WWI Digest 408 Topics covered in this issue include: 1) Sopwith Pup by "Pedro Soares" 2) Head above the parapet... by Matt Bacon 3) Re: Sopwith Pup by mbittner@juno.com 4) Re: Sopwith Pup by "Pedro Soares" 5) Re: Sopwith Pup by "Pedro Soares" 6) Re: Tom's Strutter by Sandy Adam 7) Re: Model show by barrett@iplink.net (barrett) 8) Monday, 22 January 1917, Cachy, St Just, Paris, Plessis Belleville by "Marian Hollinger, Bradley Omanson" 9) Re: Head above the parapet... by t_eisen@ix.netcom.com (Thomas Eisenhour) 10) Re: Smer Kits by Sandy Adam 11) Genet: some first impressions of him & some background by "Marian Hollinger, Bradley Omanson" 12) Re: Head above the parapet... by Joseph Gentile 13) Genet on WWW page by aew (Allan Wright) 14) Re: Genet on WWW page by "Pedro Soares" 15) Re: Genet on WWW page by aew (Allan Wright) 16) Re: Head above the parapet... by bshatzer@orednet.org (Bill Shatzer) 17) Re: Head above the parapet... by Carlos Valdes 18) Re: Off-topic Tamiya Bf-109 query by Franco Poloni 19) Re: Genet on WWW page by Erik Pilawskii 20) Re: 1/28 SPAD and building the Sierra SPAD A.4 by Charles_A._Duckworth@notes.up.com (Charles A. Duckworth) 21) Re: Head above the parapet... by bshatzer@orednet.org (Bill Shatzer) 22) Re[2]: Smer Kits by "Shelley Goodwin" 23) Re[2]: Head above the parapet/PRESENCE... by "Shelley Goodwin" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 10:26:40 -0000 From: "Pedro Soares" To: Subject: Sopwith Pup Message-ID: <199701221032.KAA00588@wallana> Hi you all Following my posting regarding the decision to build my first WW1 a/c I bought an Airfix Pup, based on the recommendations of several list members. I also checked the archives and was able to find an old posting by Matt Bitner listing all the modifications that should be done to the kit, whch will also help quite a lot. Now what I'm lacking is a set of plans to be able to check some of the modifications suggested by Matt like for instance the "Exhaust Channel". Could anyone of you send me some xerox copies of the plans? I feel terrible asking for this because I can't help feeling quite opportunistic about it since I am again taking advantage of your resources without being able to contribute in a proportional way, but here in Portugal reference materials are rather scarce if not non-existent at all so I hope you don't take this as some sort of abuse. TIA Pedro Soares pedro.soares@anaep.pt ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 10:25:21 +0000 From: Matt Bacon To: wwi Subject: Head above the parapet... Message-ID: <32E5EB11.2F23@london.virgin.net> Hi, folks... I'm new to this game, having been involved with metal monoplanes and then wooden ships for the last few years of my modelling career. However, with developing interest in WW1 (and a friendly obsolete-kit supplier) I've decided to do rag-wing or two. Now, having followed the list for a good while, I see plenty of SERIOUS talk of Eduard, vac-forms, brass cockpits and white metal engines. So pardon me while I wave a helmet on a stick and wait for the fusillade. Just how bad are the Revell 1/28th kits? Because I like the idea of a large scale dispaly-piece (and if I had the odd few hundred pounds I'd love to do one of the Hasegawa wooden models, but that's another story...) The FSM Benchtop review of the D VII didn't seem too bad. But what about the Pup, Camel and Dr1? I know they're old, but are they inaccurate, or just badly detailed? Since I'm a ship-model builder, I don't mind lots of scratch-build to add detail -- including a wooden cockpit interior, perhaps -- but I don't want to have to hack around what I've got too much. And does anyone know if there are any differences other than decals between "Brown's" Camel and "Bishop's"? (My friendly old-kit supplier charges GBP25 for Browns and GBP12 for Bishops) Honestly, if you indulge me on this one, I'll make some in a proper scale soon. I really will. Now I'll duck... best, Matt -- ------------------------------------------------------------------- Matt Bacon | Alcoholics Eponymous Deputy Editor | Pres.: Mr. Johnnie Walker VP: Mr. Jack Daniels Virgin Net | Treas.: Mr. Glen Fiddich Hon. Sec.: Mr. James Beam ------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 05:55:09 EST From: mbittner@juno.com To: wwi Subject: Re: Sopwith Pup Message-ID: <19970122.045724.9062.1.mbittner@juno.com> On Wed, 22 Jan 1997 05:36:53 -0500 "Pedro Soares" writes: > Now what I'm lacking is a set of plans to be able to check some > of the modifications suggested by Matt like for instance the > "Exhaust Channel". Could anyone of you send me some xerox > copies of the plans? I feel terrible asking for this because I > can't help feeling quite opportunistic about it since I am again > taking advantage of your resources without being able to > contribute in a proportional way, but here in Portugal reference > materials are rather scarce if not non-existent at all so I hope > you don't take this as some sort of abuse. Don't worry about it, Pedro. Most of us on the list give freely, just to keep the information "flowing". Send me your snail mail address, and I'll get them to you. Matt mbittner@juno.