This completes the German two seat kit bashes. It was built at a time I was camera-less so there are no build photos and the original description of the build was posted on the now defunct SMAKR site. I've taken fresh photos and edited the original write up. Hopefully this word heavy post is ok for this part of the forum. If not please relocate.
The CX11 was a progressive development which began with the CV through to the CV11 and CX. The latter had not been well received and German flyers much preferred the Rumpler C1V. The CX11 had a more rounded rear fuselage compared to the CX mirroring D111 to DV fighter developments. German policy at the time was to order two similar types in case of production / development problems with one or the other. Both the CX11 and the Rumpler used the new 260hp Mercedes D1Va. In January 1917, 300 CX11’s were ordered and the type entered service in May. Although an improvement on the CX the type could not match the Rumpler as a high altitude reconnaissance machine. However, it was deployed on the Western and Eastern fronts although more in an army cooperation and general purpose role than the long range recce role originally envisaged. On the Eastern front greater use was made of the CX11 as a bomber. Usual load was four 12.5kgs bombs but two 50kgs could be carried and presumably variations in between. Up to 433 were delivered and peak deployment was during the autumn of 1917. Numbers dropped off after this period and only a few dozen remained at the front by the summer of 1918. Many were sent to training units and remained in service until the war end. Post war, CX11’s served with the Poles and the Soviets. One last point of interest. In the event of a very heavy landing the CX11 fuselage was prone to breaking between the two cockpits.
The Kit
Two kits are required and I used the Revell D111 and the Airfix DV. Both are old and still easily found at present. The CX11 is available as a vacform from Joystick and there is at least one resin offering. Before I discovered this I had decided many years ago to try my hand at the CX11 so I kept to my original game plan and dug out the D111 and DV from the stash. Plastic card will be needed for the wings, rear elevators and rudder, a rear gun ring/mg set, an engine and a well-stocked spares box and I used the plans from Windsock 126.
Construction
The two fuselages are the main parts used from the kits. The fighter fuselage is five feet shorter than the CX11 so a razor saw, plastic card and filler are required. First measurements were taken and prayers offered before the first cut. The DV is taped together and the nose section is cut off a tenth of an inch (2.5mm) forward of the cockpit. Then another two tenths (5mm) is removed from the rear of the nose section. The tail of the D111 is severed behind the cockpit and then the engine compartment is cut off a tenth of an inch forward of the cockpit. We now have four sections and hopefully our cuts have been straight and true. While we have the saw out the DV tail might as well be cut off.
The engine cut out has to be enlarged to the back of the section. The CX11 has the 260hp D1Va Mercedes and I had acquired mine from Aeroclub. This was painted and fitted into the nose section and was held in place by some well packed blue tak. Then the small piece from the DV was cemented to the rear, location aided by some added tabs. This action showed that the two kits had slightly different fuselage widths. Problem was easily solved by gluing 10 thou card to the sides and filing to shape. There is a gap behind the engine that took a small piece of card and filler that also eliminated the mg troughs on the DV section. Finally, a short length of sprue was shaped and added to the engine panels alongside the starboard/exhaust side of the engine. This was to fill in the step that the D111 has here. Although out of sequence as to when I added it the nose was lengthened by the addition of a bit of 60 thou card which was shaped to fit the contours.
The forward cockpit received an instrument panel and an Airfix pilot and seat. Tabs were again added and the insides were painted wood before joining to the engine section. The rear fuselage section needed the cockpit enlarged. The gun ring is 0.4ins wide internally and a reasonably round hole has to be made. Once complete a turret has to be made from card and the ring sits on top. This turret splays out slightly from bottom to top. At first I tried to make the turret so that it went just below the bottom of the cut out. I had visions of adding a radio and seat etc. Suffice to say that all my attempts failed. None of my efforts could be described as circular. So I measured the height of the fuselage and made a tube so long. This proved to be my most circular to date and was instantly installed. I cut out most of the section between the cockpits but by now I had decided to use the classic Airfix German observer and had given up on adding extras that could not be seen. The joints were filed smooth and any imperfections touched up with filler. Now the two sections were brought together. I concentrated on getting the tops to line up. The DV section used is wider than the D111 cockpit section and requires lots of filing. It then needs filler to blend the halves together and smooth out the vertical joint.
We have a fuselage but there is a large space where the lower wing sits. This is filled in with plastic card but must be done in conjunction with fitting the wing. So the next job was to cut the wing shapes from 40 thou plastic card. The ribs were scored on with a sharp blade, as were the elevators and underwing radiator and I think I managed to file acceptable leading and trailing edges. The lower wing was cut to incorporate part of the fuselage underbelly thus remaining as one piece. This saved me from trying to butt the wings to the fuselage. When the lower wing was in situ there were gaps fore and aft that needed more card which was subsequently filed to shape.
