sandbagger

Hi Matt, Here's the extract from my PDF build log which will be posted along with the completed model shots on my site, Mike Locate the engine bulkhead into the rear of the resin cowl and secure in position using masking tape.. This will stop any flexing of the cowl when being worked. Mark then drill a line of equally spaced holes of 0.4 mm diameter, 1.5 mm from the cowl rear edge and to a row length of 7 mm. Drill out the holes to 0.6 mm diameter. Us a thin scraper or similar to carefully cut through the hole walls to create a thin slot. Use a sharp straight scalpel blade or similar and carefully cut along the slit to open out the cooling slot to 1 mm width and 7 mm long. Use the same procedure to create a second slot, 1 mm forward from the already cut slot. Use the same procedure to create a third slot, 1 mm forward from the second cut slot. Use the same procedure to create three more slots, aligned with the three slots already cut. The two sets of three slots should be separated by 3 mm. Mark an oval shape 3 mm from the outer edge of each set of slots. The oval should be the 3 mm wide with the ends aligned with the cut slots. Drill holes of 0.4 mm diameter around the inside of the marked ovals. Drill out the holes to 0.6 mm diameter. Use a thin scraper or similar to carefully cut through the hole walls and remove the resin. Use a round needle file to carefully file the ovals to shape.

Hi all, The base colours of red (engine cowl, propeller spinner and forward fuselage) and blue (fuselage and tail unit) have been applied (both darkened slightly). The masks were used to create the fuselage and rudder 'over painted markings, which were then airbrush over to give the impression of being over painted. The fuselage markings will be partially covered by the pilot's personal markings and a decal will be used for the rudder cross. The fuselage markings are strange looking but based of the photograph I posted earlier (evidence of the confusion the orders of March/May 1918 caused). I've 'hair sprayed' an under coat before applying the red, as those areas have metal surfaces that I want to chip slightly. The overall semi-sheen finish and weathering will be applied once the wing decals have been applied. Mike

Hi all, The fuselage of this aircraft was coloured blue and was applied over what were the original National markings (fuselage and rudder). However, the markings were still visible under the applied blue colour and therefore need to be represented on the model. The colour profile of this aircraft and others from Jasta 15 appear in several books and the profile artist for the one used does state that the over painted markings are speculative and based on previous aircraft flown in Jasta 15. The following photograph, although of poor quality, shows a large white cross with the black cross at its centre on the fuselage. The rudder seems to show a very faded black cross under the white coloured rudder with the later black cross superimposed. The colour profile has the previous rudder marking as the old style ’Cross Pattée’. However, when the photograph is changed to a negative, the marking, although difficult to see, does appear to be more of a standard cross in shape. Between March and May of 1918, the ’Idflieg’ ordered that the National markings be changed, but initially no dimensions were given and confusion at the various Jasta’s led to a wide variation in the shape of the new cross markings. The older ’Cross Pattée’ marking was used earlier in WW1 and I personally doubt that this underlying marking would have been on an aircraft in 1918, especially when you consider that the first production batch of D.III aircraft was placed in March 1918, the same month the ‘Cross Pattée’ was discontinued. Therefore I've chosen to use the later cross shape as the underlying marking on the rudder, rather than the older ’Cross Pattée’. I'm intending to chip the paintwork on the forward metal panels and engine cowl, so I've applied a base coat of 'Alclad' Duraluminium (ALC-102). Then a coat of cheap hairspray, as I can't get on with chipping fluids, which I find tend to bead up. The figures I chose to use are the pilot and airman from the ‘Aviattic’ - “GötterdÄmmerung” pilot and airman (ATTRES 024) Mike

Hi all, The fuselage now closed up, including: Top decking panel Underside louvred panel Engine fire wall Tail plane Fuselage head rest fairing Underside access panel and hinge. Most joint and seams needed filling and sanding. Next it's applying primer to check for surface imperfections then on with the build, Mike

Thanks Troy. The 'Brengun' PE set is nice but as this model is a conversion to the early D.III aircraft, most of the PE set wasn't used, as it's made for the later D.IV aircraft, Mike

Hi all, The fuselage right side is now fitted and the rudder and elevator control lines rigged. Next step is to fit the pilot's seat harness, including the shoulder straps through the rear firewall slots. Then I can close up the fuselage and fit the seat, Mike

Hi all, The fuselage is ready to be closed up. The kits cockpit was modified by the following: Addition of photo-etch rear bulkhead, fuselage formers, fuel/oil **** control panel and side box containers. Added tube for spent cartridge chute. Added cross bracing to fuselage forward area and cockpit floor (0.4 mm tube - 0.12 mm mono-filament). Added rudder and double elevator control line (0.4 mm tube - 0.08 mm mono-filament). Added instrument decals (not supplied in the kit). Added 0.3 mm lead wiring for magneto starter, starter switch and Tachometer drive, twin gun trigger cables and twin throttles (control column. Replaced kit supplied oil priming pump and oil and fuel **** controls - 0.4 mm tubing. Added 0.4 mm lead wire for oil priming pump pipe. Mike

