Austro-Hungarian

Wings 72 1/72 scale vacuform.

The most difficult kit in my collection. Kit contains only 3 metal parts, a decal sheet and one sheet of plastic of the plane. Struts, engine frame and empennage are round stock. This plane was from Austrian Naval Base at Kumbor piloted by Sub. Lt. Walter Zelezny who attacked and sunk French submarine FOUCAULT on 9/15/16.

Phoenix D.I Scout by Pegasus 1/72 scale short run injection.

The Phoenix D.I Scout depicted was used operationally by the Naval Defense Flight (Abwehstaffel) based at Altura, for the defence of the Imperial Naval Base at Pola in the summer of 1918. As such, this was one of the most colorful Phoenix scouts produced.

Fokker A.III by Eduard 1/72 Scale injection molded

This is the Eduard kit # 7022 non-profitipak and with the exception of the upper pulley and some instruments in the cockpit (I did add a map), the kit is built out of the box. The paint is Model Master RLM 62 (a close match to Methuen 30C8) straight from the bottle and the metal is SnJ Metal Spray. This is a very easy kit to build and total building time was under six hours.

The model depicted was flown by Oberleutnant in der Reserve Ludwig Hautzmayer of the Austro Hungarian Army Air Service with Flik 19 at the Haidenschafe aerodrome on the Isonzo Front in February 1916. The color of his A.III (03.52) has been confirmed by aero historian Dr. Martin O'Connor.

A.III is the designation given to the plane by the Austro Hungarian Air Service.

Aviatik (Berg) C.I by Joystick Models 1/72nd scale vacuform

Designed by Julius Von Berg, the C.I went into production in 1917, was powered by a 185 hp Austro-Daimler engine. The aircraft was light and quite fast but it was fragile and difficult to land especially on small or rough fields.

Due to the urgent need for aircraft, early C.Is were not fitted with a synchronizing gear for the pilot's gun. A schwarzlose machine gun was encased in a metal casing called the "Baby Coffin" to fire over the propeller arc. The observer was armed with a schwarzlose gun on a semi-circular ring mounting. Later versions had a synchronized forward firing machine gun and an improved rear mounting for the gunner.

The aircraft depicted had a low aspect ration fin, the standard fin was smaller in area.

This kit was built in 1996 and contained metal parts, decals and strut material. I do remember it to a be an easy kit to build. Joystick produced excellent kits and this is one of them.

Aviatik (Berg) D.I by Aero 72, 1/72nd scale short run injection mold

Designed by Aviatik's chief engineer Julius von Berg, the Aviatik D.I fighter is significant in that it was the first indigenous fighter designed and built in the Dual Monarchy to enter Luftfahrtruppe service. The first flight was on 1/24/1917 and per the test pilot, the fighter possessed "fabulous climb and enormous maneuverability". The first production model was accepted on 5/3/1917 but it was not until 12/1917 that the D.I was delivered with twin synchronized machine guns.

Over 600 D.I's were built but the plane suffered from structural problems through its entire career.

The kit was produced by Aeroclub under their Aero 72 series. It is a basic short run injection mold kit with white metal parts. The decals are Americal sheet # 13.

The model depicts the plane flown by Oberleutnant Frank Linke-Crawford on 7/31/1918 when he was shot down and killed by planes of the 81 Squadriglia. This kit was built in 1995.

Hansa Brandenburg c1/Ufag by Wings 72 1/72nd scale vacuform

In 1916, prior to the synchronization of the machine gun and propeller, a number of ideas to accomplish this were tried. HB's idea was to take their C.1 and add a pulpit high enough for the gunner to have a clear field of fire. It served its purpose but was soon deemed obsolete with through the propeller synchronization in 1917.

This aircraft is thought to be the only example built y Hungarische Fflugzeugfabrik A.G. (Ufag) in Budapest. It was powered by the 160 hp Austro-Daimler engine. Another similar plane was built by Phonix Flugzeugwerke of Vienna. Neither plane went into production.

This kit was built in 1982 and I think it was my second vacuform kit. I remember going to the library and checking out at least four times "Color Profiles of World War 1 Combat Planes" by Apostolo & Begnozzi and bonding with page 118. I have since purchased my own copy. I remember it to be a very difficult kit to build, mainly because of my lack of experience. The kit has no metal parts or decals. It has held up well over the years. I used the double thickness wings and that was as difficult a task as I have ever done. In its 2010 clean up I realized the radiator had departed with no forwarding address. That was replaced, the wheels were painted gray and future floor wax was sprayed on the model. A very interesting plane and another attempt to fire past the propeller.