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 11:21:21 -0000 From: "Pedro Soares" To: Subject: Re: Sopwith Pup Message-ID: <199701221126.LAA00746@wallana> Pedro Soares pedro.soares@anaep.pt > > Don't worry about it, Pedro. Most of us on the list give freely, > just to keep the information "flowing". > > Send me your snail mail address, and I'll get them to you. > > > Matt > mbittner@juno.com Thanks again Matt. I was going to say I owe you one but that would be completely out of scale wouldn't it? As a matter of fact I already owe you a full bunch of them as I also owe to other fellow modelers I've met in cyberspace. Wish I can someday be of any assistance to all of you. BTW Matt have you seen my queery about locking the struts in place? I'm thinking about using wooden struts (a frined on this list suggested bamboo) or the kit parts after removing the piece that locks them together and also after some sanding to streamline them. Would drilling a hole in the exact location and ading some sort of wire to the end of the strut to fix in place do the trick? How do you usually do it? TIA Pedro ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 11:23:00 -0000 From: "Pedro Soares" To: Subject: Re: Sopwith Pup Message-ID: <199701221128.LAA00755@wallana> Pedro Soares pedro.soares@anaep.pt ---------- > > Don't worry about it, Pedro. Most of us on the list give freely, > just to keep the information "flowing". > > Send me your snail mail address, and I'll get them to you. > > > Matt > mbittner@juno.com By the way Matt, My snail mail address is as follows: Pedro Soares R. Bernardo Santareno, 4, 3Dto. 2810 Feijo Portugal ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 12:18:49 +0000 (GMT) From: Sandy Adam To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Re: Tom's Strutter Message-ID: > Anyone have this kit? > Riordan Hi Riordan, I'm pretty far advanced with my Tom's Strutter and it will make up into a nice kit. There are a few comments worth making though. You will probably have read in the datafile about how good the representation of canvas surfaces on wings etc is and it really is worth mentioning. Two fuselages are provided - for a single or two seater - but I used the single seater and cut out aft opening and sanded decking because some of the edges were too soft to use the 2-seat bits. I sanded the sides flat to remove the (beautiful!) formers as I want to build a static model but think the formers would be visible if the engine was running. With many radial engine aircarft, once in flight pressures caused the fabric to suck in around after fuselage members and I think I see evidence of this on Strutter photos. Now we come to the big problem in the kit which is the provision of the lower wing as two outer panels (great) and two inner stub panels (uugh!). It really is a job of making the outer panels, attaching two brass spars long enough to mount to the fuselage and then fit the stub wings over the spars and pour in the filling concrete. The stubs originally look horrendous and I spent two or three evenings taking the kit out, staring at it and putting it away again. But if you just get on with the outer wings and then add the stubs it actually goes together fairly quickly. Thats about as far as I have got - although I am rather proud of my solution to the double wire rigging which I shall post details once I have completed. Sandy ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 09:07:08 -0500 From: barrett@iplink.net (barrett) To: wwi Subject: Re: Model show Message-ID: >>AHHH! Finally! I had asked a "how do I do that" question six or seven >>months ago, and I got some good replies, but Mark, you saved me! No I can >>dig out that old Revell Eindekker and have a go again! Persistence Pays! >> To the "Model Show" thread writers: Thanks! Now I feel like digging into my Revel EIII too! Kevin. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 09:32:54 -0800 From: "Marian Hollinger, Bradley Omanson" To: wwi Subject: Monday, 22 January 1917, Cachy, St Just, Paris, Plessis Belleville Message-ID: <32E64F46.7D99@host.dmsc.net> 903. Cloudy and chilly. Got up late this morning. Captain Thenault gave me an order to fly one of the machines to our new aviation camp at St Just, go from there to Plessis Belleville to secure all of my belongings there and return to St Just on Thursday when the Escadrille is to move from here to the new station. Left Cachy right after lunch and flew down in 28 minutes under very low clouds and mist. Caught a 4 o'clock train from St Just for Paris arriving at 5:30. Had dinner there and 'phoned to Major Parker telling him I'll be in tomorrow to stay