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Kit: Special Hobby (1:48)
The Lloyd C.V. marked an end of the all veneer wing development. To achieve significant weight reduction and to the matter of a perfectly streamlined design. Different to standard wing construction, the wing consisted of spanwise stringers instead of spars aurround only very few wing rips to give the required profile and shape. Covered with 1,2mm plywood this wing was a very solid construction. The only problem was if holed by bullets the plywood skin was very difficult to repair. I was very happy as the kit from Special Hobby appeared on the market. There have been no doubts that I have to build it with a real veneer finish. That means... all wood surfaces will be made of wood. The next decission was not to make the Daimler engine powered version as supplied in the kit. I prefer the apperance of the more powerfull Benz engine displayed in the WKF built 82. Series. This has nothing to do with the qualtity of the kit, because it is nicely moulded with fine details and I always appriciate manufacturers releasing kits of Austro-Hungarian aviation. My friends always call me crazy if I tell them I am working on a kit, because usually most of the parts are remaining in the box.
This particular model renders an Etrich A.II "Militärtaube". These aircrafts have been built in the "Fischamend Flugzeugwerke", based on the design of Igo Etrich. doing their service in the early days of the "k.u.k.Fliegertruppe" As there was no kit of an Austrian dove available at this time, I had to take the Flashback kit representing a German built dove. Some important changes have had to be done, as there are: The engine was converted to a 85 hp Hiero. This needs almost to scratchbuilt a new engine. The fuselage had to be flattend on it´s back. The pilots compartment was rebuilt to a single seater. The wings needed some reshaping and so on. Of course the whole undercarriage has a complete different desgin and was reworked with bras wire . So after having done all these changes not very much of the original kit was still remaining. The rigging, as aonyone can imagine was tremendous and requried all of my patience. But after all I think the result was it worth (hopefully). Now there is this beautiful multimedia kit of Copper State available and I think I will have to do it again.... somtimes
Kit: Alliance (1:48)
The WKF D.I Series 85 marked an end in the Austro Hungarian fighter aircraft development. This very modern aircraft was powered by a 230 hp Hiero inline engine and demonstrated a very clean design. Rarely seen on WW.I aircraft was the installation of a wireless transmitter and receiver. This particular model in 1:48 scale is made from the superb Alliance kit. Despite of the kits quality some basic modifications had to be made. The most important was the length reduction of the engine. The colourscheme is speculative, it is one possibilty. As later studies are showing a variant in different grey shades could also have been possible. I took opportunity for the more colourful. For comparison one of the two only known photos of the original is featured.