Author Topic: Tribute to a Simple Time...  (Read 4461 times)

Offline Brad Cancian

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Tribute to a Simple Time...
« on: August 07, 2020, 03:34:19 PM »
Hi all,

Here is my latest completion, the 1/72 scale Albatros D.Va from Airfix. This kit’s moulds date from 1957, making the mould around 63 years old! (that's 24 years older than I am...). This is the boxing from the early 2000s, picked up for $4 at a swap and sell.



The WiP is here - https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=11345.0

With this build, I wanted to re-kindle that child like feeling of building something for fun, with minimal modifications, and not a care for accuracy. To correct the ancient Airfix kit's flaws would be to scratch build an entire model. So, in the spirit of fun, this one was largely out of the box. 

Well, I say out of box, but I couldn't help myself. I made a couple of changes, but these were very basic, limited only to things I just couldn't live with. I added a rudimentary cockpit, replaced the engine and guns (both from Roden), heavily modified the spinner and replaced the spindly kit propeller, sanded and refined the flying surfaces, refined the detail on the wheels, sanded down the raised fuselage panels and re-scribed them (though I did keep the characteristic louvers and rivets on the nose – these are a prominent feature of the old mould, even if not entirely accurate).

The model was painted with acrylics, with oil paints used for the ‘wood’ fuselage. The model was painted to represent the markings of a machine from Jasta 4, late 1917. Rigging is from elastic.

I also had a little bit of a play with the display base, with a rough attempt to set the model on one of the old early 80’s release boxes (from the era where Palitoy owned Airfix… Palitoy released a number of Airfix kits with box art of the built model on a blueprint, for those that remember – of note, Airfix never re-boxed the Albatros in one of these boxings, so this makes it a little more quirky and unique as a base).















As a final bit of fun, I also created a ‘box top’ for what may have been, had Airfix released this one during the Palitoy era in the early / mid 1980s:



😊

It was a fun little build, and definitely took me back to the earlier days of my modelling, with a slightly ‘modern’ twist.

Feedback, comments and criticisms all welcomed.

Cheers,

BC

Online macsporran

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Re: Tribute to a Simple Time...
« Reply #1 on: August 07, 2020, 05:08:06 PM »
Now that's what I call real modelling! Silk purse out of a sow's ear if ever I saw one.
Unfortunately I am four years older than the kit and I remember building this as one of my very first models, but it certainly didn't turn out anything like yours Brad.
Beautifully presented.
Sandy

Offline Ian from Doncaster

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Re: Tribute to a Simple Time...
« Reply #2 on: August 07, 2020, 05:20:33 PM »
“Very basic” changes.? you gotta be kidding.!

Stunning work on a pig of an old molding..!

Offline PrzemoL

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Re: Tribute to a Simple Time...
« Reply #3 on: August 07, 2020, 06:56:42 PM »
Vintage WW1 aircraft modelling at its best! Simply stunning.
Ash nazg durbatuluk, ash nazg gimbatul,
Ash nazg thrakatuluk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul.

Offline IanB

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Re: Tribute to a Simple Time...
« Reply #4 on: August 07, 2020, 07:18:46 PM »
Beautifully done, it does at least look like an Albatros now, if a little portly!

Ian

Offline Dave W

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Re: Tribute to a Simple Time...
« Reply #5 on: August 07, 2020, 08:01:09 PM »
Just outstanding modelling Brad.... world class and the best Airfix Albatros D.V I've ever seen made. The base is superbly creative too. You should send these  images to Airfix for their website.

Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia
Owner and Administrator of ww1aircraftmodels.com and forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com

Offline lcarroll

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Re: Tribute to a Simple Time...
« Reply #6 on: August 07, 2020, 10:48:53 PM »
   What a superb Build Brad, and a wonderful little journey down the "Bunny Hole" of happy and simple times as you intended. Like Dave I don't believe I've seen a better job on this Kit ever, and being OLDER then the Kit I've seen and built just a few! The display base is "real class", absolutely brilliant!
Cheers,
Lance

Offline RAGIII

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Re: Tribute to a Simple Time...
« Reply #7 on: August 07, 2020, 10:52:51 PM »
Just outstanding modelling Brad.... world class and the best Airfix Albatros D.V I've ever seen made. The base is superbly creative too. You should send these  images to Airfix for their website.

Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia

I can Only agree wholeheartedly with Dave!
RAGIII
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Offline lone modeller

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Re: Tribute to a Simple Time...
« Reply #8 on: August 08, 2020, 03:54:29 AM »
I too am older than the kit (unfortunately!) and built one of these some years ago for the same reason as you. With some modification and patience it can be turned into a very good model as you clearly demonstrate with htis one. I do like the wood fuselage - something I avoid, and the plinth is just terrific. Congratulations on a first class recovery of a very old moulding.

Stephen.

Offline Brad Cancian

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Re: Tribute to a Simple Time...
« Reply #9 on: August 08, 2020, 08:46:30 AM »
Thanks everyone, you're very kind!  ;D

Offline Alexis

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Re: Tribute to a Simple Time...
« Reply #10 on: August 08, 2020, 10:22:18 AM »
Excellent work Brad ! The base is very fitting to the subject  :)


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Offline Dwaynewilly

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Re: Tribute to a Simple Time...
« Reply #11 on: August 08, 2020, 12:37:47 PM »
WOW!

Dwayne

Offline mgunns

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Re: Tribute to a Simple Time...
« Reply #12 on: August 08, 2020, 12:43:22 PM »
Outstanding!  It's fun to see a simple approach to modeling yield such excellent results.  As mentioned, the base is perfect, the model is a work of the modelers art.  Very well done and a hearty Bravo Zulu for the effort.
Mark

We few, we happy few.....

Offline gbrivio

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Re: Tribute to a Simple Time...
« Reply #13 on: August 08, 2020, 04:12:40 PM »
Excellent work, you took our modelling feelings a few decades back and showed how an ancient, basic (and very cheap) kit can be turned into a little gem.
Ciao
Giuseppe

Offline kkarlsen

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Re: Tribute to a Simple Time...
« Reply #14 on: August 08, 2020, 05:36:21 PM »
Absolutely gorgeous!!!!