until Thursday morning and then took a train from the Gare de Nord at 8:21 for Plessis Belleville getting here at 10 o'clock. Found my room at the little Hotel vacant so am fixed up for the night. Expected to find Parsons and Bigelow here but Parsons left for the Escadrille today taking my suitcase with him, and Bigelow is in Paris tonite--as usual. Parsons has left my canvas bag, the very thing I wish he had taken instead of my suitcase with all my clothes I need. ********************************* from the War Diary of E.C.C. Genet ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 05:57:56 -0800 From: t_eisen@ix.netcom.com (Thomas Eisenhour) To: wwi Subject: Re: Head above the parapet... Message-ID: <199701221357.FAA24132@dfw-ix11.ix.netcom.com> Mssr. M. Bacon wrote: >I'm new to this game, having been involved with metal monoplanes and then wooden ships for the last few years of my modelling career. >However, with developing interest in WW1 (and a friendly obsolete-kit >supplier) I've decided to do rag-wing or two. Howdy, Matt, welcome to the list. Not related to our own Texas Wild Bill Bacon are you? >Just how bad are the Revell 1/28th kits? Matt, you've touched a subject near and dear to my heart! Define "bad". Seriously, I'm not one of the micrometer gang so I'll leave that question to others and just say this: IMHO the kits build up into credible representations of the subjects they depict. I suggest that you start with the Dr. I. If possible, try to find one of the boxings from the 70s that show Werner Voss' markings because the parts are molded in light blue, not red, which makes them much easier to paint. The major failing of the Dr. I (and the other kits) is its interior. Fuselage structure and controls are molded onto the side of the fuselage. (My esteemed colleague, Herr Springer, has detailed the interior of the Revell Dr.I to a fare-thee-well. See him for specifics.) The kit goes together pretty well. The angle of incidence(?) of the top wing is slightly greater than the others, but it's not noticeable. I'm working on the Camel and having a devil of a time with the upper wing. It's warped in TWO dimensions and seems to be that way on every kit I've seen. The cabane struts are too long which give the top wing a humped appearance it shouldn't have, so they need to be shortened. (It's a dromedary, NOT a bactrian.) And then there are those "helpful" strut canals to deal with. This is probably a lot more information than you wanted. Could you repeat the question? >The FSM Benchtop review of the D VII didn't seem too bad. But what about >the Pup, Camel and Dr1? I wish there were a Pup! Actually the third kit is a SPAD XIII. The D.VII has some problems the most serious of which is the top wing: it's essentially upside-down. I know they're old, but are they inaccurate, or just badly detailed? Since I'm a ship-model builder, I don't mind lots of scratch-build to add detail -- including a wooden cockpit interior, perhaps -- but I don't want to have to hack around what I've got too much. And does anyone know if there are any differences other than decals between "Brown's" Camel and "Bishop's"? (My friendly old-kit >supplier charges GBP25 for Browns and GBP12 for Bishops) AFAIK, there are NO differences between variously packaged versions of the kit. Make sure the one you buy has good decals: it's tough to find British roundels with white borders that big elsewhere! As far as markings go, there's not much available. IPMS USA issued a decal a number of years ago with markings for Guynemer's SPAD, Cobby's Camel, and von Raben's and von Keudel's DR.Is. I built my Dr. I in Jasta 19 markings, with the white nose and yellow and black striped tailplane. I made the late war crosses myself. If I do another, it'll be Klimke's from Jasta 27 (see Dr.I Datafile Special, pg. 34) as soon as I figure out how to do the yellow anchors on the fuselage. >Honestly, if you indulge me on this one, I'll make some in a proper scale soon. I really will. The thing I like most about the Revell kits is that, when built, they have such wonderful PRESENCE which 1/72 WWI models lack. (Don't flame me Bittner: I used to build WWI aircraft in 1/72 scale so I know whereof I speak!) In fact, 1/48 may almost be too small. If you want an easy build, try the the Hobbycraft Nie. 17 in 1/32 scale. Bon chance! Tom -- Tom Eisenhour t_eisen@ix.netcom.