sandbaggeruk

Hi all, Although the kit supplied propellers are of good qualify, I chose to use a replacement. Proper Plane’ wood laminated (WP005) propeller. Tamiya clear orange was lightly airbrushed over the propeller to give a varnished effect. The blades were airbrushed with Tamiya Royal Light Grey (XF80). Final clear coat of semi-matte was airbrushed to seal and protect the paint and decals. Tamiya Weathering Master Set A (Mud) was lightly sponged across the blades to give a worn effect, Mike

Hi all, The Bentley BR.1 engine is finished. The only modification was the addition of the twin ignition leads, not that you can see them when the engine is fitted. Next up is the preparation for the pre-rigging stage, Mike

Hi all, I thought I had posted updates before now. Obviously not 🤔 So, the cockpit has been completed and fitted into the fuselage/lower wing. The only modifications so far was the addition of fuselage internal bracing wires. Also flight control cables and replacement pilots wicker seat. Mike

Hi all, The Albatros D.III (OEFFAG) is completed. I'll post shots later on the forum. Many thanks for your support and comments throughout this build. Mike

Hi all, Here's the Lukgraph 1:32nd scale resin cast/3D printed Albatros D.III (OEFFAG). Serial 253.12 as flown by Oberleutenant in der Reserve Ludwig Hautzmayer, Commanding Officer of Flik 61/J, operating from Ghirano, Italy, during the Summer of 1918. As usual, a fully detailed build log in PDF format is available to view or download from my web site: https://mikesww1aircraftmodels.com/ Mike

Hi all, As the build of the Albatros D.III (OEFFAG) is finished, I thought I'd start on the next . Sopwith 2F.1 Ships Camel, serial N-6764, operating from HMS Lion from April to June 1918. Mike

Hi all, The pilot figure for the model. This is the Aviattic figure (ATTRES031). I found the head to be a little small and not in proportion to the body. Therefore, I replaced the head with another, I thought more in scale. For those interested, I should be posting completed model shots on Monday evening, Mike

Hi all, Well considering how notorious decals in Lukgraph kit are, these applied OK. That said, a few folded over on themselves during application, which required some deft tweezer work to unfold them. I've found the best way to apply them is to soak the decal and surface and basically float the decal off onto the model. Even so, the slightest surface imperfection will cause them to catch and fold. The kit decal sheet has a set of very small serial numbers, but no indication where they should be applied. However, I assumed these are flight surface serial numbers and would have been applied to leading/trailing edges. Upper wing, ailerons, lower wings, tailplanes, rudder and elevator. Possibly for interplane and cabane struts as well, although this model struts are black, so they wouldn't have been visible. The dreaded carpet monster swallowed up the photo-etch windscreen frame. Fortunately, I had a kit spare that is about the correct size and shape. So now it's onto the figure and display base, Mike

Hi all, Nearly there. I just have the fuselage decals to apply. Rigging finished. The engine coolant pipes have bee fitted but need modifying. One was too short and the other too long. Propeller fitted and the Anemometer (on the right interplane strut. I've also added what I assume is a fuel pipe from the auxiliary tank in the upper wing (left of the radiator). This pipe is routed from the underside of the upper wing and across the cabane struts into the fuselage. I'll post reveal shots once the figure and display are done, Mike

Hi all, Well all pre-rigging fitted. 008 and 0.12 mm diameter mono-filament, 0.5 mm Brass tube and Proper Plane turnbuckles (RD-005 and 018). Landing gear and upper wing fitted. Now it's onto final rigging, Mike

Hi all, Just a few of updates. The photo-etch access panels on the lower wing fitted. Also the radiator brackets at the rear of the radiator on the top and underside of the upper wing.access The rudder, tailplanes, elevator and ailerons fitted. Also painted the red stripe across the fin and rudder and upper wing radiator. Next step is to weather the flight surfaces, Mike

Hi all, The basic flight surfaces are done. Airbrush base coated with MRP Khaki Green 3/G3 (MRP-333) Masked off internal structures with 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 mm strips of masking tape. Airbrushed first coat of MRP Clear Doped Linen (MRP-256) Masking removed. Airbrushed final coat of MRP Clear Doped Linen (MRP-256) to fade back the internal structures. Aviattic Off White on Linen (ATT32241) decal applied to all surfaces. Airbrushed a sealing coat of Tamiya Semi-Gloss (X35). Kit decals not used for crosses as they are translucent and a bit fragile. Instead I cut and used masks to airbrush the crosses with MRP Night Camouflage WW1 (MRP-255). Now it's onto photo-etch parts on the wings before assembly and weathering starts, Mike

Hi all, The kit supplies two different propellers, one for a 153 series aircraft and the other for a 253 series aircraft. The 153 series propeller looks to be a Knoller-Jaray Wein type, but the other propeller is not. The Windsock Data File No:19 - Albatros D.III (Oef) (P.M. Grosz) has photographs of 253 series aircraft with propellers that appear to be neither of those in the kit. The Wotan Type 1 (3202) propeller from LF Models seems a fairly good match to the shape of those photographs, although Wotan propellers were probably not actually used. As usual with WW1 aircraft, uncertainty exists and this time which propeller type is needed for my particular aircraft model. So, I've decided to change the propeller and use the LF Models propeller (I have one in my stash), but with Knoller-Jaray Wein logos, Mike

