forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com
WW1 Aircraft Modeling => Completed models => Topic started by: Trackpad on March 11, 2019, 09:50:42 AM
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I learned of Des’ passing a little over a year ago, as we all did. Des was a tower of strength to many of us on the Forum, certainly including me. I immediately expressed condolences to the Delatorre family from my wife Sharon and me. Subsequently I remembered that, some time ago, a number of us did a "commemoration build" on the passing of Dan-San Abbott. I then decided, with all due respect to the memory of Des and to his family, to use my Albatros build as a salute to Des and what he has done for me and so many of us.
I’ve tried to stretch my modelling limits as far as I can with this build. I can assure you, however, that I had more than a few challenges with it: plywood and nail lines decals, the “cleaning out” of the radiator along with the rigging come readily to mind. All in all, though, I’m satisfied with the result. After all, Des was watching and he gave me a helping hand when required (which was often).
Of course, starting at such an early date precludes me from joining the current memorial build. Accordingly, I'll place this small thread on the “Completed Models” section, and wish all participants of the current memorial build competition the very best of good luck with their endeavours.
I hope and trust that this personal tribute will find favour among our membership. Des was our guide and mentor in any number of ways, and it is most fitting that memorials to him are respectfully offered.
Blue Skies, Des!
What though the radiance which was once so bright
Be now forever taken from our sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind.
(https://i.imgur.com/zCPpXi3.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/WXTguGc.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/FBo3hRN.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/EgFXOri.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/mCbR1hG.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/cV0tdXo.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/NobPrgg.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/1Oo0d9D.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/VV05XWM.jpg)
Many thanks to all Forumites who visited, suggested, critiqued, observed and otherwise assisted me with this very long project. I tell you true, Gentlemen, it was all most appreciated. And I would be very remiss if I did not thank Rowan Broadbent for putting up with my "gentle chivvying" about nine years ago on the subject of "Wouldn't it be great if Pheon could put out the decals in 1/32nd scale to match the then-new WNW Albatros DV so that I could build D4545/17?" Many thanks, Rowan! God Bless. 8)
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Gary,
As the Forum Moderator and more then just an "On Line" friend I want to thank and commend you for both your wonderful verbal tribute to Des and for this magnificent Tribute Build to a man who brought so many of us together in the hobby we all share. You and I have shared many great moments (and the odd ale as well!) these past several years and also share a lifetime of enjoyment of the hobby, you really put that vast experience to product in this magnificent project! I've enjoyed and am privileged to have followed your progress here, and more so on our very special "Canadian Modelling Mafia" communications over the nearly one and one-half years of work you invested in it. The Albie is truly magnificent and I hope you enter it in CapCon this Fall, it's sure Gold on the competition table and I am certain of it's success.
As a fellow "Display Only" participant I have to say you've placed the bar very high, an inspiration for certain. Not bad for an old "Tanker" and Armor Buff ....... Just superb!
Cheers,
Lance
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Lance,
Many thanks for your very kind comments. Rest assured that the Albi will be en route to CapCon in late September, and it would be "a good thing" if it is eventually successful. But the other, dual, aim has already been achieved in that I can post this completed build as a tribute to Des. A CapCon win would be icing on the cake, as it were. We'll just have to wait about six months to see what plays out. Thanks again, Airedale! 8)
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Gary, that's a VERY BEAUTIFUL Albatros, indeed! I like ideas with a „twist“, like having that german „icon“ of an aeroplane , ornated with cockardes... Thank you very much! (And, yes, thanks to Rowan for the decals!)
Richard
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A really fantastic build with a twist. I’m sure Des would be stoked with it! Cheers matt
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Great tribute, great model, Trackpad.
Thank you for both, the text and the model! And good luck at the competition table!
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Great model and great words!
Thank you,
Manni
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Good Morning, rhwinter, FokkerFodder, Przemol and Manni. Thanks to you all for your kind comments. I can assure you, as I have mentioned elsewhere, that they are most welcome. Please accept my best wishes for success with your current and future builds! 8)
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Beautifully built, painted , decalled, and rigged. Your Tribute to Des is a Total success! A very fitting tribute indeed!
