Flashback Aviatik D.I Berg (resurfacing after 9 years)

[cduckworth]

When I lived in St. Louis I posted a note in the local 'serious' model shop to see if anyone was interested in getting together to discuss building WWI models.  The group (six of us) met once a month on a Friday evening around the kitchen table to discuss our most recent model or book purchases, show 'in progress models' and our finished models.  Before I moved to Omaha one of the guys gave me a started Flashback Berg he was ready to sail into the trash can.  He'd build the fuselage (and even deepened the rear bottom area), drilled all the holes for rigging, painted it and then ended up stripping the paint back to the bare plastic.  After dry fitting the radiator I know why he stopped working on the model, it and the nose needed some serious modifications.   I was going through boxes this week, looking for an 'easy' project and decided to try save the poor Berg and finish it as shown in one of the profiles in the JaPo book, the a/c with the 'T' placed in a wide white band on the fuselage and the sand and dappled green/brown finish.  Somewhere along the line to PE parts went astray so I plan to scratch the missing pieces.   Attached is a Flashback Berg I built when it was first released (see the photo) so I'll use it as reference  to make-up the missing parts. 

Charlie         

[cduckworth]

Here's the Berg profile as I intend to complete to model.  Am thinking I'll airbrush the lighter sand color in acrylics and use oils to replicate the dapple finish.   

[N.C.S.E]

A noble endeavour. This looks very interesting, I like the look of it, with a name like Berg I would think its an Austrian aircraft...?

[cduckworth]

I didn't deepen the end of the fuselage on the model I made but my friend had done so based on a GA drawing he had in the box.  To answer Red Baron - yes, the aircraft were used by the Austro-Hungarian Air Service.
Here's some history  from wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviatik_D.I

The best reference is the JaPo book on the Aviatik Berg DI/DII

Charlie

[Whiteknuckles]

Looks like an interesting project Charlie

Andrew

[GAJouette]

  Charlie,
Looks to be an awesome project my friend and one I'm looking forward to very much. It's really a crying shame there aren't more A-H kits available in the larger scales.
Highest Regards,
Gregory Jouette

[coyotemagic]

This looks like it will be a fun project.  I look forward to watching her resurrection.  With your skills, I know she'll turn out brilliant.
Cheers,
Bud

[ALBATROS1234]

its really not a bad kit. the thing that bugged me the most was the engine. i dont know what type the kit engine is supposed to be but its supposed to be an austro daimler so the whole top is very wrong. i made a new rocker cover to make it at least look somewhat right from the top. all you need id some sprue or in my case some evergreen half round i slapped a 1/8" piece of the half round underneath the front part and shaped it like an a/d then it was a simple as adding some bolt heads.

[cduckworth]

Thanks for the suggestions on upgrading the engine.  I thought of changing the model into the version with the side mounted radiators but then checked the GA drawings and these aircraft had twice as many ribs on the wings as the Flashback model.  Am thinking to replicate the small brown spots over the sand finish I'm going to try colored pencils to control the size. 

[ALBATROS1234]

i like the colored pencil idea. i havde stripped off the paint 2x so far. i havent been satisfied with the splotchy paint job ive done. i have a second one i'm gonna do the hex pattern with d.b. decals stuff. i'm gonna do the splothcy on my karaya aviatik dii. and i want to do this one now.

[Whiteknuckles]

The profiles (Charlies and A1234's) that have appeared in this thread are quite distinctive and different to the more colourful and lozenge profiles. Just curious - did this particular type of aircraft serve in a different area than most of the others and, if so, why??

Andrew

[Pete Nottingham]

This looks a very interesting project,looking forward to watching it unfold.

Cheers

Pete.

[cduckworth]

Andrew
The JaPo book caption reads on the model I intend to build that the camouflage pattern was created in the field.  There's another profile showing small mottles of two different colors which were manufactured by W.K.F.    There is a third profile in the book with another Berg with a sand and mottle finish with the addition of very narrow stripes over the mottles.  This finish was on some of the Bergs made by Thone und Flala. 
Hope this helps answer your question. 
Charlie

[ALBATROS1234]

the austrians just liked those mottled finishes. they did many versions of it in the factory and in the field. not just on bergs. oef albies and phonix craft as well as others. i love a-h stuff .

[Whiteknuckles]

Ahhh, thanks guys, I didn't realise that they where Austrian rather than German schemes - that would explain things!

Andrew