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 12:32:52 +0000 (GMT) From: Sandy Adam To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Re: Smer Kits Message-ID: I bought a stack of these ages ago and will probably never get round to building them but now I see in the local Beatties toy shops that they have all reappeared with new trannies by SuperScale (I think). Now can anybody tell me how good the transfers are and if they might alone be worth the fairly nominal cost of the kits. Are they comparable to the Glencoe additions? I haven't seen the SVA5 but I have the old original Artiplast with 'La Serenissima' banners and lions and hope that this might be the subject of the reissue? (rather than the laughable stained film that came with the last Smer incarnation) I suppose I could always make up the models and then use the bust bronzing techniques discussed to make 'coffee table' decorations. Any detail on the markings gratefully appreciated. Sandy ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 10:15:21 -0800 From: "Marian Hollinger, Bradley Omanson" To: wwi Subject: Genet: some first impressions of him & some background Message-ID: <32E65939.3472@host.dmsc.net> This is from Herbert Molloy Mason's LAFAYETTE ESCADRILLE, pp 167-170, describing events on 22 January 1917: A replacement came up to Cachy (Mason is mistaken here: it wasn't Cachy but St Just) on a day when the clouds were almost hugging the frozen earth and a day so cold even Soubiran stayed in bed to keep warm, leaving the forbidden game to shiver unmolested in the snow. No flying was possible, yet the pilots gathered around the stove in the hut distinctly heard the unmistakable sound of a rotary engine blipping its way down toward the ground. The Escadrille pilots, having once peered outside that morning, knew there would not be-- could not be-- any man fool enough to fly in the forbidding muck that enveloped the valley of the Somme. This knowledge was final and indisputable-- yet, some madman or drunk was up there trying to let down. Then they heard the intermittent popping as the plane was taxied down the field; the engine was cut and there remained only the sound of the wind whistling through the cracks in the walls. Moments later the door of the hut burst open and what appeared to be an animated teddy bear walked down the length of the hut, unwinding layers of silk and wool as he approached the stove. When the unveiling was complete, the pilots could only gape at the bared face before them. A snub nose red with cold was planted between rosy cheeks that showed no trace of beard. Closely cropped blond hair topped a head that measured no more than 5 feet 6 inches from the floor. On closer inspection, a downy moustache appeared. If he was sixteen years old, it would be a miracle. His name was Edmond Charles Clinton Genet, he had just turned twenty and his home was in Ossining, NY--"You know, where Sing-Sing is located." Genet was all eyes and all questions and all eagerness. There was the flare of an eighteenth-century *gallant* about him, somehow agreeably mixed with an unabashed Boy Scout's attitude toward the war: to Genet, the Germans were not simply "the enemy," they were arch villains, "scoundrels of the worst sort imaginable." and worthy of the sternest punishment that decent men could mete out. In his haste to close with the hated Boche, Genet had left the depot (Cachy) without orders to fly directly to Cachy (St Just); when he learned that most of the time was spent in bed trying to keep warm, or idling the hours away at cards, he was visibly let down. Bit by bit the background of this unlikely-looking warrior seeped out, but few details came from him. He was the great-great-grandson of Citizen Genet, who had been sent to American by the French Revolutionary Government in 1793. Citizen Genet liked America so well he decided to stay and raise a family. Thus this distinguished heritage partially accounted for the diminutive corporal's desired to fight for the land of his fathers. The others at Cachy tended to regard Genet as more of a mascot than a fighting addition to the muster roll, but when they learned he had taken part in the assault on the Bois Sabot, Genet seemed to grow several inches. The final phase of the 1915 French offensive in the Champagne began in September, with a massed assault against the heavily fortified positions of the Navarin Farm and an innocent-looking patch of woods called the Bois Sabot, or Horseshoe Wood. Lying across a wide stretch of featureless ground, the Bois Sabot appeared only as a dark green clumping of scrubby trees and masses of secondary growth. Close up, however, the position was revealed for what it was: a natural defense bastion formed of thickly interlocking trees and branches in the form of a horseshoe, with the open end facing the level ground across which any attack would have to come. The Germans had laced the wood with thirty-two machine gun nests, countless mortars, quick-firing fieldpieces and *Minnenwerfer*, which threw canisters filled with scrap metal and one hundred pounds of explosive. thick belts of barbed wire crisscrossed the woods in depth-- most of it hidden in the heavy undergrowth, and the carefully sited machine guns were protected by bunkers made of reinforced concrete. To withstand the bombardment that always signaled the beginning of any French infantry assault, the German troops defending the