Author Topic: Battle-axe 1/32 Albatros D.III  (Read 1097 times)

Offline SimonCornes

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Battle-axe 1/32 Albatros D.III
« on: August 27, 2020, 01:15:43 AM »
I couldn't resist buying this kit on eBay on the basis that it wasn't expensive and might be fun to have a play with before tackling a couple of Roden D.III's in the stash and then moving up to Wingnut D.V/Va's

So it's an old kit - predates Wingnut by 5 years - but I don't mind working at it. What I was wondering was has anybody built this - successfully - and can you give me any advice (apart from not opening the box!!) Secondly, there seems to be a lack of aftermarket markings for the D.III. I am thinking of possibly using an option from the Roden kits or possibly even maybe Montex masks but can anyone recommend any markings that are reasonably easy to get hold of and don't cost a fortune because they're out of print?
Many thanks

Offline RAGIII

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Re: Battle-axe 1/32 Albatros D.III
« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2020, 01:57:31 AM »
I have seen one or two of these finished over the years but have no Memory of where  ::) As I recall the molding and fit of the parts was Awful to put it politely! So, have plenty of Sandpaper and filler on hand. One thing is certain, if you get this one finished you will have No issues with the Roden or WNW kits  8) As for markings I do not know of any currently available. If I were doing this one I would just choose a scheme that relies mostly on paint, stripes, bands, over painted fuselage etc. Then all you need are some crosses. Perhaps others will have better suggestions.
RAGIII
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Offline SimonCornes

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Re: Battle-axe 1/32 Albatros D.III
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2020, 03:39:49 AM »
Thanks for the prompt reply. I'm busy pulling together builds from the internet, the most interesting one being by Jay Laverety for Hyperscale. It certainly helps to have some photos to more clearly explain how some of the parts fit. I placed the two fuselage halves together and they seem to fit well enough although I have read where the wing inserts - a very strange idea! aren't actually the right size to fit the recesses in the upper wings! I think I will reserve judgement until I start building it whilst flicking through the Albatros Fighters Windsock Special. There seems to be a lot of clean up of the plastic required but the resin looks very nicely done and the etch also looks adequate. I understand this was a $100 kit when originally released 15 years ago but this cost me £28 including postage within the UK so I can't really go wrong and I might learn a thing or two!! As far as markings are concerned, well the kit decals may be okay - only one way to find out - and the suggested markings might be okay. Having said that I've just ordered an FCM sheet - 32-015 with markings for Otto Hunzinger, Jasta Boelcke, that might be interesting and gives me an opportunity to play with wood grain effects - although there are another 2 sheets with various Albatros although they're not so easy to get hold of. I'm not familiar with FCM so I'm not sure if they are decent? Hope so!!

Offline Alexis

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Re: Battle-axe 1/32 Albatros D.III
« Reply #3 on: August 27, 2020, 10:37:14 AM »
I must say that you have set a challenge for yourself . I have their Fokker flying razor , plastic sucks , PE sucks actually the whoole kit just sucks !!! Yes when these kits first hit the market they were 100 bucks and up . The resin engine is the only good thing about the kit , but there is better on the market now .  That is a good price through for honning ones skills , hope you share your work !

FCM aren't top quality decals ..as the old saying goes you pay what you get for . But they might suit your need . If you need cross maybe some on the site can donate some , the guys here are very helpful with such things .

 There isn't really much out for decals for a D.III so Rick said it best when it comes to marking options .


Terri
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Offline SimonCornes

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Re: Battle-axe 1/32 Albatros D.III
« Reply #4 on: August 27, 2020, 05:58:44 PM »
Thanks Terri - nothing like a challenge. I have the advantage of both the Roden and Wingnut kits to refer to, which I wouldn’t have had 15 years ago. At a push I can also use a spare Roden decal option as I have both of their kits!
Thanks again 

Offline Flute

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Re: Battle-axe 1/32 Albatros D.III
« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2020, 11:26:26 PM »
I rarely post here necause the focus is 1/32nd, which isn't really my thing, but since I do have a few under my belt, and because I doubt  you'll get many replies from people who have perservered with this kit, here is one.

Built when it came out, just before Roden did. Have a look here:  http://www.wwi-models.org/app/album/Acn.php?base=%2FImages%2FThompson_P%2FCP%2FAlbatros&hdr=Albatros+Aircraft&picInx=32 for what it's worth. Hope the link works - the site isn't link-friendly, there is a page of mine in there somewhere with 5 photos of just this model.

The plastic is variable. I was sent one for a letter in Windsock, and that being an ex-review kit it was much better. Still needed a lot of cleanup. Worst thing is getting the wings together, due to the idiosyncratic parts breakdown. Built much easier than the first one, hand painted the colour scheme from a profile in a Datafile.   If I've got this right, this is it:    .

Paul.