RAGIII
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Extraordinary build Gary and beautiful tribute to Des (gone but not forgotten).
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Hello Gary - I have to echo the comments above on this tribute to Des. Your build is amazingly well done and photographed.
Cheers,
Gary Edmundson
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Magnificent, Lance! Des would love it!
Cheers,
Bud
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Agreement with all above, beautiful work and tribute.
Mark
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Magnificent, Lance! Des would love it!
Cheers,
Bud
Er, Umm, Bud, Gary and I are only distantly related as former "Brothers in Arms" ......... I can't take credit for his magnificent Albie but I do hope to use it as an example of what mine should be! ;)
Cheers!
Lance
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Hello, Rick, Juan, Gary, Bud and Mark,
Thanks very much for visiting and for your most supportive comments. They are very much appreciated. Thanks again! 8)
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That is a truly wonderful tribute in words and deed to a magnificent modeller. Your build thread was a joy to follow, and the result a pleasure to view and an inspiration for others including me, to follow. I too am building a tribute to Des and as Lance has written, you have set the bar very high indeed. I am certain that he would have taken as much pleasure form this model as the rest of us.
Stephen.
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That is a truly wonderful tribute in words and deed to a magnificent modeller. Your build thread was a joy to follow, and the result a pleasure to view and an inspiration for others including me, to follow. I too am building a tribute to Des and as Lance has written, you have set the bar very high indeed. I am certain that he would have taken as much pleasure form this model as the rest of us.
Stephen.
Hello, Stephen, and thanks, both for visiting and for your very kind comments. I am happy that you have enjoyed the thread and have been inspired by it. I am honoured by the comment that I have "set the bar very high," but the aim of my project was to pay tribute to Des with a build that would last almost two years and then be entered into a regional competition at the end of that time. In the process I improved my skill levels a little and had much more time than, for example, you have in the current Memorial Build Competition.
I will certainly follow the various Tribute Builds with much interest, both to add a few more techniques to my armory and to marvel at the end results of the build threads. Best wishes to you and to all competitors as you all take part in the competition. 8)
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Hello, Everyone,
As the last post on this thread was over six months ago, I thought that I'd place just one more posting on the thread to close it off.
You may recall that I said some time ago that I would like to place the Albi into competition some time in the fall to see what might happen. Well that regional competition took place yesterday, September 28th. Fortunately, I had had the time to make a few "amendments" to the model as it was pictured back in early March.
For example, here is an image posted back in March:
(https://i.imgur.com/cV0tdXo.jpg)
The error made here was so massively obvious that I never even saw it. I had been so fixated on getting the rigging correct that I completely missed the fact that I had not fitted the radiator hose from the wing rad to the front of the engine. Don't believe me?? Check back to the images on page 1 of this thread and you can see for yourself! It was only when Lance Carroll posted the images of his Memorial Build that the truth thundered over me like a herd of elephants. The hose got fitted as soon as I could find it, still in the kit box and stored in my cache. This incident is a prime example of "dodging a bullet!"
So here are two images showing the Albi as it stood ready for competition. All appeared to be in place, and ready for the fray:
(https://i.imgur.com/kndyLQD.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/MCdU8ZK.jpg)
Now came the question of a display base. I cobbled together a bit of wood, stained and varnished, then added a "Muddy" surface to replicate ground the Albi might have occupied in December, 1917. An RFC pilot took his place as a reference to aircraft size and scale, an engraved brass plate arrived as the method of description, and some decals added a bit of interest as a roundel overshadowed the Black Cross:
(https://i.imgur.com/ri9iXq3.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/7UKfATv.jpg)
I was able to attend and to place the Albi into "Class A-11, Multi-Wing Aircraft and/or Rigged." Needless to say, with two wings and a bunch of rigging, the Albatros felt right at home.
(https://i.imgur.com/Mt6qjeo.jpg)
The final count of competitors was eighteen, mostly 1/32nd scale and all of those Wingnut /wings offerings. The judges split the Class into multi- and single-engined a/c, but that still left 12 to 1 odds for the Albi. Nothing to do but to help in the competition judging (not Class A-11, of course!), get the odd coffee and snack, and await the awards ceremonies.