Hi all, To correct the span of the lower wing: Wing cut through 30 mm from the wing roots. Two holes drilled (0.5 mm diameter) into outer wing sections. Rods (0.5 mm diameter) inserted into holes. Wings pushed together to indent rods into wing centre section (marks for drilling). Two holes drilled (0.5 mm diameter) into centre wing section. Two packs of 6 x 1 mm plastic card cemented together. Two holes drilled through packs to match rods in the wings. Packs fitted onto wing rods. Wing sections and packs aligned then secured together with CA adhesive and liquid cement. Packs filed and sanded to match the wing profiles. Wing strut location holes filled and re-drilled 6 mm further inboard. Mike

Hi all, I really should build models out of the box (OOB). I followed the instructions for embodying the ‘Loon Models’ resin wing tips for the early version aircraft. Now I've found that the span of the lower wing is 12 mm too short (6 mm at each wing tip). As can be seen, when the modified wings are laid onto a correctly resized drawing, the span of the upper wing is correct, but the span of the lower wing is not. The original kit is for the later D.IV aircraft, the lower wing of which had a slightly shorter span when compared to the upper wing (disregarding the extended balanced ailerons). So now, having embodied the modifications to both wings, I'm not sure whether the 'Loon Models' instructions for cutting away the kit wing tips are incorrect or the wing span of the original kit supplied lower wing is too short? Anyway, I'll need to cut the lower wing at both sides and along a rib line then pin and pack the wings to the correct span. This will also mean relocating the lower wing location holes for the outer wing struts. Mike

Hi dutik, Interesting photographs of this aircraft. As you said it is a replica. For instance the louvres in the fuselage bottom panel are the wrong way around. The way they are they would be scooping air into the fuselage, instead of venting hot engine air to atmosphere. Nice photos though, Mike

Hi all, Cross bracing wires were fitted between the tops of the rear fuselage cabane struts and the inside of the fuselage. These wires were attached to a small rectangular frame, located on the top centre of the cockpit front decking panel. Each of the four separate bracing wires were attached the corners of this frame. The model has the rectangular attachment frame moulded solid, which does not represent the actual frame. The ‘Brengun’ photo-etch set has two frames, either of which (or both) can be used, but attaching them to the decking panel and rigging is not explained. I removed the pre-moulded lump and drilled two holes of 0.5 mm diameter at approximately 60 degrees, down and through the front decking panel. Two lines of 0.08 mm diameter mono-filament were passed through 0.4 mm diameter tube, then through the photo-etch frame. The lines were looped back through the tubes the secured in position with thin CA adhesive. The following shot shows it test fitted. The frame will be finally fitted later in the build during the rigging phase, Mike

Hi Matt, I can see your point. The photo-etch panel in the 'Brengun' set has only the one curved edge (fuselage side) and doesn't have enough photo-etch past the fuel/oil selectors, the legends of which are embossed onto the panel. So you only have around 1 mm to bend before you're onto the legends. Consequently the panel doesn't have the full curved side piece that you refer to. Also if the panel was fitted differently, the fuel/oil selectors would face across the cockpit, rather than towards the left of the pilot. Thanks for bringing it up though - you made me look again at that panel Mike

Hi all, I did some research to ascertain the purpose of the rectangular access panel under the early D.III aircraft. It seems that the loaded belts of ammunition for both machine guns were stored in the ammunition container fitted under both guns. The loaded ammunition belts were fed to the gun breech blocks through feed chutes. The empty ammunition belts were directed from the breech blocks through chutes to box containers, which were fitted to the fuselage sides inside the cockpit. All of the empty ammunition cases from both weapons were ejected through a tube connected to the lower front of each breech block and from there into a combined ejection pipe which was routed down to the bottom of the fuselage. On the later D.IV aircraft the cases were discharged out of the aircraft from the ejection pipe opening under the fuselage. However, in the early D.III aircraft the cases were retained in a container inside the fuselage and to access the container for emptying, the rectangular access panel was fitted under the fuselage. Mike

Hi all, A few updates for the build. When I temporarily joined the fuselage halves I found the seat support frame was too short and didn't reach its locations in the fuselage sides. To correct this I cut the frame cross members and added 1.4 mm diameter tubes to extend the width of the frame. The 'Brengun' photo-etch side formers and box cover were added - tricky to fit under the cockpit side 'Z' frames and required thinning the frame and filing the photo-etch. The 'Brengun' set has a side panel, the location of which is not clear in the instructions. However a photo shows where it locates. The front decking panel and the replacement 'Gaspatch' machine guns were modified to allow the guns to fit the panel. The kit supplied ammunition feed and ejection chutes were used and pinned through the gun breech block with 0.5 mm diameter rod. Mike

Hi all, I've used the kit under panel and opened up the louvre vents and added the panels retaining screw and louvre rivet locations. Also filled the original pilot's foot step and created a new one in the correct position. Finally added the missing panel line at the fuselage former. Mike