Miscellaneous German

Sierra Scale Model Kit #48005, 1/48 Scale.

A vacuform kit with 19 metal parts (struts, props, guns, ...) Interior and propeller guards are scratchbuilt. A very large kit, but well done. Great Potential For Superdetailing.

Cameo 54MM metal, of Manfred von Richthofen.

Found in a collection, the figure was stripped of all paint and repainted with Grumbacher Hyplar Acrylic and mounted on a wood base. The wing is from a Revell 1/72 DR.1.

Ago C.II by Joystick Models 1/72 scale vacuform.

Introduced to the Front in June 1915, the Ago C.I was one of the few single engined pushers to see combat service and was the first German aircraft armed with a Parabellum LMG 14 machine gun. Only 64 Ago pushers have been identified yet the type enjoyed a long, active service life due to its design and robust construction. The Ago lasted at the Front for almost two years-the maximum number of 23 was recorded on 30 June 1916. The Ago C.II was fitted with three-bay wings and only a few were built for the navy.

This model depicts an Ago C.II flown by the Imperial German Air Service 1915.

This is a very good model produced at the height of the vacuform period of WW1 models. The kit included white metal parts from Aeroclub, decals, color notes and instructions that you could follow. The kit went together in about 20 hours. The clear plastic base is to keep its wheels on the ground as the kit is extremely tail heavy.

Etrich Taube by Pegasus short run injection mold in 1/72 scale.

Built by Igo Etrich in 1913, this design went on to be manufactured under license by 57 other companies. The Taube also holds the distincition of being the first aircraft to be used as an offensive weapon: in the Turkish campaign of 1911.

The trailing edges were thinned and three spars were added to separate the wings from the fuselage. The color scheme was achieved by sparying the model Light Ghost Grey, lightly overspraying with white except the trailing edges. The trailing edges and national marking areas were taped and Floquil Grimy Black was randomly oversprayed. A fine mist was applied to the other areas after removal of the tape. The weathering is pastel chalk applied with a brush.

Halberstadt D.II by Merlin Models 1/72 scale short run injection.

The Deutsche Bristol Werke was founded on April 9, 1912 to built Bristol aircraft under license. When the war started, the name was changed to Halbersadter Flugzeug Werks on Sept 30, 1914. The firm built about 1900 aircraft, including the D-Type fighters. Although the Halberstadt was the first single seat D-type to reach the front and were popular with pilots, very few were produced and were overshodowed by the new Albatros Fighters. Halberstadt fighters remained at the Front until the end of the war.

The model is a modified D.III flown by Lt. Otto Bernert with a very unusual machine gun placement. The main difference between the D.II and D.III was the Argus 120hp As.II engine. (Reference: Cross and Cockade, Vol 11/No. 3/Autumn 1970 page 274)

This kit is first one produced under the Merlin name. The kit is well molded with two decal options. This kit was built soon after its release in 1985.

Halberstadt D.II by Pegasus Models. 1/72 scale short run injection

The model depicted was manufactured by Hannover, and was operational in the latter part of 1916. Most D.II's of that period were painted Red Brown and Dark Green over unbleached linen or light Blue. Several photos of this aircraft show the fin cross placed either on a white background or with the standard thin white outline. The typical Hannover serial was painted in white with the adjacent cross in a non standard position further back down the fuselage.

The kit included metal parts with one decal option. The kit can be built out of the box and will satisfy most modellers as to detail and quality. There were no problems encounted and the the kit tool about 10-12 hours to build.

PZK-2 by Roden 1/72 scale injection mold.

The Austro-Hungarian PKZ (Petroczy-Karman-Zurovec) was designed by Stephen Petroczy as a replacement for gas filled observation ballons. It was to be a tethered helicopter, raised and lowered by cables from the ground. An observer was to be positioned in the cupola basket above the engines and propellers. Powered by three 120 hp Le Rhone engines, the PKZ made about 30 successful flights. The project never became operational because the military rejected the idea due to the high danger to the observer. Nevertheless, the PKZ-2 was the first real helicopter and the only helicopter that flew in World War One.

