Hi all.
Long time lurker here, generally content to admire the excellent builds and learn from all of you.
This is a project I've been working on for a bit, so it's not a beginning-to-end build log, but rather starting from something around the middle.
So I'm trying to convert the WNW OAW D.Va into a D.V, as I was not in time to get the D.V kit. So far it's not a big problem. The bird I've chosen is the elusive 'polka dot' scheme of Jasta 4, and apparently there's some contention as to the colour scheme and whether or not it had lozenged wings or the mauve/green bit. I'm going with the suggestion of the Pheon decal sheet, (lozenge with red colouring) for no other reason than that I prefer the looks of it.
One very definite inaccuracy in my build, though, is that I'm installing a Mercedes D.IIIa in it when the original photo clearly indicates a D.III. Why? Well, I smashed the D.III half of the engine by accident and lost a few bits of it somewhere in the process, so I'm just doubling down and going full revisionist and imagining that someone upgraded the engine. I was too cheap to order the D.III engine sprue from WNW.
So far the toughest thing was to get the black spiral right, and I didn't, but I can rest easy knowing that they're clearly not a perfect barber pole on the real thing either, and that the painter likely didn't sit there doing conic section maths to get it exactly right.
I'm using the new printer-dotless Uschi wood grain decals (Ronny Barr pattern) over Vallejo Golden Yellow, and I decided to use Vallejo Gory Red from their Game Air line for the tail and other red bits. Weathering will all be later. I'll be using Pheon's white circles, though may just cut circles in their size and airbrush them. Still undecided. For the wings I'll be using Aviattic's lozenge sets. Otherwise, I'm using the HGW set for all sorts of photoetch, Taurus Models' timing gear, and I scratched a few things like spark plugs, internal wiring, and that metal fuel valve that everyone does.
I'm an atrocious photographer and my pics seem to enhance every flaw, but that's nothing new I think.
All for now.