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Kit: Roden (1:72)
This is the Roden Albatros D.III finished in the colours of Lt.Werner Voss, Jasta 2 - 1917. Built straight out of the box with the exception of the decals which had to be sourced due to the major problems with the original kit decals
Kit: Revell (1:72)
This was a reasonably quick build of the new Revell tooling. The decals are homemade; I used Michael Franklins Fokker Fonts for the serial numbers which were printed on to microscale clear decal paper. Otherwise the model is strictly out of the box. For shear enjoyment and ease of build I think I'd prefer the Revell Dr.1 to Eduards if only they would mould it in a sensible colour.
Kit: Skybirds '86 (1:72)
Another build for Mike Eacock of one of his last and most ambititious kits. The model has been built virtually out of the box, although a few changes were required as this particular subject is one of the Friedrichshafen built G.IIs, while the kit is based on the Daimler version. The nose art was hand painted on to the supplied outlined decal. The weight table was home made as this was not included on the decal sheet
This is the Roden tooling with the addition of Techmod Decals built for a 'First Blitz' display at the Nationals in the markings of 405/16 with the personal sash of Oblt Von Thotha, deputy commander of Kagohl 3. I did not find this a particularly easy kit to build, especially in the early stages of the build, mainly because of the poor fit of parts and the amount of surgery required for the G.IV version. That said the kit does build up in to a very nice looking Gotha. I made very few additions to the original kit, the most notable being the propeller guards made from an old seive. Looking at the photographs I've just realised that I've forgotten to add stone guards to the undercarriage.
Kit: CMR (1:72)
CMR 1/72 scale Hansa Brandenburg W.12/V with the long fuselage no.2108 from an unidentified unit, North Sea, 1918. Built out of the box with just the addition of an Aeroclub Parabellum MG.
Kit: Choroszy Modelbud (1:72)
This is a nice little kit of the late WW1 Austro Hungarian 2 seater, built out of the box. The C.1 continued to fly for many years after the war in the Swedish Airforce where it was known as a 'Dront'. As I understand it this was a not a very complementary nickname.
Kit: Scratchbuilt (1:72)
This is one of my favorite of the German R-types. As far as I'm aware RS.III was the only R-type flying boat to go in to active service during WW1. My orginal plan was to build the RS.III and the other three Dornier R-types as 1/144 models, but the RS.III ended up evolving in to a 1/72 scale giant. The model is predominantly built from plasticard, although the engines are the four spare Maybachs from the first Roden Staaken kit. Mike Eacock was kind enough to supply me with some spare etched brass and white metal parts from his skybird kits which saved me having to scratchbuild parts like steer wheel control columns and gun rings. The model took six months to build.
Kit: Skybirds 86 (1:72)
This is the first of a series of Skybirds'86 models that I am building for Mike Eacock, who tooled these beautiful kits from the mid eighties up until about 1998 before throwing in the towel. This kit, consisting of resin and white metal parts also includes more than enough brass strutz to complete the model and rubber tyres. The quality of the mouldings is as good as anything I have seen from Eastern Europe and the model is fairly easy to build. The model was built out-of the box with just a few of the Elsernes Kreuz's being replaced because of slightly over-sized originals. The splinter camouflage scheme is based on approximate colours detailed in a british report on a captured Rumpler from the same batch as this aircraft which seemed to tie up with the what I could visually see from the two photographs printed in the Windsock datafile. However there are many different interpretations of this particular aircrafts colour scheme and I would advise anybody building a Rumpler C.IV to do as mush research as possible and then make an executive descision as there is no definitive correct answer. It was also difficult to determine from the photographs whether the cowling stripes are paint or weathering. I decided to interpret the stripes as part of the paint scheme.
This is the Roden kit built out of the box using the kit lozenge and markings. This is certainly the biggest model in terms of size I've ever attempted and I was very pleased with the finished result.
Kit: Eduard (1:72)
I'm sure this machine needs no introduction as being Lt.Friedrich Kempfs machine, 213/17 of Jasta Boelcke. This was the Eduard profipack built from the box with kit decals.