPAD XIII flown by S/Lt.Albanel of Escadrille SPA 3 at 11:00 over Trignieres. He was flying an Alb.D.Va (S.n. rangeD5625-5649/17). The entire fuselage, empennage and struts were painted black. On both sides of the fuselage aft of the cockpit was painted the a German National flag flown fron a slanted staff painted on a square white field. The balken crosses were surrounded with 150 mm borders on the wings and 50mm on the fuselage and fin/rudder. The wings were camouflaged in mauve,dark green mauve on the upper surfaces and sky blue on the under surfaces. Ltn Max Näther was promoted Jasta Führer of Jasta 62 assuming comand on 7 July 1918. He achieved a total of 26 victories. He later flew a Fokker D.VII that was decorared the same as described above. He was lightly wounded in combat on 27 September 1918 and stayed with Jasta 62. He achieved his last victory on 29 October 1918 shooting down a DeH.4. He survived the war.
Blue skies, Dan-San Abbott

[JimR]

Thanks,Dan! just what I was looking for.I like to know something about the 'players' when I make a kit.Much appreciated. JimR