Paul Howard's Central Powers Models


I made a few minor modifications to the standard Glenco Albatros D.III.

  1. Scratchbuilt the interior
  2. Installed a modified Aeroclub 160 HP Mercedes engine
  3. Replaced the kit wheels with correct size Aeroclub parts
  4. Built and Installed a set of Fotocut Spandau machine guns
  5. Extensively reworked the aft fuselage and horizontal stabilizer
  6. Scratchbuilt the tailskid and all struts
  7. Cut and repositioned the control surfaces
  8. Added rib detail to wings and tailplane
  9. Rigged the model with streched sprue.
The project took me about six months to complete, but since I really wanted a D.III, it seemed more like a year. I was kind of disappointed with how it turned out, but the finish was fun to try. Maybe the Eduard D.III will turn out better ......


1/48th Koster Fokker E.V - This project was done before Eduard and DML released injection molded versions of the plane. Actually, I finished it a week and a half before the Eduard kit was released... I added some special items to the kit and was pretty happy with the finished product. (Until I saw the Eduard kit)

Modifications:

  1. Soldered wire internal fuelage framework
  2. Scratchbuilt horizontal and verticle tail assemblies
  3. Cut and repositioned control surfaces
  4. Replaced engine with one from the DML Triplane
  5. Replaced the cowling with a highly modified one from the DML Triplane
  6. Model is rigged inside and out with streched sprue
The lozenge is Super Scale and was closer to the colors specifed by D.S. Abbot than any other available at the time. I haven't seen some of the new lozenge releases, so there may be others available now that are better.


Siemens Schuckert D.III - I worked on this project a little over 2 years from start to finish. I did make some modifications and corrections, most of the time was wasted in long stints of waiting for various decals sheets. I tried several new techniques on this kit such as using three coats of sepia ink to produce the dark shade of wood for the fuselage, and using a watchmaker's lathe to produce the wheels.

Items of interest:(probably only to me)

  1. Detailed and installed an Atlee resin engine
  2. Thinned the cowling
  3. Thinned and reworked the flying surfaces
  4. Opened the intakes on the fuselage and cooling scoops on spinner (and made sure the holes were a reverse image of the scoops)
  5. Cast a pair of wheels, using RTV molds made from a master which I turned on a lathe
  6. Corrected the angle for the vertical stabilizer
  7. Simulated the dark stained wood fuselage using multicolored washes, pencil, and sepia drawing ink.
  8. The five color lozenge decals for both upper and lower surfaces are from Aeromaster
  9. Rigged inside and out using a combination of stretched sprue and invisible thread.

Overall, I am fairly pleased with the outcome. I'm very pleased with the way the prop, the engine, the cowling and the guns came out, but the wood didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped. After repainting the fuselage four times due to scratches in the incredibly delicate ink, I 'm just glad the beast is done. I'd like to say that this was one of the easiest models I've built , but the guys here in Abilene who heard me complaining while I was working on it, would blow the whistle on me in a heartbeat. Oh yeah, I started this plane for me, but I finished it for Fred Helmick. After two years of hearing him ask "When are you gonna finish that Siemens", I finally get to hear something else...



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