WWI Digest 468 Topics covered in this issue include: 1) Re: Glencoe Albatros by "Bill Ciciora" 2) Re: Glencoe Albatros by phoward@abilene.com (Paul Howard) 3) Re: Aurora kits by bshatzer@orednet.org (Bill Shatzer) 4) Re[2]: Aurora kits by "Shelley Goodwin" 5) Stay in Denmark by Fportier@aol.com 6) kits for sale. by Fportier@aol.com 7) Moel show by Carlos Valdes ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 15 Mar 1997 19:58:54 -0600 From: "Bill Ciciora" To: Subject: Re: Glencoe Albatros Message-ID: Paul wrote: > Not even close, the Glencoe fuselage is almost the correct shape on the > right side, but the left side has the cross section of a D.V. My eyes must be even worse than I thought. Looking at my Glencoe Albatros, I'm unable to detect a difference between the right and left sides. What am I looking for? It doesn't appear as rounded as a D.V fuselage. Bill C. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 15 Mar 1997 23:02:12 -0600 From: phoward@abilene.com (Paul Howard) To: Subject: Re: Glencoe Albatros Message-ID: <19970316051527.AAA10693@default> On my kit, the left fuselage half had a very round cross section when viewed from the rear. The right side had the slab sided cross section of a D.III. If your kit does not have the shape problem described above, consider yourself lucky. All of the examples I've seen have the problem. I used CA to reshape the left side of my model from just aft of the cockpit to about one inch from the rear. As a matter of fact, in some places it had to be at least 3mm thick. ( ] Roughly the shape above. Hope this has been helpful. Paul ---------- > From: Bill Ciciora > To: Multiple recipients of list > Subject: Re: Glencoe Albatros > Date: Saturday, March 15, 1997 8:03 PM > > Paul wrote: > > > Not even close, the Glencoe fuselage is almost the correct shape on the > > right side, but the left side has the cross section of a D.V. > > My eyes must be even worse than I thought. Looking at my Glencoe Albatros, > I'm unable to detect a difference between the right and left sides. What am > I looking for? It doesn't appear as rounded as a D.V fuselage. > > Bill C. > ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 15 Mar 1997 21:55:05 -0800 From: bshatzer@orednet.org (Bill Shatzer) To: wwi Subject: Re: Aurora kits Message-ID: <199703160555.AA01420@ednet1.orednet.org> -continuing Brad Hansen's "mini-reviews" of the original Aurora WWI kits from "WWI in Plastic". #113 Bristol F.2B. By appearances, an acceptable kit. in actuality, the fuselage and the landing gear are good, whereas the wings have an incorrect shape with a pronounced trailing edge washout which is not right. The tail surfaces are too small as well. Markings are those of a typical British plane. #114 Curtiss JN 4 "Jenny". This model has never been much in as much demand among collectors as it might have been, probably because of Lindberg's superior kit. This Jenny is still a good model with fine detail and sccurate shapes. Markings are from a training plane stationed at Kelly Field. #125 DeHavilland DH.10. This model needs lots of work; it is rather crude and difficult to build. Engine nacelles need additions to their tail ends. The flying surfaces are thick, the airfoil is very angular and the nose is incorrect. Details lack finese. #126 Gotha Bomber. If you want a massive and menacing looking German bomber, this is it. If you want an ACCURATE Gotha G.V, build it yourself. Harry Woodman, an expert builder and historian deliverd a scathing tirade against its defects (see Scale Models, April 1976) He says save the wheels, the nacelles, and the crew. You can throw the rest out. Apparently, Aurora was unable to find an accurate plan of this plane and used several of poor quality. Still, for the average modeler, this kit has all sorts of charming features like an unusual method of joining the top wing, and the unusual gun-tunnel. Molded in that strange burgundy, the kit has the markings of an unspecified aircraft. #134 Fokker EIII. This very basic kit is the one that broke away from 1/48 scale for the last time. Too large, it is closer to 1/40 scale. Struts and landing gear are massive, and the wings increase