The kit is 100% out of the box and with the exception of the cupola and props, the model is hand painted. The kit is very well engineered and goes together with no problems. It is a very delicate kit and extreme care must be taken when removing the parts from the sprue. The build was greatly enhanced by the excellent article in WINDSOCK Volume 6, No. 2 March/April 1990, pages 4-9 and 31. There is also an article on a 1/48th scratch build PKZ-2.

Hannover CL.IIIa by Airfix. 1/72nd scale injection mold.

The CL.III and IIIa entered service in March and April 1918 powered by the 160 hp Mercedes or later the Argus as.III engine. The plane was well liked by its crews as it was easy to fly, climbed rapidly and could put up a good defense against enemy aircraft. The turn radius was so small that the Camel nor the SE5a could keep up. Allied pilots reported the Hannovers were very difficult to shoot down. This is confirmed by the fact that the loss rate of the Hannover CI types was much lower than other C type aircraft.

Hannover built 573 CL.IIIas during the war and 38 post war. 100 incomplete CL.IIIs were put in storage after the war.

This kit was built in 1983 and was one of my better builds up to that time. I believe the lozenge is from Americal and the arrow is cut from white decal sheet. The crosses may be from the kit or Americal. Again, no attempts were made to correct any real or perceived flaws in the kits. Airfix also made the two best WW1 figures in the industry but this is probably one of the last models that I added the crew.

This is an excellent kit and as of April 2010, it has been re-released by Airfix. I highly recommend this kit.

This model depicts Hannover CL.IIIa 3892/18 downed by Lt. Eddie Rickenbacker and Lt. Reed Chambers of the 94th Aero Squadron on Oct 2, 1918.

Otto Doppledecker B-Type by Phoenix Models 1/72nd scale vacuform

The Otto Doppeldecker pusher biplane first flew in 1913 and served with the Imperial German Air Service during the early years of WW1, with the first combat flight on August 10, 1914. It is estimated that Otto build approximately 150 pusher biplanes from 1912 through 1915.The company was taken over in 1916 by BFW due to the ill health of its owner Gustav Otto.

This kit was under construction in 1999 when it went on the shelf for some unknown reason. It was 60% completed when construction halted. This is a basic vacuform with all metal parts (engine, prop and wheels) being provided by Aeroclub and the decals probably from Americal. The unbleached linen is a blend of Floquil Depot Buff and White. The fuselage is Testor's Wood over the CDL with a dark brown streaked over it.

I do not know many hours were involved in 1999 but I do know it took about 15 hours to complete the final 40% of the build, mainly due to the extensive rigging.

The information for the build is found in Windsock International Vol. 11, No.1 Jan/Feb 1995, pages 21-24.

LVG C.VI by Pegasus 1/72nd scale short run injection mold

The design of the C.VI began in April 1917 as a lightened C-type powered by a 200 Benz Bz.IV engine. The first C.VI production order was placed in March 1918 and manufacture continued until the end of the war. The C.VI was operational only the last six months of the war but a total of 400 C.VI biplanes were in Front line inventory. The plane was fast and maneuverable and well liked by its crews. Various police and civil roles into the 1920s used the plane. (Windsock Datafile 17)

This model depicts a C.VI in late 1918. The five-color lozenge is by Pegasus and the rib tapes were made with a Sharpie Ultra Fine blue pen. The fuselage color is light yellow with wood grain dry brushed on. Due to the time involved applying the lozenge, the building time was around 20 hours.

Halberstadt CL.II by Pegasus Models. 1/72nd scale short run injection mold.

The Halberstadt was designed as a new "light C-type" as a two-seat escort fighter to protect heavier observation from attack. The first Halberstadts arrived at the Front in late July 1917 and was greeted with universal acclaim and had met all Schusta criteria with climb rate, stability, maneuverability and safe flight being reported as very good. In autumn 1917, it was reported that the type made a very effective ground-attack machine with its ability to change altitude rapidly to confuse enemy groundfire. The CL.II remained in full operational service until the war's end.

