So, as it looks like the Holidays may give me some time to start working on my stagnated WNW Albatros, I've started thinking about painting and weathering her. It's a little unclear from the Windsock book but if I'm reading it correctly, the wood parts were varnished with multiple coats, the fabric was either dyed lozenge or (rarely) doped linen, and the metal parts were painted in one of two principal colors. All of this before it left the factory. Is this correct? So from a weathering standpoint stressed linen showing through the dope is extremely unlikely at best and the metal portions (i.e., the cowling) are going to be painted?

Am I on the right path here?

Thanks,
Matt

Actually the two toned upper camouflage occupied almost half of the Albatros D.V / V.a production airframes. Lozenge the other half. I am of the opinion that in late1917, Lozenge was primary camouflage for this series and the two toned became the secondary. When stocks of lozenge became low the other was used. it averaged between 35 - 50 airframes. You are correct for most of your information. Most if not all of the airframes were clear varnished on the fuselage. Fabric covered rudders could be lozenge or clear doped linen.

Click here.

Mark Miller of WNW fame did some virtual renderings. Seen here, Scroll to the bottom of the page for detail shots.

Thanks! Oh, I have many of his profiles printed out and in my reference notebook. Which is actually where my question about the painted metal comes from, because he has beautiful unpainted metal on some of those but it sounded like those parts were painted at the factory. Obviously hey were installed unpainted on those planes but I couldn't figure out how?

Matt