slightly in cord toward the tips. The tail is the wrong shape too. This is also the first kit since the Dr.I to have rib detail on the underside. Markings are aircraft 419/15. #135 Fokker D.VIII. This basically good kit is marred by one main fault - the wing is too small. It is also tapered top to bottom which is the opposite of what it should be. The horizontal stabilizer has no leading edge cut-out and the cowl is shaped incorrectly. The struts are too thick. National markings. #136 Halberstadt CL.II. Another kit with defects invisible to the average modeler. The fuselage is too deep and too wide, the top wing tips are not raked enough, the landing gear is too long, and the wings are too thick. It does have good details though, wing ribs on the undersurfaces and makes a good companion to the F.2B. Nat'l markings. #141 Breguet 14. This is a model of one of those ugly workhorses that is seldom blessed with a kit. This one is pretty good except the wing ribs, which are perpendicular to the leading edges of the swept back wings whereas they should be parallel to the line of flight. This is one case where it is unfortunate that the wing ribs are found on the lower surfaces too. Fuselage windows are solid, they should be clear. It is worth improving. Markings are of an unidentified French squadron. #142 Albatros C.III. Although the box doesn't say so, this is an Albatros C.III and is a very good model as a representative of the last in the WW1 series. A basic kit, the molding is excellent; the wings have rib detail on the bottom, very well executed. The fuselage is only slightly incorrect in outline. National markings. And that's it - please note, these comments are from Brad Hansen's 1979 book and when he speaks of things being "good" or "excellent", he means "for 1979" of course - not up to 1997 Hasegawa or even Eduard standards. Also note that these comments apply to the original Aurora kits - some later changes to the molds when the kits were re-issued in the 700 series fixed some of the original errors (and, in some cases, introduced new and different errors as well!) Cheers, -- - Bill Shatzer bshatzer@orednet.org - "Oh, what sad times are these when passing ruffians can say 'ni' at will to old ladies." ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 15 Mar 97 20:20:22 PST From: "Shelley Goodwin" To: wwi Subject: Re[2]: Aurora kits Message-ID: <9702158584.AA858492736@mx.Ricochet.net> Matt, I'm rolling with it and building the Smer as a D.V. I've cut off the fin/rudder, sanded the fuselage and thinned the wings with an orbital sander. One my co-workers who happens to be an IPMS judge snickered at my cheap kit, but we all know about sticks & stones... The wings of the Glencoe D.III are useable, they just need a little more rib detail. Riordan ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: Re: Aurora kits Author: wwi@pease1.sr.unh.edu at Internet Date: 3/15/97 3:35 AM On Sat, 15 Mar 1997 00:11:21 -0500 "Shelley Goodwin" writes: > I can offer some input, as I'm currently whittling the Aurora > Albatros "D.III" kit which is/was currently issued by Smer of > the Czech Republic. Not particularly accurate: the fuselage more > closely resembles a D.V, fin/rudder looks like it belongs on a > manatee, lower wings are short/raked too sharply, all flying > surfaces are thick, engine shortblock too short, tailskid > resembles a salami, machine guns look like Tiny Tim's crutches, > cockpit opening too large, raised panel lines and decal locators > are a damned nuisance. But what do you expect for a fiver? It's > a useful modelling 'exercise' and a low cost way to do > Albatrosen variant/scheme studies in 1/48th. Forgive a small scale builder's ignorance, but...wouldn't the Glencoe D.III make a good replacement fuselage? If I remember the article Rimmel wrote on "correcting" the Glencoe, the largest bone of contention on the Glencoe kit is the wing, right? Ok, you Braille Scale builders are probably laughing at me - hard - but I thought Rimmel kind of liked the Glencoe kit. Sure, there's work there, but are you guys just spoiled by Eduard, DML and Blue Max? Me thinks so. ;-) Matt mbittner@juno.