OEFFAG D.III "2" & "5" – 7th Kosciuszko Squadron, Merian Cooper & Edward Corsi | Lukgraph 1/32

[Boch]

4 hours ago, Marcin_Matejko said:

Great project Łukasz. And with a great story in the background, I like these models the most. Good luck with the build

Thank you Marcin. What you wrote is very nice and I feel honored.

Regards

Lukasz

[Boch]

Oeffag D.III – Workshop Update

 

Hi everyone,

Time for a small update on my Oeffag D.III build. Over the past few days, I’ve made some decent progress. I’m still dry-fitting parts and preassembling sections to avoid any unpleasant surprises after painting. It’s also a good time to plan further modifications and add details.

 

 

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HGW Seatbelts
HGW seatbelts have arrived – in my opinion, they’re the best currently available for WWI German and Austro-Hungarian aircraft. I’ve used them twice before, and I can say they’re absolutely worth it – the final result is visually stunning.

 

 

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Armament – Gaspatch vs. Lukgraph
I also picked up some Gaspatch Schwarzlose machine guns. Originally, they were meant for another build, but I took the opportunity to compare them with the ones included in the Lukgraph kit. I cut off the handles and added leather pads, as the grips will be partially visible inside the cockpit. For the second Oeffag in progress, I’ll use bare Gaspatch grips while keeping the kit gun body.

 

 

 

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Cockpit Details – Throttle and Cockpit Light
I upgraded the kit-supplied throttle by adding what appears to be a fuel/air mixture control and a small scale that’s visible in some reference photos. It was made from photo-etch parts and brass tubing.

 

 

On one archival photo, I noticed a small cockpit lamp – since pilots of the 7th Squadron often flew in low-light conditions, I thought this would make for a nice, realistic addition. I first built a prototype to test the concept, and what you see in the photos is the final version (minus the bulb cover and protective wire cage). The wire guard is only dry-fitted for now – final assembly will follow painting.

 

 

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Austro-Daimler Engine
Next up: the engine – an Austro-Daimler 23000 with 225 hp. I’ve removed it from the casting block, and the print quality is excellent. I’ve added intake manifolds and the basic engine mount. The mount required a slight modification to align the engine properly with the fuselage axis. Everything is temporarily fitted with Maskol to test the alignment and spacing.

 

 

 

I won’t go into engine detailing just yet – I have several modifications and add-ons planned, but I’ll share them later. For now, I want to check how much room I have for wiring and accessories once the fuselage is closed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Iconic Oeffag Nose
I also mounted the engine cowling – that iconic blunt nose typical of the Oeffag D.III. Everything fits nicely, and the fuselage with major components assembled seems structurally sound so far.

 

 

 

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Wings and Reinforcement System
Now for the wings – Lukgraph implemented a clever internal reinforcement system using metal rods to prevent wing sag, a common issue in resin kits over time.

I started with the lower wing, which is attached to the fuselage via two rods inserted about 5 mm deep. Each wing half also has two additional channels for long rods running along the entire span. I decided to drill corresponding holes in the fuselage so the long rods could pass through both wings and the fuselage in one piece – maximizing rigidity. Drilling was tricky and cost me three drill bits and one wing section, but I managed to make it work. The rod entry points in the fuselage will be covered with a thin strip of polystyrene.

 

 

The upper wing uses the same system – instead of a fuselage attachment, it connects via the radiator section. I applied the same modification here as well.

 

 

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That’s all for now – thanks for reading, and I’ll be back soon with another update!

 

Cheers,
Łukasz

Edited April 5 by Boch

[Boch]

Merian C. Cooper – A Testament of Bravery

In a previous post, I introduced Lt. Merian C. Cooper and his service up to the end of WWI on the Western Front. Today, I’d like to share a remarkable and lesser-known account of his courage—an original, handwritten report by 1st Lt. Edmund C. Leonrad, documenting a dramatic episode on September 26th, 1918, when Cooper nearly lost his life saving his wounded observer -the author of these words.