The model depicts a plane flown by Schlasta 26b. Staffel commander Hauptmann Ehrhardt wrote "in my Staffel we painted every machine with an undulating red flame."

The model, released in 1992, is built out of the box using kit decals. "The body work and also the center section of the top plane are covered with a scumble (I like that word) of colors arranged in indefinite areas and shading into one another. The colors used are a cloudy yellow, dark and light greens, brown, purple and a light blue." (Rimell) I achieved this with a blunt brush, going over the surfaces until I was happy with the results.

The decals were applied at a 45 degree angle using Aero Master four color lozenge on the upper surfaces and Microscale four color for the lower surfaces. The rib tapes were applied with a Sharpie Ultra Fine blue pen. I used four color lozenge because I have a large supply of the decals and did not want them to go bad. I have never put the lozenge on at an angel and wanted to see the results. I am pleased with the finished product and this one of the easiest Pegasus kits I have built.

Reference material is Windsock Datafile # 27.

LFG V.19 "Putbus" by Phoenix Models 1/72nd scale vacuform

Built during WW1, the LFG V.19 represented a milestone in the development of all-metal aircraft construction. The aircraft was developed under high secrecy for the German Admiralty as a submarine borne spotter seaplane. The intention was for every large U-boat to be equipped with its own scout aircraft. The aircraft was construction entirely of duralumin.

The V.19 could be broken down and fitted into five 70 cm diameter tubes fitted to the submarine. It is said the V.19 could be broken down and stowed by a five man crew in 15 minutes. It took 30 minutes to set up and make ready the aircraft for flight.

The sole prototype V.19 was revealed to the world in 1921 in an attempt to gain work for the LFG factory. There is no record of the ultimate fate of the LFG V.19.

The kit provided both decals and metal parts. The decals were made by Blue Rider and Aeroclub provided the metal. This kit was released in 1990 and I built it in 1997. Phoenix Models was a creation of Joe Chubbock, a master mold maker and enthusiast of WW1 aviation.

Dornier D.1 by Meikraft Models 1/72nd scale short run injection

While one of the more obscure aircraft of WW1, the Dornier was probably one of the most structurally sophisticated. The torsion box construction of the wings was the first use of a method that would become the standard of the industry. It also featured a jettison able fuel tank, another first.

Six Dornier D.1 aircraft were ordered in March 1918. The first example flew on June 4, 1918, powered by a 160hp Mercedes DIIIa engine. Excellent flying characteristics were reported by its pilots. The engine in the next five aircraft was the 185hp BMW IIIa.

In the fighter competition on July 3, 1918, the plane broke up in flight, killing Hauptmann Wilhelm Reinhard, commander of the Richthofen Jagdgeschwader. This accident may have been the reason for the negative view of this new fighter by the German Air Service.

Two D.1s went the the United States after the war, one going to the Navy and the other to the Army.

The kit is a short run injection molded kit and for the time period, was not a bad kit. The attachment points were thick and there was a considerable amount of flash. The kit includes decals and metal etch parts by Fotocut. Even with the amount of cleanup, this was less than a 10 hour build.

D.F.W. T.28 "Floh/Flea" by Wings 72 1/72nd scale vacuform

Designed in late 1915 by Hermann Dorner, the T.28 was characterized by an inordinately deep fuselage and powered by a 100hp Mercedes D1 six cylinder, water cooled engine. The fuselage was wood veneer with fabric wings. A single machine gun was mounted in the forward fuselage above the engine.

The aircraft reached about 112 mph on its maiden flight but suffered minor damage during the landing, probably due to the fact that cockpit visibility was almost non-existent. D.F.W. modified the plane with a stronger undercarriage and balanced elevators but a total lack of interest from the authorities doomed the Flea's further flights. The aircraft never flew again.

The T.28 was one of the early offerings from Don Bratt at Wings72. The kit consisted of a single sheet of plastic and 10 metal parts. There were no decals. I used the single thickness wings although the double thickness is provided in the kit. I have found that the single thickness correctly shows the proper wing thickness.

The kit was released in 1987 and build prior to 1990. It is a very easy kit to build with no more than five or six hours required to complete this neat little airplane.