Bois Sabot were provided with deep dugouts and trenches covered over with elephant iron and, in some places, concrete roofs. With justification, German Army engineers believed Horseshoe Wood impregnable against frontal attack. The First Regiment of the Foreign Legion, among whose ranks numbered *Soldat* Edmond Genet, had been selected to carry the Bois Sabot following the bloody and futile attacks launched earlier by Algerian *tirailleurs*. While the wood was taking a pounding from the French guns, the Legionnaires in the jump-off trenches could look out across the naked ground in front of them and see "the ghastly wrecks of the Colonials who lay before the German line, the sickly pallor of their hands and faces in awful contrast with the pools of blood around them." Then, at three-thirty in the afternoon, the whistles blew and the First Regiment scrambled from cover and began the assault against one of the most perfectly prepared defensive positions on the Western Front. Incredibly, they went forward in parade ground formation. Genet recalled that they "started the advance in solid columns of fours, each section a unit. It was wonderful, that slow advance-- not a waiver, not a break. Through the storm of shell the Legion moved forward. Officers in advance with the commandant at the head . . . inspired us all to calmness and courage. Shells were bursting everywhere. One lost his personal feelings. He simply became a unit, a machine." Shrapnel raked through the close-packed columns of Legionnaires, who broke into a trot and dashed across the barren plain to get at the Horseshoe. To the howl of bursting shells and the terrifying explosions of the mines was added the crackle of the machine guns as they began systematically sweeping the thinning ranks. The murderous fire was "so thick that falling men were turned over and over and rolled along the ground like dead leaves before a late autumn wind." Genet and an Italian volunteer ran into the gale of lead. The other man lost his nerve, then his reason, then his life. Genet somehow made it back to the remnants of hs section. The attack had failed utterly, and at hideous cost. Of two companies alone, totaling 500 men, only 31 survived. Genet's bravery went unrewarded; all his officers lay dead in the Bois Sabot and there was no one left to write him up. Although this *enfant terrible* had much to learn concerning the wisdom of flying in winter weather that grounded even mallards, it was evident there was little he needed to be taught about carrying the war to the enemy. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 08:40:45 -0600 (CST) From: Joseph Gentile To: wwi Subject: Re: Head above the parapet... Message-ID: <199701221440.IAA06265@Walden.MO.NET> >>Just how bad are the Revell 1/28th kits? > >Matt, you've touched a subject near and dear to my heart! Define "bad". >Seriously, I'm not one of the micrometer gang so I'll leave that question to >others and just say this: IMHO the kits build up into credible representations of >the subjects they depict. > >>Honestly, if you indulge me on this one, I'll make some in a proper scale soon. >I really will. > >The thing I like most about the Revell kits is that, when built, they have such >wonderful PRESENCE which 1/72 WWI models lack. (Don't flame me Bittner: I used to >build WWI aircraft in 1/72 scale so I know whereof I speak!) In fact, 1/48 may >almost be too small. > Speaking of large scale miniatures....Has anyone built up a Marco's Miniature? They sure aren't cheap by a long shot but what little I've read about them in Windsock seems promising. It seems they offer a lot of extras, which may or may not come from the kit. Do these kits mark a happy alternative between the Revell 1/28 and Hasegawa 1/8? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 10:38:41 -0500 (EST) From: aew (Allan Wright) To: wwi Subject: Genet on WWW page Message-ID: <199701221538.KAA26312@pease1.sr.unh.edu> I've cobbled together a page about our ever-present guest, Edmond Charles Clinton Genet for the WWI Modeling Page. It contains the recently posted article as well as a picture. Enjoy! -Al =============================================================================== Allan Wright Jr. | You fell victim to one of the 'classic' blunders! University of New Hampshire+--------------------------------------------------- Research Computing Center | WWI Modeling mailing list: wwi@pease1.sr.unh.edu Internet: aew@unh.edu | WWI Modeling WWW Page: http://pease1.sr.unh.edu =============================================================================== ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 16:15:59 -0000 From: "Pedro Soares" To: Subject: Re: Genet on WWW page Message-ID: <199701221621.QAA01603@wallana> Pedro Soares pedro.soares@anaep.pt Apart from the nice page on Genet I was pleased to discover that the WW1 Modeling page got 2 awards. Congratulations