📝 Original report (transcription):

First Lieut. Merian C. Cooper
For extraordinary heroism in action in the Argonne on the 26th September, 1918.
Lieut. Cooper, pilot, with Lieut. Leonard, observer, was flying one of a bombing formation of eight DH4 Liberty’s, when they were attacked by 12 Fokkers after the bombs had been dropped. A bullet grazed Lieut. Cooper’s head, Lieut. Leonard was wounded and the motor caught on fire.
Lieut. Cooper put the plane into a spin in an unsuccessful attempt to extinguish the fire. It was so painful that he (Lieut. Cooper) unfastened his safety belt and was in the act of jumping out to escape the agony of the flames when he remembered Lieut. Leonard in the rear seat and not knowing whether Lieut. Leonard was alive or dead, he stayed in the plane.
Lieut. Cooper suffered untold torture for the sake of another rather than end his own pain at the expense of a comrade. Lieut. Cooper succeeded in extinguishing the flames in the air and bringing the plane safely to the ground, at La Monnerie in German territory. Both Lt. Cooper and Lt. Leonard were prisoners in Germany until after the armistice was signed.
— Edmund C. Leonrad, 1st Lt. 95th Aero Squadron, U.S.A.

 

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Edward J. Corsi – The Forgotten Hero of the Kościuszko Squadron

While the story of the Kościuszko Squadron often highlights the legendary Merian C. Cooper and Cedric Fauntleroy, there’s another name that deserves our attention—Edward J. Corsi, a pilot whose contributions were just as significant, though less widely remembered. It’s time to bring his story back to light.

 

 

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Corsi volunteered for service in 1916 with the American Red Cross and served as an ambulance driver on the Western Front. Seeking more active duty, he joined the French Foreign Legion and later trained as a pilot at the Blériot school in Avord, France.

 

By his own account, Corsi was not a natural aviator—he had to work hard to earn his wings. After earning his brevet, he continued training at Pau, Cazaux, and G.D.E. He gained a reputation for being a methodical and brave pilot, even serving briefly as an instructor before being posted to the front.

 

 

On May 30, 1918, he was assigned to SPAD Squadron 77 and flew numerous combat missions until the end of the war. He was wounded in action, but made a full recovery in a French hospital. For his service, Corsi was awarded the Croix de Guerre with palm and star, recognizing his exceptional bravery. At the end of the war, he held the rank of sergeant.

 

 

Instead of returning home, Corsi remained in Europe with the American occupation forces in Germersheim, Germany. It was likely there that he heard of Cooper’s plan to form a squadron of American volunteers to aid the newly reborn Polish Republic in its struggle against the Bolsheviks.

 

 

He arrived in Poland in 1919 and became one of the very few Kościuszko Squadron pilots to serve from the earliest operations in Ukraine through the Dnieper offensive, and finally the dramatic defense of Lwów (Lviv) against Budyonny’s Cavalry Army.

Always ready to fly, to fight, and to support his comrades—that was Edward Corsi.

 

More on his service in Poland to come in future posts.

 

Cheers,

Lukasz

Edited April 5 by Boch

[Boch]

Oeffag D.III – Workshop Update

 

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Dry fitting wings and stabilizers – the airframe comes together

Over the past few days, work on the Oeffag has been moving steadily forward. I’ve now reached one of the more delicate and critical stages – dry-fitting the wings. It’s a good moment to share some photos and thoughts on the process.

 

 

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🔧 Preparing the Struts

I started with prepping all the structural components. Here’s a full set of struts for one of the Oeffags, already reinforced with metal rods. These stabilizing pins should help ensure a strong and clean assembly later on – no surprises, hopefully!

 

 

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🕳️ Drilling the Wing Mounts

Next, I drilled precise holes in the wings to accommodate the rods in the struts. The fit needed to be just right to allow the whole structure to come together without unnecessary tension.

 

 

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💪 Dry-Fitting the Wings

Then came the big step: placing the upper wing. Everything was assembled dry, no glue used at this point. After a few careful attempts, I managed to get the wing into position and secured it with tape. The construction held firm – a good sign for later stages when the paint and final glue-up come into play.

The rods between the wings and fuselage provided excellent stiffness and proper geometry. This allowed me to evaluate the overall alignment and plan for any small adjustments down the line.

 

 

 

 

 

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✈️ Tail Assembly

I also prepared and test-fitted the horizontal stabilizers and elevator. The resin parts look great – sharp detail, no serious flaws. Some light sanding will remove tiny surface blemishes.

 

 

To mount the stabilizers, I drilled straight through the fuselage and inserted a 0.4 mm steel rod. I used masking tape to mark exact placement, then carefully fine-tuned the fit. Again – no major issues here.

 

 

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📸 First Look at the Full Airframe

At this point, everything is assembled dry, even without masking fluid. But the airframe already looks solid and aligned – and above all, it’s starting to reveal its distinctive Oeffag silhouette. The model is really starting to come alive on the bench!

