No worries Bruce I'l be sending the draught proposal up to campaigns in about one week. That will outline everything. Thanks for asking.

I like , When I Flew With . This adds a new twist to hobby . My god the colour choices would be endless for me. I wonder if there was any Female fighter pilots ....................................

Here is a bit of fun for you.
Women in Early Aviation

Well good and gentle folk its up and ready. Click here view and join.

Here is the intro over on Air Campaigns. click here.

Only two days left and 5 have signed up. We need more to start up right folks. I want You!

We have to have 4 more entrants before we can get it off the ground.

Kinda find it hard to believe that there arent more people wanting in on this. The interest was huge when it was presented. Stephen, maybe a separate thread to get everyone's attention? Maybe they dont realize they only had til April 15th, and it got lost in the threads.

C'mon modelers, this one sounds extremely fun!!


Jeff

Sorry folks - i'm out - too many other commitments and modeling projects on the go.

BC

Same for me..

Cheers, Nico

You could be right about people not realizing the commitment date. I have been so involved in my Roden group build thay I wasn't paying very much attention to this thread. That beng said when is the Finish date as I don't remember?
RAGIII

Here is my first entry completed

It all began in a small town of Zweibrüken in the Pfalz Rhineland area. Coming from a family that operated a small Gesthaus and restaurant called Weinerwald. Hunting in the nearby black forest or the local Phesanery was his favorite leisure time activity. Oblt. Stefan Löwenson rose from the ranks. Serving as an unteroffizier (corporal) in the regular army in the 13th Hussars (Prince Carl Freidrich) through out 1914-1915.

He was cited on several occassions in daily dispatches, but in an extrodinary circumstance wasgiven a battlefield promotion to a regular army Leutnant rather than a reserve officer candidate. (Officer aspirant) during the Battle of Verdun. Wounded three times he continued to serve and took medical treatment in the field hospitals rather than go to a rear area.

He transferred to the Air service and flew in KG II/ Kasta 11 as both a trained pilot and as a trained observer through out late 1916 - to early 1917.

On 24 Dec. 1917 he was transferred to the new Jasta 78b (Bavarian) in the Mars-la-Tour area. He served there until March 1918. Here is his Alb. D.V from that time period.


On 15 April 1918 he was transferred to Jasta 77b in the 2 Armee area near Vrainges. He was involved in an air combat on 13 May 1918 where his engine was destroyed but he survived the resulting crash. Here is the wreckage of his Albatros D.Va in the 2 Armee area depot. In this shot some of the local boys from the pilot pool have decided to pose for the Grufl photographer.


On 13 July 1918 he was transferred to Jasta 34b. Where he inherited an older Fokker Dr.I triplane that obviously had several previous owners. He did not add his personal markings to this machine.


It was on 13 Sept.1918 that he was again transferred but to 2 Armee headqurters for the Gruppen Fluzeug Command. Where he acquired a roving commission as field inpector of Jasta materials and operations in and around Metz. It is believed that in his authority that he appropriated one of two aircraft destined to be assigned to the JG.I commander.

In the 147th Aero Sqdn log book for Sept 26,1918. There were 4 men on patrol at approx. 6:30pm. Brotherton and Brosnon at 1500m and Jones and Porter at 600m. It was the latter two that saw the formation above them at 1000m (approx.) The same comments are copied in the daily text. "In a flight of Fokkers . . .Leader was all-white with what looked like red crosses?. . ."



He further increased his victory total to 23 by traveling in his white Fokker D.VIIF and assigning himself to the different Jastas in that theater of operations during his inspection tours. It was his reports on Jasta 64w that noted the loss of many new Fokker D.VII aircraft due to the failure of substandard bungee shock chord during normal landings during Sept. - Oct. 1918.



News of the day...page one.
"Der Taglich Zeitungen und Blatter" 1 Nov. 1918.

Translated, "...The boys of Jasta R. pose for the camera with a souvenir of their recent sorties over the lines. Left to right, Ltn. des Res. Malincrodt Maifeld, Oblt. Stefan Löwenson, Haupt. Röwan Bayernfüss und Ltn. des Res. Johann-Lucas Frommhertz."

Stephen,
Well done! Great story line and very clever use of some previous builds! As for the DVII, I really like the way you worked in that 147th report to enhance your entry.
RAGIII

Wait til you hear about the rest of the story. He has a twin brother that is flying for the RAF.

After a long lethargy, I'm joining the campaign. Until 30th of november is short time for me, but I will try to do my best

I will prepare a presentation of "my" career in the Belgian Aéronautique Militaire... Some news ASAP.