Al et al. Those prizes are fully justified ---------- > From: Allan Wright > To: Multiple recipients of list > Subject: Genet on WWW page > Date: quarta-feira, 22 de janeiro de 1997 15:40 > > I've cobbled together a page about our ever-present guest, Edmond Charles > Clinton Genet for the WWI Modeling Page. It contains the recently posted > article as well as a picture. > > Enjoy! > -Al > > ============================================================================ === > Allan Wright Jr. | You fell victim to one of the 'classic' blunders! > University of New Hampshire+--------------------------------------------------- > Research Computing Center | WWI Modeling mailing list: wwi@pease1.sr.unh.edu > Internet: aew@unh.edu | WWI Modeling WWW Page: http://pease1.sr.unh.edu > ============================================================================ === ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 11:45:51 -0500 (EST) From: aew (Allan Wright) To: wwi Subject: Re: Genet on WWW page Message-ID: <199701221645.LAA26595@pease1.sr.unh.edu> > Apart from the nice page on Genet I was pleased to discover that the WW1 > Modeling page got 2 awards. > Congratulations Al et al. Those prizes are fully justified Thanks again, they're really awards for everyone on the list that has contributed to the page too! -Al =============================================================================== Allan Wright Jr. | You fell victim to one of the 'classic' blunders! University of New Hampshire+--------------------------------------------------- Research Computing Center | WWI Modeling mailing list: wwi@pease1.sr.unh.edu Internet: aew@unh.edu | WWI Modeling WWW Page: http://pease1.sr.unh.edu =============================================================================== ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 10:12:54 -0800 From: bshatzer@orednet.org (Bill Shatzer) To: wwi Subject: Re: Head above the parapet... Message-ID: <199701221812.AA21680@ednet1.orednet.org> Matt Bacon diligently typed: >So pardon me while I wave a helmet on a stick and wait for the >fusillade. > >Just how bad are the Revell 1/28th kits? IMHO, not too bad. The Fokker Dr.I, ferinstance, is really pretty good - most of its problems are with easily corrected detail stuff and a couple of minor shape problems. For molds originally cut in the late '50's, they are, quite frankly, amazingly good. Outside of the difficulty in getting accurarte 1/28th scale plans to work from in making the corrections, there is no real reason why, with some work, you couldn't turn out a real winner from the Dr.I kit, especially if you utilize the two sets of etched brass accessories that Tom's Model Works makes for this kit. The SPAD is a little more problematic but still not too bad. Some fit problems, if I remember correctly, and the arrangement and molding of the struts is poor but fixable. I've not built the Camel so I can't really comment on that 'un but I understand it may be the worst of the lot. Cheers, -- - Bill Shatzer bshatzer@orednet.org - "Oh, what sad times are these when passing ruffians can say 'ni' at will to old ladies." ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 14:36:52 -0400 From: Carlos Valdes To: wwi Subject: Re: Head above the parapet... Message-ID: <2.2.16.19970122131932.08d72c20@conted.swann.gatech.edu> Bill, >Outside of the difficulty in getting accurarte 1/28th scale plans >to work from in making the corrections, there is no real reason >why, with some work, you couldn't turn out a real winner from >the Dr.I kit, especially if you utilize the two sets of etched >brass accessories that Tom's Model Works makes for this kit. What's included in the brass accessories sets? TIA. Carlos ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 19:54:34 -0100 From: Franco Poloni To: wwi Subject: Re: Off-topic Tamiya Bf-109 query Message-ID: <1.5.4.32.19970122205434.0067d484@lo.itline.it> At 07.35 21/01/97 -0500, you wrote: >At 12:55 PM 1/20/97 -0500, Bob Norgren wrote: >>This brings up an interesting thread: how many of us build EXCLUSIVELY >>WWI and how many build all kinds of models. > > I must admit I'm a traitor! but the reason is that I like Italian aircraft, and now there are so many good kits, that I can't resist to build them. ehi, are all WWII aircraft, at least they have props.;-) cheers Franco Franco Poloni NET.UNO snc- ITLINE-nodo Lodi ADMINISTRATOR ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 11:03:23 -0800 (PST) From: Erik Pilawskii To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Re: Genet on WWW page Message-ID: On Wed, 22 Jan 1997, Allan Wright wrote: > Thanks again, they're really awards for everyone on the list that has > contributed to the page too! > Al, What awards? I'll have to browse over there later and see....! Cheers, Erik :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: "If you're not living Life on the edge, you're taking up too much room!" .............................................................................. