Eduard 1/48th scale Pfalz D.IIIa Weekend Edition

[Dave W]

Eduard 1/48th scale Pfalz D.IIIa Weekend Edition



REVIEWED BY David Wilson

Scale: 1/48th
Item # 8414
Price: $US 24. 95 from Eduard Store; £13.40 from Hannants of UK; $A26.99 in Australia.
Stockist:   Eduard at https://www.eduard.com/ and through quality hobby retailers worldwide.


Contents:   Weekend Edition kit in grey plastic on two frames. Four decal options plus lozenge decals; colour instructions.


Comment:
In many ways the 1966 movie epic “The Blue Max” is responsible for rescuing the Pfalz D.III from historical oblivion. Two flying replicas were constructed for the movie and featured prominently in it as flown by George Peppard as the German ace Bruno Stachel . Today the Pfalz replicas are both housed in New Zealand.


George Peppard flying his Pfalz in The Blue Max ( 20th Century Fox photos)

The Pfalz D.III and the improved D.IIIa equipped the German air service from late 1917 to mid 1918, and through to the end of the war in a training role.
The type featured a plywood monocoque fuselage but one complaint about the Pfalz D.III was that the guns were buried in the fuselage, preventing pilots from clearing gun jams in flight.  In November 1917, Pfalz produced the modified D.IIIa, which relocated the guns to the upper fuselage decking.
The D.IIIa was also distinguishable by its enlarged horizontal stabliser and cropped lower wingtips. It also featured a more powerful version of the Mercedes D.III engine.
Pfalz built approximately 260 D.III and 750 D.IIIa aircraft.

A Blue Max Pfalz now flying in NZ

Eduard’s Pfalz returns
Considering its modest impact during the war the Pfalz has enjoyed solid support from the model manufacturing industry, none more so than Eduard of the Czech Republic.
Eduard’s first boxing of a 1/48 Pfalz was as a new tool kit Pfalz D.III in 1996. It enjoyed subsequent reissues with new decal schemes and in 1999 emerged again as a Pfalz D.IIIa.
Since then the kit has been reissued regularly in various iterations including Profipacks and Weekend Editions.
And so to the latest reissue, in late 2021, as a Weekend Edition featuring four colourful schemes.
As with other Weekend Editions, this kit does not feature any PE or masks or resin add ons. It’s a basic kit for modellers and exceptional value as such.
Eduard’s reputation in the WW1 market is world leading and they played a major role in re-starting interest in WW1 models in the 1990s.
The latest iteration of the Pfalz D.IIIa contains the same plastic as previous issues so there are no surprises here with modellers given the essential parts to make a very acceptable replica of the aircraft.



Eduard photos

Given the history of the kit, moulding detail is still quite nice and acceptable although the super detailers may want to replace the Mercedes engine and the two machine guns although I think they look fine given the scale.
The frames and free of any flash, a bonus, and it’s obvious Eduard has cared for its tooling as this looks as fresh as any other new release.
What’s new are the four new colour schemes with this rebox and what great schemes they are too.

Instructions:
The instructions booklet is well illustrated with 12 pages on quality art paper with each step clearly illustrated with exploded view line drawings. No rigging diagram is provided but the sequencing is fairly standard.
Colours are keyed to the Gunze/ Mission Models range. A wider range of paint brands would be appreciated. Vallejo and Humbrol are my personal preferences.



Marking options and Decals
Four decal options are provided and here Eduard have excelled with their choice of schemes.
The full marking options are:
A. Lt Eugen Siempelkamp Jasta 29, France, July 1918
B. Hptm Rudolf Berthold, JG II, France, March 1918
C. Gefr. Erich Mix, Jasta 54, France, June 1917
D. D.IIIa of Jasta 5, Boistrancourt, France, spring 1918






Decal quality looks excellent and in perfect register as you would expect of Eduard’s decals. The decals are contained in individual protective sleeves.
Given this is a Weekend Edition kit which in the past have featured one or two options only, the modeller is well rewarded with this one and as well as the various individual markings, the three decal sheets also provide upper and lower lozenge in cookie cutter patterns plus rib tapes.
Eduard’s take on 5 colour lozenge has sparked debate in the past but for me, this rendition of the lozenge is perfect.




Summary:
Eduard’s Pfalz D.IIIa makes a very welcome return in new guise and special mention should be made of the eye-catching new boxart which really ‘sells’ the model. Still a quality kit and a must-have for WW1 enthusiasts.
Verdict:
Highly Recommended
(Review kit kindly supplied by Eduard. Please support the businesses that support our Forum.)

[KiwiZac]

Since I was a teenager I've been wanting to build Friedrich Rudenberg's 1371/17 and, while this kit doesn't come with that aircraft as a decal option, I see a purchase of this kit in my future. It looks gorgeous and thank you Dave for such an in-depth review.

A Blue Max Pfalz now flying in NZ

This is ZK-FLZ, which was based on a Tiger Moth fuselage frame (note the longer fuselage and prominent sternpost) and built by Doug Bianchi's Personal Plane Services. It's often the next step for TVAL pilots after the Tiger Moth and DH.5. It's on my build list but wanting to replicate its unique features will require some planning!