Stephen: Nice story, and nice personal aircraft!

At last from the Belgian contengency! Daniel Clamot, it is very good to hear from you.

Awesome story line Stephen !

The build was supposed to be a bit dirty and the back paint & red on the cross borders I wanted to look like it was flaking off in places.





Next on to Oblt. Löwenson's twin brother. Oh I didn't tell you this yet. The boys were separated in when their parents had taken them on the maiden voyage of the Titanic in 1912. The parents each had one of the boys and before the ship went down they put them in the life boats. A German woman said she would watch over Stephen and an English woman had said she would watch over Timothy.

Here is the second completed build in the story. Next on to Oblt. Löwenson's twin brother. The boys were separated when their parents had taken them on the maiden voyage of the Titanic in 1912. The parents each had one of the boys and before the ship went down they put them in the life boats. A German woman said she would watch over Stephen and an English woman had said she would watch over Timothy.

It looks like Flt. Sub. Lt. Timothy Lawrence served on after the war. Post war he was temporarily assigned to the Polish Air service. At first in 1919 he was assigned to pilot their only Alb. C.VI . The C.VI was The C.III airframe with the Argus engine. A scratchbuilt camera replaced the rear gun and a Vickers replaces the Spandau.

Next, after his promotion to Flt. Lt. Timothy Lawrence was seconded to the 13th Sqdn Krakow Polish Air Service, 1919-20. His mount then was the Austrian built Alb. D.III 253.257.

To everyone : we have about six weeks to wrap this one up. Kick the tires and light the fires. Wings have been found and will be posted in a couple of days. Thanks again to our own Jean-Luc.

Four weeks to go. . .

My Entry of....When I Flew With........ Jasta 30

He was born in a small town near Hannover. His father was in the local Polizist there and the boy was always in trouble. His name was Niklas Rittersbach. He was persuaded to enlist in the armee after a torrid affair with the daughter of the Bürgermeister. He was commissioned in 1914 and sent to the western front where he was wounded in the shoulder and spent time in hospital. He was placed next to another recovering chap named Stefan Löwenson. Stefan talked night and day about engines, mechanics, and women. He told Niklas that if he got into flying school he would get the attention of all the young lasses, which very much interested young Niklas. Stefan was a little older and had been around. He told young Niklas to stay away from a woman named Frau Blücher (horse whinny), as she was linked with a kook named Viktor Frankenstone. Niklas bribed an Oberleutnant and was transferred to aviation school where he learned to fly aeroplanes. Niklas became a quick study in a short time. He became known as a hot shot pilot, because of his flying skill. He was assigned to Jasta 1 and arrived there on Nov 17 1916. He was given an Albatros D.II. and got his first victory on Dec 5 1916. He went on to achieve 5 more kills with Jasta 1. He was one of a few to be awarded the Iron Cross 2nd and 1st class simultaneously for his bravery in holding off 4 Camels while a wounded comrade made his way back across lines.

His flying skill caught the attention of Commander Bruno Loerzer and he was asked to join Jasta 26, where he officially arrived on July 17 1917. Niklas wasted no time making his mark, scoring an impressive 8 kills in 14 days, bringing his total to 13. However, his stint with Jasta 26 was short-lived. Niklas was at odds with Hermann Göring, a fellow Jasta 26 pilot. He felt Göring was a selfish, backstabbing coward who would go to any lengths to achieve rank. Because of this friction, the commander transferred Niklas to Jasta 30. This is where he would attain his greatest success. He arrived at Phalempin in Oct 1917. He was assigned the Pfalz D.IIIa shown here. In his first outing, he was jumped by 3 S.E 5’s of 40 Squadron. He managed to down one before he was wounded and barely made it back to the aerodrome. He spent 3 months in hospital, and when he returned to action he showed little rust, as he downed 2 planes that day. Rittersbach would eventually achieve 15 victories in this Pfalz.






On Feb 8 1918, Rittersbach shot down French ace Pepé le Pew. Le Pew’s black and white painted Nieuport 17 always smelled of limburger, and when it went down in flames, reports of a foul smell came from 10 miles. Rittersbach was awarded the Pour le Mérite on June 5 1918. When the armistice came on November 11 1918, Niklas had achieved a total of 35 air victories.

Niklas Rittersbach survived the war, and moved to Switzerland with his wife and children. He died peacefully in his sleep on July 25 1983 at the age of 91.

Hah!
What a colourful character. I feel inspired to build Pepe le Pew's machine now...
That's a very clean little Pfalz. And a very nice build...

Cheers,

Hugh