Crunch time: the awards started and (wouldn't you know it?) my Class was announced quite early in the schedule. And, while I had stated many times that the aim of the build was to be a Memorial to Des, I was absolutely gob-smacked (gee, I do like that term!) when it was announced that "Captured!" had come second out of thirteen and had won Silver in the competition!
(https://i.imgur.com/ynrQJ6o.jpg)
And then it was over, and my Memorial Build had a very, very nice accent point for Des and all that he had done for the website, the Forum and all of our members. I felt quite satisfied, quite happy and quite honoured. Blue Skies, Des. This one is for you as well!
Best regards to all Forumites, thanks for visiting, and good fortune to you in all with your current and future builds. 8)
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Congratulations again Gary, sorry our group couldn't all be there for this one. A fitting tribute, a beautiful model, and a medal finish to add to the adventure!
Cheers,
Lance
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Congratulations, Gary. Looks like you had some stiff competition.
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Well done Gary! A really lovely build and a joy to follow too... Thank you for all your efforts in posting and keeping us informed! Regards, Marc.
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Congratulations, very well done.
Ciao
Giuseppe
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Great model and well deserved award! Sincere congratulations. Des would be proud of you!
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Hello, Lance, Kensar, Marc, Giuseppe and Przemol.
Thank you all for your very kind comments. Your visits only underline the excellent support we Forumites have for our members. I must say that I'm slowing down a bit (I'll shortly hit 75 years) but I still retain a very strong interest in the hobby. I still have eight WNW kits in the cache plus a Hobbycraft Nieuport and, all things being equal, I'll have them on The Forum in the fullness of time. Meanwhile, I'll visit and admire the builds of those younger and more talented than I am, and provide some support here and there.
Thanks again for visiting, and all best wishes to you and yours for good health, happiness and future success in all of your endeavours! 8)
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Nice to see your beautiful Albie won the 2nd price. Very well deserved.
Bye,
Manni
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Hello, Mannie,
Thanks for visiting, and thanks for your very kind comments. They are very much appreciated. Best wishes for a great weekend! 8)
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Worthy tribute & beautiful Albatros in every aspect!
May i ask which wood & nail decal set did you use?
Cheers
Hans
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Congratulations for a great Albatros and the award!
Now I scroll back to the pictures :)
Cheers,
Frank
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Hello, Hans, and welcome to the Forum. Thank you very much for your kind comments!
The wood grain decals come from Uschi van der Rosten. Here is the link to their page showing all of their wood decals:
https://www.uschivdr.com/shopping-categories/shop-wood-grain-decals/.
For the Albatros I used sheets 1006 and 1007. The nails decals came from another source but they are no longer available. However, I see that Uschi says that they have them now.
Best of luck with your future projects and, again, welcome! 8)
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Frank, thank you very much for your visit and your kind comments. I do hope that you enjoy the pictures! :D 8)
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Thanks for the quick answer Gary and Congrats for a well deserved Silver!!
Again, a real beauty and rarely seen with that British flavour..... :)
Cheers
Hans
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Hans,
It is my pleasure, sir. Feel free to contact me or any Forum member if you have questions on anything you read here. You'll find that you are among experienced and friendly modellers, all ready to give a new member advice and assistance. 8)
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I'm late again , but congrats on a very well deserved award . She is a beauty Gary :)
Terri
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Thanks for that very friendly welcome Gary, i already experienced great support from different members and would like to express that
i feel extremely homey & heartily welcomed from the first day here!
And it also does make a difference that a forum is exclusively dedicated to WW1 topics...
Btw I hope that my Jasta 17 Albi build, already listed here in the ''under construction'' section will be finished in the near future, though i have a brake with that build at the moment since i first have to finish a Spitfire build.
Cheers
Hans
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I'm late again , but congrats on a very well deserved award . She is a beauty Gary :)
Terri
Good Morning, Dear Lady. Thank you for your visit and for your very kind comments. Please do not concern yourself for being late because no one can be late to this thread: the build is done, we were fortunate in receiving an award, and anyone can access the thread to see what's here. So worry not, my friend, as you are more than welcome to visit at any time! :)
Best Wishes to you, Terri, for success in all of your future endeavours, and many thanks again for visiting! 8)
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Thanks for that very friendly welcome Gary, i already experienced great support from different members and would like to express that
i feel extremely homey & heartily welcomed from the first day here!