 

 

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💬 Final Thoughts

I’m genuinely happy with the progress so far. The kit from Lukgraph is a joy to work with – they’ve done a fantastic job on this release. The resin parts are clean and the engineering is solid. The build has been both enjoyable and rewarding, and I’m really looking forward to the next steps.

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In the next post, I’ll return to the historical part of this build – and continue the story of Merian C. Cooper and Edward J. Corsi, two American airmen who found their way to a newly reborn Poland.

 

Thanks for looking!

Lukasz

Edited April 12 by Boch

[LSP_Kevin]

Excellent work! Much precision here.

 

Kev

[Boch]

5 hours ago, LSP_Kevin said:

Excellent work! Much precision here.

Thanks Kev, I decided to approach this build more carefully and I'm trying to anticipate possible difficulties. I hope to disassemble the whole thing later, paint it and put it back together like Lego

Lukasz

[Borsos]

Very careful approach. I also do a test fit of all the parts when I build a non-WNW kit. This here looks like being the definitive OEFFAG build report. Very informative !😀

[Boch]

30 minutes ago, Borsos said:

Very careful approach. I also do a test fit of all the parts when I build a non-WNW kit. This here looks like being the definitive OEFFAG build report. Very informative !😀

I think it's a great model, giving a lot of fun. I've never built a model from 3D printing before and you could say that I'm just learning the solutions and the material itself. Even cutting out supports can be done badly or well. On the other hand, after upgrading the engine or the interior in WNW, I had a big surprise when I couldn't fit the cover. Was it the model's fault? No, more that I modify the models and changed the place for the next elements. That's why I decided to do it properly now. Plan from start to finish. Don't risk damaging the painted elements.

 

This model fits together well and can be easily made without any modifications. However, I try to show something more in my models, which is why I have modified and upgraded all the planes from the Great War to a greater or lesser extent.

 

Regards

Lukasz

[scvrobeson]

Excellent progress, really appreciating the methodical process to assembly. 

 

 

 

Matt 

[Boch]

17 minutes ago, scvrobeson said:

Excellent progress, really appreciating the methodical process to assembly. 

 

 

 

Matt 

Hello Matt,

 

I really appreciate your opinion. Thank you for your attention and comment. I hope I won't bore you with this series of unpainted model elements, but I promise we're moving in the direction where the most interesting things will start.

 

Lukasz

[scvrobeson]

22 minutes ago, Boch said:

Hello Matt,

 

I really appreciate your opinion. Thank you for your attention and comment. I hope I won't bore you with this series of unpainted model elements, but I promise we're moving in the direction where the most interesting things will start.

 

Lukasz

It's important to see all of this prep work so that assembly goes smoothly. I'm keep notes for future builds, and have shared the build with others that have this kit

 

 

Matt 

[Boch]

Merian C. Cooper – The Road to Poland

The Great War was over, but Merian C. Cooper had no intention of returning to the United States. He left service as an officer known for his experience and bravery. I’ve already mentioned in an earlier post that he refused the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for saving his observer's life. In the end, however, he was awarded the Purple Heart.

 

📜 Document granting Merian C. Cooper the Purple Heart

 

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Cooper’s attention soon turned to the work of the American Relief Administration, which had just launched a mission in the newly reborn Poland. The ARA was led by Herbert Hoover, who had visited Polish lands as early as 1913. In 1915, he sent Vernon Kellogg to evaluate the situation of civilians in war-ravaged territories.

The devastation was staggering — some regions had seen the front line cross them as many as seven times. Infrastructure was destroyed, agriculture had collapsed, and poverty and hunger were widespread. The worst affected were the poorest and the children.

Following the restoration of Polish independence in late 1918, the country faced not only military but also humanitarian challenges. Food prices soared, coal was rationed, and epidemics spread.

In response, on January 24, 1919, Congress passed a bill allocating $100 million for humanitarian aid — a figure that was later increased several times. It’s a little-known chapter of Polish history, but this assistance saved hundreds of thousands of lives, especially among children.

 

🎨 Easter Market at Bernardyński Square in Lwów (Lviv), painting by Tadeusz Rybkowski, 1895

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When the first ARA representatives arrived in January 1919, they estimated that of the 27 million citizens, at least 4 million were starving, and millions more were undernourished. The situation in Lwów (Lviv) was among the worst.

