Albatros D.V

[bfrd]

Looking great Kev. Love the wood panel work.

[Panzergrau]

Looks convincing! Very nice! KUTGW!

Cheers!
Gabriel

[Kevthemodeller]

Looks convincing! Very nice! KUTGW!

Cheers!
Gabriel

Looking great Kev. Love the wood panel work.

Thanks guys much appreciated

[Kevthemodeller]

Today's bench time and it's yet more fit issues

I deliberately primed everything as I find it shows up any areas that need attention better

Just look at the fit of the tail section it's appalling, this is what I remember with Revell and at times Airfix back as a kid, but this is Eduard really poor this

It's going to be extended sprue filling which should also give it some strength all that holding it at present is the very top section

[Timplastic]

The base Eduard dV kit dates back to 1995. It’s one of there earlier boxing’s so unfortunately I’m not that surprised that there is these sort of issues. What you must remember, all the flying surfaces could be removed so don’t fully fill and smooth the fuselage and tail sections there would have been a joint.
Here is some pics I found on the wingnut site. There instructions and archive pictures are a great source of info on the building WW1 biplanes

[Panzergrau]

Just look at the fit of the tail section it's appalling, this is what I remember with Revell and at times Airfix back as a kid, but this is Eduard

Some acrylic putty will do just fine in this case - but still annoying I reckon.

I have two Eduard WW1 aircraft kits for sale. Anyone interested? No?! Yeah, I thought so... (just teasing)

Cheers!
Gabriel

[Kevthemodeller]

The base Eduard dV kit dates back to 1995. It’s one of there earlier boxing’s so unfortunately I’m not that surprised that there is these sort of issues. What you must remember, all the flying surfaces could be removed so don’t fully fill and smooth the fuselage and tail sections there would have been a joint.
Here is some pics I found on the wingnut site. There instructions and archive pictures are a great source of info on the building WW1 biplanes

Hi Tim, yes you're correct, the issue here is in the lower areas nothing is holding the tail fin

My plan was never to fill and make wing, fin mating joints flush as in later aircraft just get some strength in there, I'm hoping extended sprue will fill the void but still give me a defined mating joint.

As I said before I wasn't expecting this from Eduard, all the kit reviews I've read none of them mentioned any of the issues I've had I now dry fit everything I was looking at the wing struts last night, the holes in the wings are at least twice the diameter of the wing strut locating pins it's going to make alignment very interesting

I was building kits in the 70's that weren't as bad as this, I've got a few other Eduard kits although not WW1. Once I've got this finished I'm going to check them out. I think they're are all later vintage kits and hopefully will live up to all the Eduard quality hype I've read. It's not that I mind the challenge but having bought the kit on the back of reviews that sing Eduard quality it's somewhat disappointing

[Tomcat64]

Great to see you're still making progress on this Kev.

Can't believe the fit issues though - it looks like an Eduard re-box of an old Revell kit!

[Kevthemodeller]

Great to see you're still making progress on this Kev.

Can't believe the fit issues though - it looks like an Eduard re-box of an old Revell kit!

Mate I was thinking the very same, some of the mouldings are are really poor, too short, long or even bent perhaps I've got a particularly bad kit, who knows. I'll get there

[Kevthemodeller]

The weekends bench time
No more daylight, the tail area filled with extended sprue.

I've tried to go for a not flush fill, think I've achieved it

The top needs a little bit more work, but I think I'm pretty much there

I started the wing decaling, these are tricky not helped by their quality they're very fragile and will tear just by looking at them they're also not cut correctly and have cut out areas which in the wrong place not huge but enough. Strangely you only have to show them warm water not they're off the backing paper
The lower wing upper decal, this was in two halves

My first mistake was putting the upper decal on first, which means any over lap from the bottom shows, that way I'm building this kit before my WNW
These are the lower and upper wings undersides, both in two halves again.

Lower and upper wings showing the difference in top/bottom lozenge.

