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Kit: Emhar (1:72)
This is the Emhar kit in 1/72. It goes together easily, except for all the fiddly-bits needed to get the radiator correct. The kit decals are for a plane in the Czech Air Service and not the Imperial Russian Air Service, as was kindly pointed out by a list member. The CDL is Polly-Scale "Clear Doped Linen" and the wood is ModelMasters "Wood". In hindsight, I wish I would have used my normal wood technique on this one.
Kit: Blue Max (1:48)
Bristol M.1.C. Lt. K.B. Munday 150 Squadron
This is the Blue Max kit and the first one I have completed. It was pretty simple, except for the cockpit. For rigging, I used ceramic wire, since my usual string technique wouldn't work due to the rigging locators being molded onto the wings. I used Mister Kit PC-12 thinned with Future for the top side and Model Master Azure Blue for the bottom. A number of different pilots flew this airplane, not just Lt. Munday. He was flying it on June 18,1918, when he sent a D.F.W. down out of control. Lt. J.J. Boyd Harvey used it on June 16, 1918, when he attacked a Rumpler and forced it to dive out of control.
Kit: Gavia (1:48)
Bristol Scout C. RNAS Redcar, November 1915
This is the Gavia kit in 1/48. What a nice kit to build, very simple with just enough parts to keep it interesting. I wanted to do an RNAS cdl airplane with the Union Jack on it. Luckily the decals for this kit had such a scheme. The cdl was done using Model Masters Modern Desert Sand. The light wood effect was done by painting the fuselage with Model Master Modern Desert Sand. I then used a painters sponge to smear on Horizon Paints "yellow brown" .
Kit: Roden (1:48)
This is a Sopwith 1B1 that originally flew with Escadrille SOP 111. After being forced to make a landing in Holland on July 7, 1917, it was taken into the LVA, the Royal Dutch Air Force. The camo scheme looks like it was applied in the field, but whether that was when it was with the French or by the Dutch at Soesterberg is unknown. The kit went together easily. The rigging is done with fly fishing thread. The silver is Model Masters Aluminum Plate Metalizer from a spray can on the detail areas and plain old Model Masters Metallic Silver from a spray can for the larger areas. The green is Model Masters Green Drab. The red is Polly Scale Caboose Red. The Orange discs are from Dutch Decals.
Kit: Eduard (1:48)
78a Squadriglia "Coda Nera" (Black Tail)
The long awaited, at least by me, Eduard 1/48 kit. This is an easy to put together kit, except for some problems with the struts. I didn't try to cut out the rear of the fuselage to expose the frame above the tail skid, like on the real plane. A close look at a photo of Sgt. Antonio Chiri in the plane shows that the "78" is not repeated on the top wing like on many other Hanriots of the 78a Squadriglia.
Kit: Revell (1:72)
Jean Chaput, Escadrille 159
This is pretty much the Revell kit in 1/72. I added a resin Lewis gun from Roseparts and tried to make it look like the Hotchkiss gun used on the French Moranes. The red-white-red band was hand painted after the fuselage was done in Polly-Scale French Beige. Some attempt at weathering is almost required with the Morane. I painted the cowl silver enamel and let it dry a few days. I then applied an acrylic black from Polly-Scale. After letting it dry for an hour or so, I used a cotton swab with a little acrylic "thinner" to wash away sections of the black. Pretty easy and the "thinner" didn't remove the enamel. The rigging is silver thread.
Morane Saulnier MS 394-1916. I used Model Master's Radome Tan for the CDL. The decals are very thin and have a tendency to fold over on themselves. I ended up adding some liquid soap to the decal water and they then went on without any trouble. The lines along the fuselage were easy to apply. I painted the cowl aluminum and then overpainted with acrylic black. I then scraped away the black to show the wear. The engine was too tight of a fit to rotate freely within the cowling. The instructions called for a red cowl with red lines along the fuselage. I went with black based on the Datafile saying there was no evidence the French used red. The tailplane/elevators are extremely fragile. I would wait until near the end to attach. The tail skid is a little tricky. Attach the rudder first and there should be no problem. I didn't and there was.
Kit: Lindberg (1:48)
Capt. Gerald Maxwell 56 Squadron
This is the Lindberg kit in 1/48. This choice came from suggestions from the group to do an Se5a for Gerald and a Hurricane for his brother, Michael, whole flew in the Battle of Britain with 56 Squadron. I used Americals for all of the markings and wheel covers. U.S. Olive drab was my choice for PC 10 and French Beige for CDL, both from Polly Scale. Wheels were Dark Gull Gray. Airwaves interior set was used for the cockpit.
This kit was very hard for me to build. I know some people on the list didn't have trouble when they built it, but I was glad once I was done. For PC 10 I used RAF Dark Earth. G-M flew this plane, Serial # C'1149 post war and for 1 confirmed victory on November 3, 1918. After the Armistice, he painted the fuselage and fin bright red, according to "High in the Empty Blue". He flew it for the last time on January 23, 1919 to Le Hameau. Thanks to Lance Krieg for supplying me with the "Schweinhund" decal from Americals after I lost one of mine. G-M named his SE5a after the derogatory term directed at him by his German guards when he had been captured earlier in the war.
Kit: Revell (1:48)
Captain Henry R. Clay 41st Aero Sq.
The model is a combination of the Revell and Monogram kits in 1/48. (I'm not sure why I did this). The decals are from AeroMaster, "Fighting Camels". PC-10 is from Polly-Scale. Clear Doped Linen is Model Masters "Modern Dessert Sand". The rigging was done with ceramic wire. I opted for the black V since in photos, it seems to be a different shade from the 4. The decal sheet allows either option.