Albatros D.V engine query

[kornbeef]

Hi, hoping one of you learned colleagues can answer or even advise me on something.

I'm building the WNW D.V ATM I want to build an early engined one ie: with the airpump at the rear. I was wondering if Eduard Ritter von Schleichs craft as shown in the WNW profile might have had such an engine.
I've perused what reference I have with no foregone conclusion. The reason I ask is I know other A/C in the unit did D2016/17 for example and having no idea if von Schleich's A/C was from the same batch.

Any thoughts or better still evidence for or against? What pics I have found dont indicate yay or nay. One on page 33 of the newish Albatros at war V1 shows no airpump at the front but such details are often bleached/edited out over time.

On another note while looking for interesting/simple profiles to model I found a pic of Paul Strahle's D.V 4594/17 with what appears an early 160 engine,sans forwards airpump in Ospreys Albatros aces of world war 1 part 2 though other less clear pics seem to indicate a later engine type? Anyone have any thoughts?

Ta Keith

[lcarroll]

Keith,
    If you are referring to Strahle's 4594/17 on page 68 my "cut" (with the aid of a rather large Magnifying glass) is that it does have the front mounted air pump. The WNW Decal Sheet #30011 for Jasta 18 DV's shows it with the front mounted pump as well, although I've got a penciied note on mine (can't remember where I got the %$%@#%^# info!!) stating "180 PS Engine variant. ( I believe larger but still front mount Air Pump.) Also see pg. 48 of the Volume 1, the front large pump is very apparent. This particular airframe was my second choice of schemes for my present build' should the all black scheme I have planned not work out I'll be falling back to this one.
   As for von Schleich's DV I have not got one photo that shows a front mounted pump; all seem to indicate the very early 160PS Engine with the rear mounted pump...that's the way I would model her in the absence of more info.
Cheers,
Lance

[kornbeef]

Hi Lance, sorry not replying sooner.

Ref Strahles machine
 Yes it did have the larger pump at one time at least as theres pics of it.  But if you have the book I mentioned you'll see what I mean in both the pic of Strahle with it on P85 & the subsequent one of it wrecked on P86 you can clearly see what I mean. No airpump body but the round housing with the oil lines is there and central to spring rocker boxes. Maybe a relacement  pump/engine retrofitted to keep her flying?  who can say but one of those interesting connundrums to keep our minds active.

Now onto von Sleich's A/C
I've scoured more, can't find a yes or no scrap of evidence though I have unearthed several other interesting features. A single reinforcing bar on the radiator for one as opposed to two in the kit. It also has a slide type of Radiator management shutter, crude rather like the Pfalz DIII kit one The flare rack needs scratching & the undercarriage axle fairing appears to be two tone Purple/green possibly? The Ogee gunsight seems to be a late addition & maybe If you have Windsocks DV/DVa at war book (I'm sure you do...lol) do  you have an opinion on what the diamond square shape is above the tail on the bottom pic on page 33? Crude repair work maybe? Must have been a rather big hole to patch like this if it is.

Cheers Keith

[lcarroll]

Hi Lance, sorry not replying sooner.

Ref Strahles machine
 Yes it did have the larger pump at one time at least as theres pics of it.  But if you have the book I mentioned you'll see what I mean in both the pic of Strahle with it on P85 & the subsequent one of it wrecked on P86 you can clearly see what I mean. No airpump body but the round housing with the oil lines is there and central to spring rocker boxes. Maybe a relacement  pump/engine retrofitted to keep her flying?  who can say but one of those interesting connundrums to keep our minds active.

Now onto von Sleich's A/C
I've scoured more, can't find a yes or no scrap of evidence though I have unearthed several other interesting features. A single reinforcing bar on the radiator for one as opposed to two in the kit. It also has a slide type of Radiator management shutter, crude rather like the Pfalz DIII kit one The flare rack needs scratching & the undercarriage axle fairing appears to be two tone Purple/green possibly? The Ogee gunsight seems to be a late addition & maybe If you have Windsocks DV/DVa at war book (I'm sure you do...lol) do  you have an opinion on what the diamond square shape is above the tail on the bottom pic on page 33? Crude repair work maybe? Must have been a rather big hole to patch like this if it is.

Cheers Keith

Keith,
    Your reply initiated quite a "frenzy" of page turning on my part; both issues are, as you say, the stuff to keep old minds active!
     First, the question of which engine in Strale's 4594/17:
   ......... I agree that either / or is the logical answer. All the photos I have access to of the aircraft in it's early service when he flew it in Jasta 18 colours of blue/red with the axe motif clearly show a front mounted air pump. As you point out the photos of it late in his Jasta 57 service (re-finished in light blue with a red fuselage band) indicate no pump up front. I believe your interpretation of a retrofitted engine makes sense. I did find another photo on pg. 68 of Part 2 of the Osprey book that is of interest showing 4594/17 at Jasta 57 at Wasquehal Airfield in Feb 1918, still in his Jasta 18 colours and, if my mag. glass interpretation is correct, still with a pump at the front. It would have been at some time later before he wrote it off in May of that year that the engine would/could have been changed. I'd go with this scenario and build the engine with the rear pump.
   As for the "diamonds" that question led me on a merry chase until I found the explanation I vaguely recalled seeing in the past..........if you have the WNW DV  Instructions (I'm sure you do!) see page 12, Karl Schattauer's DV tail, with caption "the diamond shaped reinforcing plate on the fuselage in front of the tailplane, a feature not universally applied". I've seen many illustrations of these things, ALL on DV's but not on DVa's. I believe, when installed, there were two per side. I suggest a quick EMail to the Folks at WNW with a request for info and particularly their source/reference would be well recieved. (maybe Stephen Lawson as well?) WNW's were a great help to me in explaining/verifying their scheme for Montingen's black DV on their Jasta 18 DV Decal Sheet(30011)
If you do try it please share the results, I'd enjoy hearing more on the topic.
   And now, back to the bench to continue with my "black monster" which at this rate should be finished just prior to my 95th Birthday (lol!!!!)
Cheers,
Lance
 

[kornbeef]

See, got the old grey matter stirring. Tony, seems Lance has answered both our questions there.    Some shots of von Sleich's craft seem to show no sign of said diamonds, must have been added in field. Now I'm going to pore over reference to see how may I can find.

Cheers guys.