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 16 Mar 1997 05:00:01 -0500 (EST) From: Fportier@aol.com To: wwi Subject: Stay in Denmark Message-ID: <970316050000_-969453284@emout08.mail.aol.com> Dear subscribers, Early in April I will be staying in Copenhagen so I was wondering if anybody could advise me on museums to visit, model shops to look up... Any suggestion concerning a comfortable, moderately-priced, central but quiet hotel, guest-house or B&B also welcome. This ideal residence should be family-owned, set in a historic house, looking out on a small private garden, with breakfast served on a table with a linen cloth by a young lady in frilly apron, NOT the forage-for-yourself affair on a buffet. Bread only acceptable if made from wheat organically grown by ruddy-cheeked yokels in white smocks. No biker gangs please. I am told they wage war on each other with anti-tank missiles, rocket launchers and the like in Denmark. If anyone is interested I know a hotel almost like that in Leiden, Netherlands. Thank you for your help, Francois. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 16 Mar 1997 05:02:00 -0500 (EST) From: Fportier@aol.com To: wwi Subject: kits for sale. Message-ID: <970316050158_-1706344547@emout18.mail.aol.com> Dear subscribers, My Czech penfriend Martin Digmayer is selling off his collection of 1/72 kits. Offers straight to his address, Na luzci 13, 16000 PRAH 6 Czech Republic (He does not seem to have moved after all). Swops accepted. Abbreviations: Vac=Vacform; Inj=injection; SR=Short run; D=decals; M=metal parts, R=resin parts; PE=photoetched; RTB=ready to build, ie cut out and sanded down. Junkers Cl II Vac Junkers J2 Vac Gotha Gl VII Vac DM AGO CII Vac DM FF G III Vac M Alb C1 Vac DM, 1 RTB, 1 new AEG GIV Vac Lohner L Vac DM Han Cl IIIa Inj D Aifix 1973 UFAG CI VAc DM Rumpler C IV Vac DM RTB Rumpler C IV Inj DM Merlin kit DFW B1 Vac cut out Alb BII Vac RTB Alb CIII SR D 2 in box Meikraft Rumpler 6B1 Vac Fokker M7 Vac 2x Ansaldo SV5A SR D Pegasus SSW DIII Pegasus 2nd issue (rare now) Alb C IX Vac R Alb J2 Vac R Alb CXV Vac R Alb DV SR DM +Eduard cockpit and guns Caproni Ca3 DM PE (Meikraft kit) Alb J1 Vac DM RTB Aviatik BII Vac RTB Rupler CI Vac Phoenix DI SR DM (Pegasus) LFG Roland DII SR DM (pegasus) LFG CVI SR DM (Pegasus) Pfalz DXII SR DM (Pegasus) Rumpler 4 B12 Vac DM Halb Cl IV Vac DM 1 RTB; 1 new. Fok D VIII SR DM PE Anatra DS Inj D Lohner CII Vac RTB ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 16 Mar 1997 12:34:47 -0500 From: Carlos Valdes To: wwi Subject: Moel show Message-ID: <332C2F37.1C41@conted.gatech.edu> Guys, Yesterday, the yearly Atlanta-area IPMS show was held, and the Georgia Chapter of the League had a table and presented two awards in an effort to attract new members. Of course, we don't know yet how many new people will acually join up, but we did get a lot of inquiries. At any rate, I thought you might be interested in hearing about the WWI models at the show. As one of the chapter officers, I assisted the president in selecting the winners of the two awards: best WWI model by a member and by a non-member. The former went to list-member Jim Wallace for his geat Eduard E.III (which has been mentioned here before and can be seen at his web page); the other went to a gentleman whose name I don't have handy for a Nieuport 11 converted from a Revell Ni.17, complete with a beautiful scratchbuilt multipart engine and finished in Italian colors. There were a total of eight WWI models entered in the contest: 1/72 Ni.11 Floh (scratchbuilt) Ni.28 (Revell) D.VIII (Eduard?) 1/48 E.III (Eduard) Alb D.V (Eduard) D.VII (DML) D.VIII (DML) Also on display (only) was an excellent 1/28 Fokker triplane. BTW, our awards, which Jim made, were very handsome, consistinng of a wooden plaque with attached inscribed plate and resin-cast and painted facsimilies of a Prussian army pilot and naval zeppelin badge for the member and non-member awards, respectively. If my photos turn out OK I can send them to Al and Jim for inclusion in their Web pages. All in all, we had a good time and helped spread the word about our chapter. Carlos ------------------------------ End of WWI Digest 468 *********************