Lwów, a predominantly Polish city, had been surrounded by Ukrainian villages. On November 1, 1918, with support from retreating Austro-Hungarian forces, Ukrainian units attempted to take the city by force and proclaimed the West Ukrainian People's Republic. The Polish population — mostly children, teenagers, women, and the elderly — offered fierce resistance. It took weeks of street fighting to drive the Ukrainians out, and the conflict continued until the summer of 1919.

 

Merian C. Cooper

 

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During the siege, Lwów was cut off from supplies. There was no electricity, no medicine, and the only route from Przemyśl — known as the “railway of life” — was constantly under fire. Delivering aid to Lwów became a priority for the ARA, and at the head of this mission stood Merian C. Cooper.

While no direct documentation has survived to explain why Cooper was chosen for the Lwów post, evidence suggests that he volunteered, seeking to go where help was needed most. His determination and selflessness would show again and again.

 

 

Cooper officially joined the mission on February 12, 1919, and just two days later, he left Italy via Austria for Warsaw, and from there immediately on to Lwów by train. It must have made a strong impression: he saw a war-torn city, crossed the front line under military escort, and shortly after arriving, witnessed a young woman die from a grenade blast.

Based in the Potocki Palace — later also the scene of a Kościuszko Squadron tragedy — Cooper led relief efforts with incredible energy. He personally delivered food to the most dangerous districts, fought corruption and theft, and was recognized as a skilled and fearless organizer.

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Today we know Cooper mainly as a soldier and pilot, but we must not forget his role as a humanitarian. In May 1919, the people of Lwów wrote to the U.S. relief mission:

 

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It’s estimated that across Poland, U.S. food aid saved up to 1.5 million lives. Today, few remember that.

After three months of intense relief work, conditions in Lwów began to stabilize. The war with Western Ukraine was ending, but a new threat loomed: the Bolsheviks. Cooper decided his humanitarian mission was complete — and it was time for more decisive action.

At that time, Eastern Galicia was under the command of General Tadeusz Jordan Rozwadowski, whom Cooper almost certainly knew personally. The two began discussing Cooper’s possible enlistment in the Polish Army to fight the coming threat.

 

Gen. Tadeusz Rozwadowski

 

The idea of the Kościuszko Squadron was still in its infancy — but the first step was gaining the approval of Józef Piłsudski.

To be continued...

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🛠️ Workshop update – Fuel tanks

 

The past few days I’ve mostly been working on the documentation for this model, preparing for the upcoming Moson Show. So not much happened in the workshop itself — but I did manage to make progress on one element: the fuel tanks.

 

 

The rear tank, located deep behind the engine, will be barely visible in the finished model. The kit doesn’t include it at all. Still, I decided to build it — mostly thanks to the excellent reference photos I received from Craftlab (huge thanks!).

Since I’m documenting this build thoroughly, even hidden details like this are worth doing.

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I started by sketching the tank and the general fuel system layout — although I’ll tackle the system itself later. For now, the focus is just the tank.

I cut all the necessary parts from polystyrene sheets of various thicknesses and began the painstaking box assembly. I simplified the curved recess in the center into a more angular shape for practicality.

 

 

 

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I reinforced the inside with braces to prevent collapse and ensure the structure was rigid. I also added fuel line connectors — leading to the gauges on the left side of the cockpit, the central area, and the engine. I scratch-built the filler cap using punches, scrap bits, and brass tubing.

 

 

 

 

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Finally, I added clamps, filled the seams, and drilled all the rivet holes. First I marked them with a rivet tool, then drilled each one by hand. Then came the slow part — riveting both tanks.

 

 

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That’s it for today!

 

Cheers,

Lukasz

Edited April 22 by Boch

[Borsos]

 Nice scratch build work on the tanks!

[scvrobeson]

Excellent additional detail. It might be tough to see on the finished build, but it's great to see the fuel tank come together.

 

 

 

 

Matt 

[Boch]

9 hours ago, Borsos said:

 Nice scratch build work on the tanks!

Thank you Borsos Im glad that you like it. 

 

6 hours ago, scvrobeson said:

Excellent additional detail. It might be tough to see on the finished build, but it's great to see the fuel tank come together.

 

 

 

 

Matt 

 

It probably won't be visible. The fuel system pipes and the top of the tank may be visible from above, between the engine cylinders and the fuselage. However, I consciously decided to make the tank anyway. Lukgraph currently designs a complete interior in all models, so I wanted to have one here as well. In addition, the excellent photos from Craftlab, tempt me to use the knowledge of these amazing people and the kindness they showed me.

 

Regards

Lukasz