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 13:28:27 -0500 From: Charles_A._Duckworth@notes.up.com (Charles A. Duckworth) To: wwi Subject: Re: 1/28 SPAD and building the Sierra SPAD A.4 Message-ID: <1997Jan22.132339.1155.1030951@uprr-internet.notes.up.com> Just how bad are the Revell 1/28th kits? Windsock carried an article a couple of years ago on the various SPAD XIII kits and covered changes on the 1/28 version pretty well. Sierra's SPAD A.2 (A.4) I'm still sanding on the Sierra A.2 kit which after researching the plans and photos in the Imperial Russian Air Service book turns out to be a A.4. - due to the smaller size of the lower wing and the fact it the lower wing does not have ailerons as on the A.2. I was able to get the lower wing extremely thin by taking a sanding disk made from 220 grit paper and placing it in my drill and holding the wing to reduce the thickness - I then scraped the inside of the wings halves with an single-edged razor blade until I could see the rib stations through the white plastic. This is not as alarming as it sounds as the plastic is still quite thick even after one sees the rib stations. To strengthen the bottom wing, I ACC'd two HO scale (flat side down) 2" x 12" side by side with a .015 brass wire running the length of the wing near the front. It eliminated the plastic wing from bending around like a wet noodle and the construction is light in weight. While I was messing around in my wood packages I also decided to use HO scale wood 2"x 2"'s to reproduce the interior framing around the cockpit, I finished these only with a clear varnish. I'm also looking at using an HO scale lumber shape for the struts (2"x 4") but I'm several months away from that discussion HO and O gauge wood shapes are made by Northeastern and Kappler Lumber and most good model railroad hobby shops generally carry one or both..... Charlie ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 12:10:28 -0800 From: bshatzer@orednet.org (Bill Shatzer) To: wwi Subject: Re: Head above the parapet... Message-ID: <199701222010.AA11711@ednet1.orednet.org> Carlos wrote: > >Bill, > >>Outside of the difficulty in getting accurarte 1/28th scale plans >>to work from in making the corrections, there is no real reason >>why, with some work, you couldn't turn out a real winner from >>the Dr.I kit, especially if you utilize the two sets of etched >>brass accessories that Tom's Model Works makes for this kit. > > What's included in the brass accessories sets? TIA. > Carlos One set is for the Spandaus with the perferated jackets, sights, ammo feeds, and little fiddley levers and such. The other is for the cockpit interior mostly - seat, pedals, and assorted levers and gizmos. I seem to recall some engine details on this set as well. I think I still have one of these down in the basement someplace - I'll check tonight and see if I can find it and come up with a more complete list. Cheers, -- - Bill Shatzer bshatzer@orednet.org - "Oh, what sad times are these when passing ruffians can say 'ni' at will to old ladies." ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Jan 97 11:17:10 PST From: "Shelley Goodwin" To: wwi Subject: Re[2]: Smer Kits Message-ID: <9700228539.AA853963930@mx.Ricochet.net> Sandy, In addition to the SVA-5, I've the Camel, 504K, DH2 and Bebe. I believe all the trannies (interesting choice of words; it's also Yank slang for automobile transmission) are Propag. I've not actually tried to use any of them, but they look OK, maybe a little light on the roundel colors... Riordan ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: Re: Smer Kits Author: wwi@pease1.sr.unh.edu at Internet Date: 1/22/97 6:14 AM I bought a stack of these ages ago and will probably never get round to building them but now I see in the local Beatties toy shops that they have all reappeared with new trannies by SuperScale (I think). Now can anybody tell me how good the transfers are and if they might alone be worth the fairly nominal cost of the kits. Are they comparable to the Glencoe additions? I haven't seen the SVA5 but I have the old original Artiplast with 'La Serenissima' banners and lions and hope that this might be the subject of the reissue? (rather than the laughable stained film that came with the last Smer incarnation) I suppose I could always make up the models and then use the bust bronzing techniques discussed to make 'coffee table' decorations. Any detail on the markings gratefully appreciated. Sandy ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Jan 97 12:07:32 PST From: "Shelley Goodwin" To: wwi Subject: Re[2]: Head above the parapet/PRESENCE... Message-ID: <9700228539.AA853963940@mx.Ricochet.net> Tom, You have opened what I consider an interesting can 'o worms. While admitting a bias towards 1/48, I have to