1/32 albatros D:III roden

[ALBATROS1234]

i also built this kit in the voss markings 3-4 years ago. back then they only had spada decals for this marking. the johannisthal albatros d.iii kit would have been a better starting place for the reasons already mentioned. if i were doing this project now i would certainly buy a wnw mercedes engine sprue as this engine is much more accurate and better molded. the roden engine is neither a diii(160hp) nor diiia(180hp) but a hybrid of the 2 with things like large size rocker boxes with the arms and springs in the middle position instead of adjacent etc etc etc. we have become spoiled by wnw. before the dv/dva kits came out this was the best albatros 1/32 around and many modellers have done beautiful builds. my favorite brad cancians voss build. it was the first really excellent build of this kit i saw. with the cowls removed to show engine detail and the subtle shading and weathering and his excellent woodgrain. i will enjoy watching you build this kit in these markings. cheers

[BLOWHARD]

Aluminum fairings...OH NO!!!!

Those fairings are aluminium Paulo

This one really bugs me!!!!  As far as I can tell, NO German built Albatros D ever had aluminum  fairings!  I've looked, believe me, I can't find a single photo where you can see the wood grain that the fairings are aluminum.  I think this is a complete fallacy that is a carry over from artwork of the plane.  Unless you see it in war time photos, you just can't be sure.  Jim Miller was the first person I heard this idea from.  At the time he thought some of them were wood.  But as I said, after looking, I'm positive they all are wood.  Jim also has a square footstep too and he'll be the first to tell you that's wrong.
I've got good photos at home and I'll be glad to post them tonight.  But for now, here is a photo of Voss' plane.  Tell me if you see aluminum fairings, painted or otherwise-

Here are a few others of Albatros Ds, all essentially the same in this area-





You just wouldn't know or even question it unless you had a reason to look.  Jim had mentioned it to me while I was working on profiles of the D.V.  When I got to the D.III I needed to get the shape of the various styles of fairings worked out and I started looking.  Like everyone else, I had always seen these done as painted aluminum but it's just not so.  Just because you see it in art, decal or model instructions, and other peoples models doesn't necessarily make it true.  But don't take my word for it, look for yourself.  Try and find one that is definitely painted aluminum.

PS, check out that wheel disc in the Voss photo above, you can see the fabric flap for the tire filler and the chipping.
 

 

[kornbeef]

Well I've pored over what ref I have and have to say Blowhard appears to be correct, Theres a possibility DII's made by OAW may have had ali fairings but I can assume the misconception is down to Oef  craft do and it appears the DI prototype did too.

So I stand corrected but as often quoted never say never

K

[uncletony]

I've got good photos at home and I'll be glad to post them tonight.

Please please please do!!! -- can't ever get enough good ref material

[BLOWHARD]

That's it Kornbeef, the OEF and also the fact that sometimes those fairings look lighter than the rest of the fuselage.  It may be they were added after the fuselage was varnished.  I know Koloman Mayrhofer added his D.II fairings after the fuselage looked varnished.  Jim also thinks there is a possibility of a different type of wood being used.  There is a panel at the wing attachment point that looks like it is Ash rather than Birch.  Those fairings are made of two pieces and some photos do show nail heads around the edges.

Does anyone know of a good source for photos of Koloman Mayrhofer's D.II and D.III(German, not Austrian) builds?  There are a handful of photos of these at the Aerodrome but I'd LOVE to see more! 

I will Bo, I can't remember what all I have, but I'll put them up

[coyotemagic]

Here ya go, Dave.
http://www.wwi-models.org/app/sbj/srch/Macn.php?action=uArchList&subjId=26
It looks like you may be right about the Albatros D.III, based on the photos you've posted.  I'm not 100% sold yet, since aluminum is easier to shape than plywood, but I'm keeping an open mind.  I knew there had to be a good reason why I haven't built an Albatros yet (aside from a couple Oeffags).
Cheers,
Bud

[BLOWHARD]

Thanks Bud!  Nice photos, I don't have too many of these.  But this is the OEF plane, his group was also building 2 German D.IIs and a German D.III. 
It seems like after a point in late 2011 the photos on the Aerodrome start to dry up.  I've been looking for more, or completed photos but haven't found much.  (0% of what you find when you search is the OEF plane.
Check this out-


Here is that pesky fairing-


I want any large photos of these as I can get.  Is anyone here in contact with him?

