WNW Albatros DVa Jasta 76b Karl Hopf

[Ian from Doncaster]

Finally tonight I got back to WWI modelling, having completed the Airfix Bentley - what a pig of a disappointing kit that was!

Anyway, the Albie was a gift from my partner's father, and I bought the "Bavarians" decals in order to make the Karl Hopf Jasta 76b version.  Two reasons, one, no lozenge!  Secondly, my partner herself is from Wurzburg, Karl Hopf's home town, so this was a no brainer really.

I started by cutting out the fuselage halves and inner frames.  I did this so that I could dry assemble the parts and prime with a sand colour paint spray as a base for the wooden interior.  I used tiny spots of liquid mask as a temporary "glue" to hold the components together.  The result is I can see precisely where on the fuselage NOT to paint, so that I can avoid tolerance and fit issues later.

I also started on the seat, cut out, painted, varnished awaiting belts.  All this work in about 3 hours - far far quicker than the Bentley for a kit that cost less than half the price!

[RAGIII]

Ian, Looking good! That is a clever way to keep paint out of the slots for locating the formers!
RAGIII

[Ian from Doncaster]

Ian, Looking good! That is a clever way to keep paint out of the slots for locating the formers!
RAGIII

I learned the hard way with previous kits especially the Pup.  The dry fitting was almost completely dry - I barely needed any liquid mask to hold the bits together.  I have some woodgrain decals for this kit somewhere (HGW I think) that I will need to find, they got put away some months ago...

[coyotemagic]

Ian, Looking good! That is a clever way to keep paint out of the slots for locating the formers!
RAGIII

I must agree, Ian.  Brilliant idea.  And welcome back.  Sorry the Bentley was such a pig.  Still, I'll bet she's a silk purse now.
Cheers,
Bud

[Ian from Doncaster]

Thanks Bud Bentley looks OK, from a distance.  For a UK£100 kit you'd have expected more than molded rubber straps with integrated buckles for the bonnet/hood restraining straps.  I scratched some thin fake leather strips and made crude buckles from plasticard and brass tube - looks better than the kit parts but don't examine too closely!  If I get time I'll upload some pics in the off-topic area.

[IFF1418]

Great start Ian, I bet this will be a great build.

Kind regards
Patrick

[Des]

Looking really good so far Ian, the liquid mask idea is brilliant and will save a lot of headaches later on. It sounds as if your Airfix Bentley is as bad as my Omega Mosca bis.

Des.

[Ernie]

Looking forward to following your build, Ian.  Thanks so much for the
tip using liquid mask. Brilliant!

Cheers,
Ernie

[Ian from Doncaster]

Thanks all.  I am looking forward to progressing this kit, one stage at a time.  This is what I really like about WWI kits, you can make a component or small assembly as complete in one session, such as the seat or propeller.

Tonight I made the propeller - cut out, sprayed the base sand colour, masked up the laminatons and coated in dark earth.  Then I smoothed off the painted surface with micromesh and coated with an oil paint mix.  Into the cupboard for a week before Klear coating.  The hub won't get a metal paint as it is to be covered by the spinner.

[Des]

Beautiful work on the propeller Ian, Bob's "strippers" appear to have worked well with your masking.

Des.

[mike in calif]

Nice start, and I too like the "paint out of the formers" method. I'd almost guess that would work with the Pfalz also.

[IFF1418]

Hello Ian,

Very, very nice propeller. Unbelievable that this is handmade. Beautiful work!

Kind regards
Patrick

[bobs_buckles]

Crikey Ian!
Lovely looking prop 
Well done!

Von Buckle     

[Ian from Doncaster]

Thanks folks, the prop is the kit prop with 2 tone paint, and oils for wood grain.  The technique of masking by eye works OK, but if you look too close you'll see the laminations are not quite parallel and are slightly different from one blade to the other.  Still, I'm happy enough so far.  For a future kit I'll use one of Doug's (or the other company, can't recall the name just now) wooden ones.

Mike, I believe the dry assembly/prime method would work on many occasions.  Notably the WNW Pup/Triplane for the inner cockpit assembly as the fit and tolerances there are very tight.

[Ernie]

Beautiful finish on the prop, Ian!  Nicely done.

Cheers,
Ernie