Hi all, The kit supplies two 3D printed propellers, one being for the 253 series aircraft. However, the manufacturer of the propeller is not stated. The kit does not supply decals for the two supplied propellers. The only photographs I’ve found that show what appear to be the propeller logos from manufacturers ‘Jaray Wein’ and ‘Lohner Werke’. These decals are in the ‘LF Models’ Austro-Hungarian labels (C3205) set. As I was unsure of manufacturer of he 25s series propellers, I opted to use ’Lohner Werke’ logo. Mike

Hi all, Just a couple of updates. The tail skid is fitted. Also, 0.8 mm diameter Brass tube was bent to represent the aileron operating levers, which are not supplied in the kit. Now its onto painting the flight surfaces, Mike

Hi all, Engine fitted including the replacement exhaust pipes and nose cowl. Machine gun blast tubes replaced with blackened 0.8 mm diameter Brass tube. Mike

Hi all, Engine finished. Always tricky painting a fully detailed 3D printed engine. The paints used were Tamiya, Mr. Metal Color, MRP and Alclad. The only mods to the engine were the twelve ignition leads and the pipe from the valve at the rear of the camshaft cover. I also drilled out the propeller shaft locating hole to 2.0 mm and fitted a Brass tube. The shaft of the kit supplied propeller was smaller in diameter, so a sloppy fit. The propeller was drilled out to. Next up is fitting the engine into the fuselage then the nose cowl, Mike

Hi all, The kit supplied engine exhaust pipes are flattened along their entire length. However, most photographs of the aircraft show the exhaust pipes at the engine end being flattened, but then changing to tubular shape at their outer ends. The replacement exhaust pipes were made as follows: File or sand away the locating stub on the engine side of the exhaust pipe flanges. Carefully cut away the exhaust pipes close to the flange. Using thin CA adhesive, secure each flange centrally onto the exhaust outlets of the engine cylinders. Cut a 10 mm length of 2.0 mm diameter Brass tube, such as ‘Albion Alloy’s’ (MBT20) or similar. Using flat pliers, carefully flatten one end of the tube and reduce the flattening outboard to approximately half way along. The bore of the flattened end should be approximately 0.5 mm wide. Cut a length of 0.5 mm diameter Brass rod, such as that from ’Albion Alloy’s’ or similar. Insert the rod centrally into the flattened end of the tube, leaving approximately 4 mm protruding. Secure the rod in the tube using either thicker, slow setting CA adhesive or soft solder the rod in the tube. Drill a hole of 0.5 mm diameter centrally into an exhaust flange. Test fit the exhaust pipe into the engine, making sure it’s 90 degrees to the engine when viewed from above and from the front. Repeat the procedure to create the remaining five exhaust pipes.

Hi all, The basic fuselage is more or less completed. The photo-etch parts have been painted and added. Weathered with Flory Models dark dirt wash and dry brushing with Mr. Color Super Metallic 2 (203). Now it's onto the engine, Mike

Hi all, I've applied light plywood effect by brushing Windsor & Newton Griffin Alkyd (Raw Sienna) oil paint over the fuselage, fin and tail skid. Once fully dry, used a 1.0 mm Rosie Riveter to represent the panel nail lines. I then brushed Flory Models dark dirt wash wash along the nail lines then wiped off the excess. Finally sealed the finish with Tamiya Semi-Gloss (X35) clear coat. Now it's onto adding the fuselage photo-etch parts, Mike

Hi all, The nose cowl required three modifications. When offered up to the joined fuselage halves, the outer edges of the nose cowl overlapped the edges of the fuselage. Therefore, those edges were sanded until they aligned to the fuselage edges. The joint seam down the centre of the nose cowl is printed as raised, when it was a shallow joint with fasteners. The vertical seam/joint running down the centre of the nose cowl was sanded away. The joint line was scribed into the cowl. The five cooling slots at the bottom, centre of the nose cowl were printed as raised ridges, not as slots. A rectangle was cut out of the nose cowl to remove the five raised cooling 'slots. A strip of masking tape was applied to the inside of the nose cowl to cover the opening. Thin strips of plastic rod were cut to length then located into the opening and held in position on the masking tape. The strips were then secured in position using thin CA adhesive. The masking tape strip was removed and the nose cowl painted, Mike

Hi all, Some progress on the Albatros. This is the original resin cast model from Lukgraph. I've modified as much as I could to make the cockpit a series 253 version (kit is I think a series 153 version cockpit). The fuselage is painted ready for applying external wood effect. I've also removed most of the flight surface rib tapes. As pointed out, these aircraft had the linen covering stitched directly to the wings, so no rib tapes as such, Mike

Hi all, Here's an 'MDesign Model Studio' 1:32nd scale 3D printed Armstrong-Whitworth FK.3 'Little Ack'. This model was converted from an operational aircraft of No:47 Squadron. The conversion was to the cockpits and their controls. As usual, a fully detailed build log in PDF format is available to view or download from my web site: https://mikesww1aircraftmodels.com/ Mike

Hi all, The Armstrong-Whitworth FK.3 with two figures is completed. I'll post shots later on the forum. As usual a fully detailed build log is available on the Build Logs page on my site. Many thanks for your support and comments throughout this build. Now it's back to the OEFFAG Albatros D.III. Mike

Hi all, All rigging now completed. The shots below show the rigging during fitting. Twin and single flying wires. Single landing wires. Interplane incidence wires. Drag wires. Anti-drag wires. Cabane strut bracing wires. Landing gear bracing wires. Aileron control cables (upper and lower wings). Fin bracing wires. Twin rudder control cables. Elevator control cables. Left to fit are the engine exhaust pipes, landing gear wheels, propeller and wing hoops. Two more modifications to add that the kit does not supply are the pitot-static pipes and fuel tank filler cap. Then it's just the display case and of course figures, Mike