And it also does make a difference that a forum is exclusively dedicated to WW1 topics...
Btw I hope that my Jasta 17 Albi build, already listed here in the ''under construction'' section will be finished in the near future, though i have a brake with that build at the moment since i first have to finish a Spitfire build.
Cheers
Hans
Hi, Hans,
Thanks for your comment (among others) that will now steer me to your Jasta 17 Albatros. And good luck with your Spitfire! 8)
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Great bit of modeling there. I like the wood grain effect. But I especially like the chipping effect on the cowling/spinner.
Paul
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Hello, Paul, and thank you for visiting.
The spinner and cowling chipping was fairly easy. First I applied a coat of Tamiya gloss black. Then, when that was dry, I applied a light coat of Alclad2 Aluminium. Next, I daubed some MicroScale Micro Mask here and there over the surface. When the mask had dried, the light blue paint was applied, then left to dry overnight.
The last major task was to gently peel away the Micro Mask. Don't be surprised if small bits of blue paint come free from the boundaries of the Mask. With that done I used a small piece of sponge to apply random mud effects. Don't overdue this step: when you know that you want to do just a bit more, STOP! ;) You'll be happy with the minimal effect. Now you might want to airbrush a little well-thinned mud-coloured paint here and there, but again minimal is all you'll need.
(https://i.imgur.com/tR4xXxR.jpg)
That's about all there is to it. Give it a try in future: I'm sure that you'll be successful.
Best wishes for all future success, and thanks again for your visit! 8)
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Hello, Paul, and thank you for visiting.
The spinner and cowling chipping was fairly easy. First I applied a coat of Tamiya gloss black. Then, when that was dry, I applied a light coat of Alclad2 Aluminium. Next, I daubed some MicroScale Micro Mask here and there over the surface. When the mask had dried, the light blue paint was applied, then left to dry overnight.
The last major task was to gently peel away the Micro Mask. Don't be surprised if small bits of blue paint come free from the boundaries of the Mask. With that done I used a small piece of sponge to apply random mud effects. Don't overdue this step: when you know that you want to do just a bit more, STOP! ;) You'll be happy with the minimal effect. Now you might want to airbrush a little well-thinned mud-coloured paint here and there, but again minimal is all you'll need.
(https://i.imgur.com/tR4xXxR.jpg)
That's about all there is to it. Give it a try in future: I'm sure that you'll be successful.
Best wishes for all future success, and thanks again for your visit! 8)
Thanks for this information Gary. I'll give it a try. The whole model is fantastic.
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Hello, Albert.
Thanks for visiting, and for your very kind comment. I hope that my explanation is clear and that it will help you as you try this technique. Take your time, don't try to rush your work, and I'm sure that you will be successful. If you have any questions just contact me and I'll help where I can. Good luck! 8)
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Gary,
I must of been living under a rock to not notice or acknowledge your wonderful Albie. Please accept my apology for not commenting earlier :o
Lovely build all around. Love it!
Well done!!
von B ;)
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Hello, Bob, and thanks very much for visiting.
No apologies necessary, my friend. You as "Herr Bucklemeister" have helped me several times over the years, and I venture to say that you've helped dozens of Forumites over the same time span. I'm pleased to have received your very kind comments and I thank you for them and for your past and, most likely, future assistance. Best regards to you and yours, Bob, and best wishes for all good luck and future success! 8)
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I must have been under the rock next to Bob's,and wish to add my congratulations Gary,she's a stunner.I'm looking forward to trying your chipping technique on my next build,it's something I've never been satisfied with on my builds and your results are just what I've been aiming for.
Cheers,
Dave.
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Hi Dave. Thanks very much for visiting. I think that it's the length of time (about six months) between the end of the build and the competition entry that sort of camouflaged the "Return of the Albi." All to say that I am very grateful for the comments that I've received since late September. Thanks again for your visit and for your very kind comments: much appreciated! 8)