I haven't yet done the upper wing underside it's one piece for some reason

[Timplastic]

Yeah those eduard lozenge decals dont like too much movement. i found my d7 ones where only just big enough for the wings. no room for error.
You done a lovely job with them lozenge always looks so good
Your tail is spot on

[Tomcat64]

Great work on sorting out that tailplane mate - that looks spot on.

The lozenge decals are well worth the effort for the end result too - I remember early WW1 kits when I was a kid and they expected you to paint the damn things on!

[Kevthemodeller]

Yeah those eduard lozenge decals dont like too much movement. i found my d7 ones where only just big enough for the wings. no room for error.
You done a lovely job with them lozenge always looks so good
Your tail is spot on

Thanks Tim, they're a bit tricky and of varying quality/thickness

[Kevthemodeller]

Great work on sorting out that tailplane mate - that looks spot on.

The lozenge decals are well worth the effort for the end result too - I remember early WW1 kits when I was a kid and they expected you to paint the damn things on!

mate oh yes I can well remember painting them on by hand a lad

[Kevthemodeller]

This weekends beach time Still in the wings these decals are a nightmare and the amount of them The instructions are clear either, in this kit you get the choice of 5 aircarft to build, with two options for seem tape black/very dark blue or pink, there's no indication as to what colour you're supposed to use with what version. I couldn't find any reference to black/very blue being used just light blue or pink, so opted for the pink.

The seem tapes are a real paint not so much the application but they're wrap around and mostly too long and need to be cut. I tried to cut before hand but it was very hit a miss had to cut while wet on the wing.
Top

bottom

All my reseach also shows tape around the wing edge, this is not shown in the kit, but there may well be enough left over to achieve that .
The crosses were of varying thickness the large being really thick

[Twokidsnosleep]

That's a whole lotta awesome if you ask me
Those look fantastic!!!

[Tat2bhoy]

Those are stunning wings

[Kevthemodeller]

That's a whole lotta awesome if you ask me
Those look fantastic!!!

Those are stunning wings

Fella's

[Kevthemodeller]

Got some bench time this afternoon, thought I'd clear the wings to seal the decals and prep the fuselage surface ready for the decals.

Not happy with the result on the fuselage looks horrible although it's smooth to the touch. I was using Tamiya semi gloss X35 with X20a, think it need more thinner?

It's the first time I've used Tamiya clear, did my normal new jar top up with X20a 7mm below the jar lip, it seems the right consistency, but I think the clear my need more?

[Quax]

If the wings are anything to go by Kev its going to be immense; fantastic job so far!

Paul

[Kevthemodeller]

If the wings are anything to go by Kev its going to be immense; fantastic job so far!

Paul

Thanks Paul just got to sort out the X35 application

[Tomcat64]

Awesome work on the wings Kev!

Hope you get the paint/clear sorted out for the fuselage - I've never sprayed Tamiya so can't help with that one I'm afraid.

[bfrd]

I haven't used the semi gloss before, but I have used the regular clear x-22. It does really like MLT @ almost 50:50. Just be careful if you are going over decals as the 50:50 mix is rather hot.

[Kevthemodeller]

I haven't used the semi gloss before, but I have used the regular clear x-22. It does really like MLT @ almost 50:50. Just be careful if you are going over decals as the 50:50 mix is rather hot.

I think is was just not enough thinner

[Kevthemodeller]

I managed some bench time yesterday, it being the beginning of my Christmas and New Year Holiday

I didn't bother redoing the fuselage clear as it's just for the decals, I think the base coat was that good I could have gone without the clear but hay ho. The decals are on



Unfortunately that will be the last of this build before Jan 19 so I'm going to have to yet again bow out, work pressures just killed the bench time

But it's not all doom and gloom I get a a plane this evening, which will be taking me to Australia (Sydney & Melbourne) and on Dec 28 to New Zealand (Wellington and the mountains around it)

[Tomcat64]

That looks great mate

Have a fabulous holiday and all the best to you and yours for Christmas and the New Year