[coyotemagic]

Okay, Dave.  You've convinced me.  My goodness, the hoops we have to jump through to support our theories!
Cheers,
Bud

PS-Maybe we should ask Des to relocate this discussion to a new thread as not to trample all over Paolo's build thread.

[mc65]

mh-mh...

more we ask ourselves, more we discover... bud, no problem with these adds on this thread, they are useful to me and pertinent to this building!

to me, it seems logical to use aluminum for the hull, at least for reasons of weight. but the pictures showed undoubtedly wood grain on almost one of them!
the modern reproduction don't make a proof, to me, but (again) why use wood when you may save weight? there must be a solid reason for it.

as I was saing, more we ask.... in some pictures, actually in the contemporary ones, are evident the signs of the nails wich fastened the panels... yet, I've not seen a single model in big scale with them.
why?
I think they add a tremendous interest to the surface, specially on a not so nice kit as the mine... moreover, they are quite easy to do on a WWI airplane: no round or conical, or flush rivets, no wings... just some marks on the fuselage!

[uncletony]

Oh, we do nails

Check out Przemol's D.V for just one outstanding example:
http://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=1328.0

[BLOWHARD]

Yeah Bo, that's a BEAUTIFUL model.  I've been looking at that one since it was posted

yet, I've not seen a single model in big scale with them

I think this idea is still pretty knew.  Jim mentioned it too me only a few years ago.  It might take a while to become general WW1 areo knowledge. 

Okay, Dave.  You've convinced me

But keep looking just in case

Paolo, sorry for putting up so much non-build info.  But it should help in your building at least

Here are a few picture and possibly one exception.  I had forgotten the D.I prototype, it "looks" like it might have painted metal fairings. 


Here are some detail photos of D.III fairings-

(this site re-sizes, so check here for full size-
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7283/8743222950_ed7ea3490e_b.jpg

And a few from D.Is and D.IIs-

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7288/8743223170_4e5eddb22f_b.jpg

One more aside, even if you can't see wood grain, any photo where the painted metal fittings are a different tone than the wood, if follows that the fairings would also be a different tone.  I can't think of any reason all metal parts would be painted in one color and yet the fairings would be carefully matched to the tone a shade of the fuselage.  That just wouldn't make much sense

As pointed out, there's always something new on these planes that we might never notice despite how well we know them.  Always keep looking

[mc65]

oookaaay... it was "only" a matter of ignorance! as justification, I can say that here WWI biplanes are rare to be seen at contests... 

and nails will be:
3200

I started from the inside, just to have a try.
3201

I modified the floor as per cornbeef's model, but being a donkey, I did it after assembling the cloche. now I know is wrong, on this configuration.
3203

a good reason to redo it. also, I put it a little too much forward and offset to represent the normal condition of the controls on ground. but like that, it interferes with the ammo container.
3204

the original seat seems to me a little sturdy, so I built it up a new one with plasticard.... better?
3205

3206

bye, p.

[uncletony]

It's a lovely start Paolo.

There exists an original D.III seat from Georg Noth's plane, and it has a lot of padding(!)


More:
http://www.wwi-models.org/Photos/Ger/Alb_DIII/index.html

[-Sören-]

I'm planing the same project. But I think it's much easier to offset the radiator as to convert an O.A.W. built Albatros to a Johannistal built one. The easiest way would be to get a new wing from Roden with the offset radiator. I've tryed this but they would send me only decals. Have they misunderstood me?

[mc65]

ops.
seems I may use the original seat, or even better, a wnw's replica with green stuff... a lot of.
thanks, bo!

soren, the offset radiator is the main reason for having choosen the 608 kit... but, honestly, looking at the detail, the best should be do a radiator ex novo. so what is the wing is, it's the same!