Aviattic 1/32 Pfalz D.VIII

[gedmundson]

This is Aviatic's 1/32 scale Pfalz D.VIII built to represent the aircraft flown by Paul Bäumer in 1918 with Jasta "Boelcke". I was extremely fortunate to be sent the kit to build for Brett Green's Military Illustrated Modeler magazine (Edit) and should be in Issue 155 for August of this year.

The kit was a marvel of engineering and production - there's been plenty of hype on the internet about what's in the box. This was the Pour le Merit version which has lots of extra decals. I swapped out the supplied turnbuckles for ones in 1/48 scale which is just a personal preference. The figure, which came in the kit, represents Bäumer wearing a Pour le Merit "Blue Max" medal. Although I paired it with the model for the photos, he wasn't awarded the medal until the end of the war, after recovering from a crash - probably in this aircraft.

A tip of the hat to NigelR for his write-up on the first build of the kit. It helped quite a bit as I struggled with the build, trying to figure out how to put it together. Cheers, Gary

[RAGIII]

Stunning work Gary! The kit looks to be awesome and your skills have certainly done it justice. Lovely figure and base!
 RAGIII

[PrzemoL]

Fantastic, I like it very much. And it makes me even more wanting to start on mine.

[gedmundson]

Stunning work Gary! The kit looks to be awesome and your skills have certainly done it justice. Lovely figure and base!
 RAGIII

Thanks so much, Rick - your kind words are appreciated!

[gedmundson]

Fantastic, I like it very much. And it makes me even more wanting to start on mine.

Thanks Prze! This model was a very difficult build for me, working with 3D printed parts can be daunting. The fit of the parts was exceptionally good. Cheers,
Gary

[NigelR]

Lovely job Gary, she looks fantastic. It is indeed a lovely kit, and it's great to see it being built up so well. I'm glad the hints and tips were of some help in the build.

I just noticed you added the altimeter on its springs, well done! That was beyond me......

[DaveB]

That really is a great model there, Gary

Love the subtle weathering (chipping) on the fuselage around the cockpit opening.

Regards

Dave

[lcarroll]

    Magnificent model Gary, the detailing is exceptional and the finish as well. Hope I get to see it sometime, sadly the big event in Nanton will be missed this year but hopefully we'll have the opportunity to meet in Edmonton next year.
Cheers,
Lance

[Umlaufmotor]

Excellently built model - the figure of Paul Bäumer is just as excellent.
Gary, I am a secret admirer of your model building skills - and I'm particularly impressed by your figure painting.

Can you tell us which color mixture you used for the Pfalz silver-grey, please?

BtW - My Pfalz D.VIII "Pour-Le-Merite" box arrived yesterday.
Simply outstanding stuff in the box, I am simply thrilled.

Here is an original photo of Paul Bäumer's D.VIII.
Maybe you should - see picture - attach the black, white and red fabric banner to the rudder to identify the "Jasta boss"?



Servus
Bertl

[lone modeller]

Did you write that you found this a difficult model to build? Well you could have fooled me - that is truly outstanding in terms of detail and finish. I just wish that sometimes I could achieve the kinds of finish that you regularly present here, and as for figure painting - yours is first class.

Stephen.

[Brad Cancian]

Stunning work all around! It almost tempts me to consider 1/32 scale (almost... haha!)

Tell me, how do you execute the rib tapes around the edges of the flying surfaces? I have a love / hate relationship with Aviattic decals given their transparency, and I always wonder how people execute these types of rib tapes given how much Aviattic decals stretch, don't cut cleanly once applied, don't take to decal solution, and are translucent... how do you achieve this?

Cheers,

BC

[gedmundson]

Tell me, how do you execute the rib tapes around the edges of the flying surfaces? I have a love / hate relationship with Aviattic decals given their transparency, and I always wonder how people execute these types of rib tapes given how much Aviattic decals stretch, don't cut cleanly once applied, don't take to decal solution, and are translucent... how do you achieve this?

Cheers,

BC

Thanks Brad. It was actually WnW that converted me to making the big scale again (and I'm running out of room because of it - but what a way to go!) The rib tapes in this case are actually printed onto the decal. Also - the white parts of the national crosses are clear...resulting in my pre-shadowing actually coming through. I've tried to stick to Aviattic's pre-cut custom decals for the most part which include the ribtapes. I did a Hanover Cl.II a couple of years ago and cut my own rib tapes from Aviattic's white-backed decals and it was a lot of brutal work. The decals will cut with care AFTER they dry out completely...and you'll need a brand new #11 blade.
Cheers,
Gary

[gedmundson]

Did you write that you found this a difficult model to build? Well you could have fooled me - that is truly outstanding in terms of detail and finish. I just wish that sometimes I could achieve the kinds of finish that you regularly present here, and as for figure painting - yours is first class.

Stephen.

Thanks for that, Stephen. I found the biggest difficulty working with the printed resin parts, which are brittle and want to break in the wrong places & fly off into space at times. Also using 2-part epoxy glue was a first for me to get fuselage halves to join and other bits & pieces. Quite the learning experience! Cheers,
Gary

[gedmundson]

Excellently built model - the figure of Paul Bäumer is just as excellent.
Gary, I am a secret admirer of your model building skills - and I'm particularly impressed by your figure painting.

Can you tell us which color mixture you used for the Pfalz silver-grey, please?

BtW - My Pfalz D.VIII "Pour-Le-Merite" box arrived yesterday.
Simply outstanding stuff in the box, I am simply thrilled.

Here is an original photo of Paul Bäumer's D.VIII.
Maybe you should - see picture - attach the black, white and red fabric banner to the rudder to identify the "Jasta boss"?
Servus
Bertl

Hi Bertl - your kind words have made my day  Glad you like the model & figure. The figure was actually disappointing in quality, but I did my best to make it work with the model. For the Silbergrau I used Tamiya XF-16 Flat Aluminum and XF-19 Sky Grey in a 1:1 ratio, and airbrush on a semi-gloss after.

I have seen this photo of Baumer's aircraft before...but not with the back of the tail showing the Jasta leader's banner. I think it would make a great addition to the model. But I cannot make out the layout of the colours or the approximate dimensions - could you help me there? I'd love to add it.
Cheers,
Gary

[gedmundson]

    Magnificent model Gary, the detailing is exceptional and the finish as well. Hope I get to see it sometime, sadly the big event in Nanton will be missed this year but hopefully we'll have the opportunity to meet in Edmonton next year.
Cheers,
Lance

Hey Lance - hope all is well with you and thanks for your kind words! Yes - no Edmonton show this year, and I certainly won't be going to Calgary. Apparently the Nanton museum and Calgary club had a fall-out, so their shows unfortunately won't be happening there any more...for the foreseeable future. Two years goes by fairly quickly for us retirees so - see you soon