concur with your presence assertion. The international scale/scale of masters, etc. is universal, impressive and perhaps appropriate for large aircraft such as the Il'ya Muromets, Staaken R-planes and G-types, but early fighters such as the Nieuports, Sopwiths and Fokkers at this scale are truly teeny-weeny. I would argue the visual impact of superdetailing (or simply good craftsmanship) is greater on a larger model where it is more 'apparent'. This is compensated for to some extent in the smaller scale by macro photography which, of course, makes the models seem larger than they are. However, one of the drawbacks of building large is that the finished product takes up more space. Maybe that's the whole idea... I have nothing but respect and quite a bit of envy for masters such as Hustad who can cram so much detail and realism into such a small space. I also concede that 1/72 is quite desirable for certain reasons and applications. But I also maintain that larger scales offer unique qualities in a non-photographic display context. My 2 cents Riordan ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: Re: Head above the parapet... Author: wwi@pease1.sr.unh.edu at Internet Date: 1/22/97 6:00 AM Mssr. M. Bacon wrote: >I'm new to this game, having been involved with metal monoplanes and then wooden ships for the last few years of my modelling career. >However, with developing interest in WW1 (and a friendly obsolete-kit >supplier) I've decided to do rag-wing or two. Howdy, Matt, welcome to the list. Not related to our own Texas Wild Bill Bacon are you? >Just how bad are the Revell 1/28th kits? Matt, you've touched a subject near and dear to my heart! Define "bad". Seriously, I'm not one of the micrometer gang so I'll leave that question to others and just say this: IMHO the kits build up into credible representations of the subjects they depict. I suggest that you start with the Dr. I. If possible, try to find one of the boxings from the 70s that show Werner Voss' markings because the parts are molded in light blue, not red, which makes them much easier to paint. The major failing of the Dr. I (and the other kits) is its interior. Fuselage structure and controls are molded onto the side of the fuselage. (My esteemed colleague, Herr Springer, has detailed the interior of the Revell Dr.I to a fare-thee-well. See him for specifics.) The kit goes together pretty well. The angle of incidence(?) of the top wing is slightly greater than the others, but it's not noticeable. I'm working on the Camel and having a devil of a time with the upper wing. It's warped in TWO dimensions and seems to be that way on every kit I've seen. The cabane struts are too long which give the top wing a humped appearance it shouldn't have, so they need to be shortened. (It's a dromedary, NOT a bactrian.) And then there are those "helpful" strut canals to deal with. This is probably a lot more information than you wanted. Could you repeat the question? >The FSM Benchtop review of the D VII didn't seem too bad. But what about >the Pup, Camel and Dr1? I wish there were a Pup! Actually the third kit is a SPAD XIII. The D.VII has some problems the most serious of which is the top wing: it's essentially upside-down. I know they're old, but are they inaccurate, or just badly detailed? Since I'm a ship-model builder, I don't mind lots of scratch-build to add detail -- including a wooden cockpit interior, perhaps -- but I don't want to have to hack around what I've got too much. And does anyone know if there are any differences other than decals between "Brown's" Camel and "Bishop's"? (My friendly old-kit >supplier charges GBP25 for Browns and GBP12 for Bishops) AFAIK, there are NO differences between variously packaged versions of the kit. Make sure the one you buy has good decals: it's tough to find British roundels with white borders that big elsewhere! As far as markings go, there's not much available. IPMS USA issued a decal a number of years ago with markings for Guynemer's SPAD, Cobby's Camel, and von Raben's and von Keudel's DR.Is. I built my Dr. I in Jasta 19 markings, with the white nose and yellow and black striped tailplane. I made the late war crosses myself. If I do another, it'll be Klimke's from Jasta 27 (see Dr.I Datafile Special, pg. 34) as soon as I figure out how to do the yellow anchors on the fuselage. >Honestly, if you indulge me on this one, I'll make some in a proper scale soon. I really will. The thing I like most about the Revell kits is that, when built, they have such wonderful PRESENCE which 1/72 WWI models lack. (Don't flame me Bittner: I used to build WWI aircraft in 1/72 scale so I know whereof I speak!) In fact, 1/48 may almost be too small. If you want an easy build, try the the Hobbycraft Nie. 17 in 1/32 scale. Bon chance! Tom -- Tom Eisenhour t_eisen@ix.netcom.com ------------------------------ End of WWI Digest 408 *********************