Lloyd 40.15

by Steve Cox

Kit: Meikraft (1:72)

The kit is very strange plastic, off-white and semi-transparent mixed together. The fuselage has a triangular section behind the cockpit, which doesn't match the drawing in the Austro-Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War One book, though it matches the artists impression of it flying with the 40.16. There are no known photos for reference. Collective wisdom is that the 40.15 had part veneer wings like the 40.16, though the kit wings are moulded with ribs for fabric wings. I scribed a veneer/fabric dividing line, then scraped off alternate ribs in the veneer areas. They were painted CDL overall, then some veneer panels overpainted in yellow/white or CDL/white mixes, then damp-brushed in Tan for the wood grain. Applying the markings on the wings and fuselage was a bit vexing as they cover up the wood grain panels.

I was unsure about the correct position of the middle wing, since the three view drawings are not consistent. I moved it back to match the underside view, and moved the top-wing strut location point forward a little. I made new tailplanes from 1mm sheet, since the kit ones were visibly different to each other.

The undercarriage legs are moulded in one piece but are poorly shaped and broke when trying to clean them up. I decided to scratch-build them from aerofoil strut and rod. The tailskid was cut from one of the kit undercarriage legs, with supports from stretched sprue.

Thanks to Dame Karen, who gifted me the kit.