As mentioned before, I am going to build the Model Airways Albatros D.Va and the Neiuport 28 in addition to the Sopwith Camel I built.
This will serve as a short history and preface to the Albatros D.Va build.
First we must mention the fact that the Red Baron (Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen) flew the Albatros for most of his military service, flying the versions; II, III and finally the D.V (which is the version model kit made by Model Airways). Although he was most known for flying the Fokker DR1 triplane, only 19 of his 80 kills were in the Fokker. Which means the prior 61 kills were piloting the Albatros. It is also worth mentioning that he championed the development of the Fokker D.VII with suggestions to overcome deficiencies of the current German fighter aircraft, although he never had the opportunity to fly one.
To complement the Albatros D.Va airplane, I chose to build the 1/16 scale figure of the Red Baron to be displayed with it. For a change, I decided this is where I will start this build, with the figure of him, as I wanted to build the figure now.
Once I begin the Albatros D.Va airplane, I will designate each Stage of the build by the stage number and title used in the manual, and use BOLD CAPS on the post that starts that Stage as follows below:
Stage 1 – Building the Upper Wing
Stage 2 – Building the Lower Wing
Stage 3 – Building the Stabilizer
Stage 4 – Building the basic Fuselage
Stage 5 – Installing Internal Fuselage Fittings
Stage 6 – Installing more Fuselage fittings & Gun assembly
Stage 7 – Installing the Stabilizer, Elevator, Rudder & Control cables
Stage 8 – Building and installing the Landing Gear
Stage 9 – Assembly of the Mercedes 180hp Motor & Propeller
Stage 10 – Installing the Motor and Guns
Stage 11 – Installing the Radiator and Air Speed Indicator
Stage 12 – Assembly of Wings to Fuselage, and control and guy rigging
This is the same format I used on the Sopwith Camel, and it is my hopes that this may help others who may chose to build this kit.
Here are some photos of the kit...
In April 1917, Albatros received an order from Inspektion der Fliegertruppen (Idflieg) for an improved version of the D.III. The resulting D.V prototype flew later that month. The D.V closely resembled the D.III and used the same 127 kW (170 hp) Mercedes D.IIIa engine. The most notable difference was a new, fully elliptical cross-section fuselage which was 32 kg (71 lb) lighter than the partially flat-sided fuselage of the earlier D.I through D.III designs.[1] The new elliptical cross-section required an additional longeron on each side of the fuselage and the fin, rudder and tailplane initially remained unchanged from the D.III.[1] The prototype D.V retained the standard rudder of the Johannisthal-built D.III, but production examples used the enlarged rudder featured on D.IIIs built by the Ostdeutsche Albatroswerke (OAW). The D.V also featured a larger spinner and ventral fin.
Compared to the D.III, the upper wing of the D.V was 121 mm (4.75 in) closer to the fuselage, while the lower wings attached to the fuselage without a fairing. The D.V wings were almost identical to those of the standard D.III, which had adopted a sesquiplane wing arrangement broadly similar to the French Nieuport 11. The only significant difference between wings of the D.III and D.V was a revised routing of the aileron cables that placed them entirely within the upper wing, Idflieg conducted structural tests on the fuselage, but not the wings, of the D.V.
The improved D.Va that followed, had extra weight, thus the Mercedes motor was changed to have 180hp.
This will serve as a short history and preface to the Albatros D.Va build.
First we must mention the fact that the Red Baron (Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen) flew the Albatros for most of his military service, flying the versions; II, III and finally the D.V (which is the version model kit made by Model Airways). Although he was most known for flying the Fokker DR1 triplane, only 19 of his 80 kills were in the Fokker. Which means the prior 61 kills were piloting the Albatros. It is also worth mentioning that he championed the development of the Fokker D.VII with suggestions to overcome deficiencies of the current German fighter aircraft, although he never had the opportunity to fly one.
To complement the Albatros D.Va airplane, I chose to build the 1/16 scale figure of the Red Baron to be displayed with it. For a change, I decided this is where I will start this build, with the figure of him, as I wanted to build the figure now.
Once I begin the Albatros D.Va airplane, I will designate each Stage of the build by the stage number and title used in the manual, and use BOLD CAPS on the post that starts that Stage as follows below:
Stage 1 – Building the Upper Wing
Stage 2 – Building the Lower Wing
Stage 3 – Building the Stabilizer
Stage 4 – Building the basic Fuselage
Stage 5 – Installing Internal Fuselage Fittings
Stage 6 – Installing more Fuselage fittings & Gun assembly
Stage 7 – Installing the Stabilizer, Elevator, Rudder & Control cables
Stage 8 – Building and installing the Landing Gear
Stage 9 – Assembly of the Mercedes 180hp Motor & Propeller
Stage 10 – Installing the Motor and Guns
Stage 11 – Installing the Radiator and Air Speed Indicator
Stage 12 – Assembly of Wings to Fuselage, and control and guy rigging
This is the same format I used on the Sopwith Camel, and it is my hopes that this may help others who may chose to build this kit.
Here are some photos of the kit...
In April 1917, Albatros received an order from Inspektion der Fliegertruppen (Idflieg) for an improved version of the D.III. The resulting D.V prototype flew later that month. The D.V closely resembled the D.III and used the same 127 kW (170 hp) Mercedes D.IIIa engine. The most notable difference was a new, fully elliptical cross-section fuselage which was 32 kg (71 lb) lighter than the partially flat-sided fuselage of the earlier D.I through D.III designs.[1] The new elliptical cross-section required an additional longeron on each side of the fuselage and the fin, rudder and tailplane initially remained unchanged from the D.III.[1] The prototype D.V retained the standard rudder of the Johannisthal-built D.III, but production examples used the enlarged rudder featured on D.IIIs built by the Ostdeutsche Albatroswerke (OAW). The D.V also featured a larger spinner and ventral fin.
Compared to the D.III, the upper wing of the D.V was 121 mm (4.75 in) closer to the fuselage, while the lower wings attached to the fuselage without a fairing. The D.V wings were almost identical to those of the standard D.III, which had adopted a sesquiplane wing arrangement broadly similar to the French Nieuport 11. The only significant difference between wings of the D.III and D.V was a revised routing of the aileron cables that placed them entirely within the upper wing, Idflieg conducted structural tests on the fuselage, but not the wings, of the D.V.
The improved D.Va that followed, had extra weight, thus the Mercedes motor was changed to have 180hp.
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