With the lower wing attached the fuselage, wings and engine panels were painted. While this was drying bombs and rack were dug out of the spares box, a DV half rear stabiliser was converted into the tail and rudder made from card, the rear elevators were cut from card, a radiator was made for the upper wing, an old E111 mg was modified to fire over the exhaust which was made by cutting the DV pipe, adding a small bit of rod to the middle to lengthen it and cutting off the four rear pipes which are replaced by longer pieces of rod. Last but not least I decided that the DV cabane struts could be modified and used for the CX11. These have the front and back struts joined by a horizontal bar. On the Revell D111 this is incorporated into the wing. This bar meant they could be cemented together to form a triangle. They were allowed to set with the legs about 0.35ins apart. When dry 0.1in (2.5mm) was cut from the front legs and a similar amount from the rear which are joined together. This makes them two units and the combined struts now look like the trestle affair common to many German two seaters. The rear legs should be about a mille farther back for perfection but I was happy to have a solid base for the upper wing.
As time approached when the upper wing would have to be attempted the rudder and stabilizer were fitted. Only a little filler was needed. A windscreen came from the spares, the modified exhaust installed and then the mg. A touch up of the paint scheme, followed by the application of the fuselage markings and drill some rigging holes. And now to the wing. I should add here that the wings had been painted and decaled earlier.
Two locating holes were drilled into the underside of the top wing dead centre. The underside of the wing radiator had been scored earlier and the holes are either side to match the locating pins on the trestle. The position of the struts had been measured and marked on the lower wing. Holes were drilled to receive the struts. I added cement to the inner struts holes, left it to set a while, then positioned the struts which are still flexible but will remain in place. The upper wing is checked for alignment using the cabane holes for support. At this stage I now knew where the struts needed to be and marked them prior to drilling locating holes. Then the wing was repositioned on the trestle and middle struts and CA’d for strength. When the dry the remaining struts were popped into place and similarly fixed. The struts were cut from Contrail sections of 1.5mm.
The undercarriage was constructed next from Contrail plastic rod. The legs were checked against the plans for size and then CA’d. To locate them on the aircraft the rear legs were cemented into pre drilled locaters. This weakly held the u/c so that the position of the front locaters could be accurately gauged and drilled. To assist with this the spreader bar was CA’d to the vee legs and the now more solid unit was easier to handle. The front legs were CA’d into the front holes and left overnight.
Rigging was next with invisible thread. The cabane trestle allowed thread to be wrapped around the upper parts which saved four holes but the rest of the rigging was conventional for me, that is holes drilled through the wings, one end CA’d so that the other can be pulled tight before gluing.
The final fiddly bits were the radiator pipes from rod, the gun ring which was blended into position with more CA, a bomb rack from the spares, the mg, the wheels which are larger than those for D types and are Aeroclub 10.5mm, the tail skid, Airfix flare rack and observer from an old Hannover, the engine mounts were discarded PE parts and not forgetting the propellor which is the DV spinner and longer remnant blades from the spares box.
Colour Schemes
The CX11 appears to have sported a varnished plywood fuselage which gave a colour described as straw yellow. There are two examples on the back of the Windsock booklet and other examples can be found on the net. My attempts to recreate this colour resulted in a more yellow tone which is very similar to the picture on the front of the Windsock. The old Blandford book by Munson was also very close so I stuck with it. My concoction was about 5 parts Humbrol 7 to one part Revell matt 180, neither of which has a name on the tin. Suffice to say Humbrol is creamy yellow and the other brown. The wings are where choices can be made. Early aircraft sported light green, dark green and brown camouflage. This later changed to dark green and light green or lilac.
Decals
I used the Revell crosses. They are slightly too small for a larger aircraft but my Almark spares did not have a larger to offer. The remainder came from the spares box and represent no particular aircraft. The triangle was used to hide the joint and filler and I’m sure some of you will recognise whose twisted motif it is.
To my eye it looks like an Albatros CX11. The build was enjoyable and although not perfect I’m reasonably happy with the result. Would I do it again, probably not as this method is no cheaper than buying a vacform as you still need to buy all the after market accessories. With a vacform the wings and the fuselage may not be such an issue but this is a medium that many chose to avoid. That said I have seen a review of a CX11 vacform and it didn’t seem to have any major issues. It comes down to whether you want to kit bash or go for a vacform or resin.
Sources
Albatros CX11, vol 1 : PM Grosz (Windsock Datafile 126 )
Bombers,Patrol and Recce Aircraft 1914-19 : Kenneth Munson
The Aerodrome website
Regards, Steve