Offline SimonCornes

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Re: Battle-axe 1/32 Albatros D.III
« Reply #6 on: August 28, 2020, 02:05:47 AM »
Thanks Paul, I've had a look at the link and I see that the Battle Axe kit is the one in the red and white striped markings and that you built it alongside the Roden kit.
Yesterday, when I looked at the parts my overwhelming thought was that the struts looked a bit 'clunky' so I was glad to see that you came to the same conclusion. If ever there was a time for SAC to produce a metal set!!
I intend to thin them down and to fit brass pins I think but, overall, its not that bad after all, just needs maybe a bit more fettling before you can build it but I'm looking at building a 1/32 3-D printed TSR.2 and that also requires a lot of preliminary work before it can be built so maybe I gravitate towards 'trouble' !!  The finished Battle Ave kit looks very much like the finished Roden kit so it can't be that far off! A pity you have to be instructed to widen the opening for the engine in the left fuselage half as it all looks very well shaped so I imagine the manufacturer was a bit upset when they realised they'd got it wrong. I was thinking about not opening it out straight away straight but seeng how well the engine fitted first but, if you build it alongside a Roden kit then I guess you can see how wide the opening should be! The two rigging wires aft of the interplanetary strut seem a little odd - does one attach to the underside of the aileron? Thanks again for your help.

Offline Flute

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Re: Battle-axe 1/32 Albatros D.III
« Reply #7 on: August 28, 2020, 02:25:42 AM »
Forgot I built them together, and didn't bother to read my own text - ha.  Those cables, on a D.III they're how the aileron works. One is fixed to the aileron, the other goes to the end of the little arm that pokes forward of the aileron - they work antagonistically. There's a cut out in the top wing for the arm. The hard part is marking where they come out of the lower wing. Expect to spend much quality time peering at fuzzy period photos.

The main trouble with the plastic is that it came out of the mould to soon, in one of my kits, so the sides slumped a bit. Hard to describe, but it means a lot of straightening of parts is needed. Good enough when it came out, but only just, and only because for a few days or weeks it was the only game in town. If one dropped on my head out of the sky I'd certainly build it because of the many paint-brushable (i.e. you can get by with generic decals) schemes, but I wouldn't go searching for one. As you can see, I failed quite miserably at refining the struts.

Scal Aircraft Conversions once did a strut set for the Roden kit, including undercarriage, and I tried one, but they're quite horrible. My set needed a lot of cleanup, and being soft metal it distorted even with care, then broke when being installed. I see they produce loads of sets for other aircraft, and I only hope they use a less malleable metal now (these builds were done in 2008)

Paul.

Offline SimonCornes

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Re: Battle-axe 1/32 Albatros D.III
« Reply #8 on: August 28, 2020, 02:35:38 AM »
Okay, understood about the aileron linkages, I'll have to start looking harder at the references - I'm using the 'Albatros Fighters' Windsock Special and I'm not sure I can see the top of the lower wing but I'll look harder and probably also look at the D.I and D. II because they're often a development of something earlier. The only fault I've noticed in the plastic is a nasty sink mark on the underside of an upper wing tip but its easy to fill so I'm not worried about that. More concerning is the need to cut a hole for the appropriate radiator but I'm lucky because I can just copy the Roden kit - when I've decided if its going to be OAW or Albatros - and then I may also end up using one of the Roden decal options. Damn pity that SAC cast in soft white metal - I don't normally buy their stuff because they are normally just a straight copy of the plastic kit bits so I don't see any real advantage in having them - and they are often not cheap! If the D.III ones had been reasonably strong then they might have been worth using but, at this stage, its most likely to be an aggressive thinning I think!

Offline smperry

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Re: Battle-axe 1/32 Albatros D.III
« Reply #9 on: August 28, 2020, 02:38:55 AM »
I haven't had the dubious pleasure of the Battle Axe Albatros, though I did build their Fokker E.III. It was a lot of work. I had to scratch many of the detail parts and there was much cleanup required for the bigger parts. It had the wrong number of ribs, so they had to be sanded off and re-done in the correct number and location. It turned out to be one of my best looking models ever, but it sure took a lot of work. I expect that you will end up with a fine model, but you will work for it.
sp
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Offline SimonCornes

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Re: Battle-axe 1/32 Albatros D.III
« Reply #10 on: August 28, 2020, 02:45:47 AM »
It will no doubt be a 'joyful' experience then! I don't intend to count the ribs - ignorance is bliss!

Offline smperry

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Re: Battle-axe 1/32 Albatros D.III
« Reply #11 on: August 28, 2020, 02:59:33 AM »
Simon
Looks like you have the correct mindset for a Battle Axe kit. You'll enjoy it.
sp
There is something fundamentally amiss with a society which forces it's modelers to work for a living.

Offline SimonCornes

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Re: Battle-axe 1/32 Albatros D.III
« Reply #12 on: August 28, 2020, 03:11:34 AM »
I intend to - and I've located a SAC strut set at a reasonable price so I'm hoping it might help! Of course, I may not build the thing until next year!!