I am beginning to research for a diorama idea. It is based upon a color photo of Richtofen playing with a dog, with another pilot standing nearby looking on at the play, with a Dr.I in the background, between a couple of tents. Hopefully, the link will load up so you all could get an idea what I'm trying to babble about:

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=1386d96208d3a47d&mt=application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document&url=https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui%3D2%26ik%3Dbb2e55d31e%26view%3Datt%26th%3D1386d96208d3a47d%26attid%3D0.1%26disp%3Dsafe%26zw&sig=AHIEtbQ7E6GNENM-_yg_IVRFjNaP0ZxfUA

What I've been able to do so far is find a kit, 1/72, of a Fokker F.1, which is what the Dr. came from. From what I can tell, they look very close in appearance, so I'd like to use this kit. But, as I have no experience with human or animal figures in a diorama, I don't know where to turn for the figures in that scale. This looks doable to me, and would be my first diorama of a WW1 scene, and the fact that the Red Baron is relaxing and playing with a dog has appeal to me. What think you?

The image you describe was taken early on April 21, 1918. The Dr.I is a Jasta 4 machine that has not had the crosses altered. Due to a practical joke MvR's dog Moritz had a wheel chock tied to his tail. In the image MvR has untied the chock and is standing behind Moritz holding him upright and has the dog standing on hind legs. The caption below is correct except for the location and date.

why don't you join the dirorama campaign?

Nice idea ! Good luck. Cheers ! John.

I'd love to join the diorama campaign. Is there a current project going, or could this one be added?

I'll let everyone know now that I have no experience beyond just admiring the handiwork of others in that regard.

But otherwise, I'd like to see if this could be doable.

Max

Dark Dream Studios released a set of figures in 1/72 back in 2003. You may be able to convert one of them into the Baron. The second guy in the last row looks like he might do. I don't know what you'll do for the dog, though; I haven't been able to find any 1/72 dogs online. Perhaps you may be able to adapt an HO scale dog from a model railroad supplier?

Two smalls thing to beware of in your F.I kit are the stabiliser and ailerons. The leading edge of the F.I's stab is curved rather than straight, and the span is slightly smaller. The Dr.I's stab was much closer to a triangle. There's a picture about halfway down this page showing the difference. The F.I stab is on the left, the Dr.I on the right. The other difference is the mass balances on the ailerons, shown beside the elevator pictures. Both corrections may or may not be needed depending on what your kit supplies.

I'm looking at the kit itself right now, and have found that the leading edge of the stab is a straight line(I gunsighted it), no curve whatsoever. As to the ailerons, I'm going to have to do some careful measuring. But the question becomes, did Roden just take a Dr.I kit and re-box it as an F.I? If so, then perhaps that part is not a waste, but something I could live with.

Still, I figured that I have lots of homework ahead of me before I actually commit to putting the diorama together.

Not quite sure what HO scale is, though.

Max

Actually, it looks like the third guy in the third row might just do the trick, with suitable modifications to his arms and somewhat to his posture. But the bulky suit looks about right, seeing as it resembles what von Richtofen is wearing.

As to the dog, I might have to branch out a bit and see what fits closely.

After all, isn't this part of what modelling is about, seeing what could be? (as opposed to seeing the imaginary, for which there are medications, unless one's talents extend in that direction, but that's a whole other discussion for the furture)

I think I remember something along the lines of that being exactly what they did. They provide F.I ailerons as separate parts so just use the ones with the shorter mass balances, install the wingtip skids and you've got yourself a Dr.I.

Looking at the kit a bit closer, you're right; I do have two sets of ailerons.

Also, just found a hobbyshop in the St. Claire Shores area(I'm here with my wife in Warren, one of the suburbs of Detroit), called The Whistlestop, and they do indeed have an extensive line of HO scale animals, with a deer looking like it'd have about the right dimensions for the dog, provided I do some judicious trimming here and there, and a bit of putty added where necessary. So, it looks like things might be coming a bit nicely.

I'm hoping to post pics as things develop, but am not sure if the camera I have would be up to snuff, it being one of those truck stop acquisitions(I do a lot of commuting between here and Kentucky, not only because my wife can't handle driving for longer than an hour and a half, but also it's easier for me to come here than for her to go down there. Besides which, her basement makes for some pretty good building conditions).

There are some dogs available in 1/72. Preiser do a set of Horses/cows/sheep in 1/72 that includes a shephard and dog (#72511)



Dart Castings also do a set of dogs, the sitting dog *may* be suitable:
http://www.dartcastings.co.uk/montys/MDA1.php



Langley Models in the UK do a set of dogs in this scale. They don't seem to be quite so well sculpted:


F66P OO SCALE 6 Assorted Dogs

Another option for the figures would be the 1/72 CMK set called Richthofen's Flying Circus:


http://www.internetmodeler.com/2002/june/first-looks/CMK_MvR.htm

Cheers
James

HO is 1/87 scale and is really too small to work with 1/72. Alternatively look for railway accessories in OO gauge which works out at 1/76 and is common in the UK. Close enough to 1/72 to look OK

PETA would be horrified!

Here is a bit of fun on a larger diorama.

Zep Staaken R.VI

The photo of von Richthofen shows him to be wearing something a bit bulkier than just the leather jacket. Would that be an insulated flight suit? Even so, this could be doable with copious use of putty and a lot of shaping with the razor knife(I learned how to scrape with the edge a long time ago), as well as some filing and just plain careful placement of the putty itself.

I didn't see a price for that set. What is it, and would they accept paypal?

Hi there,
I have just seen a Eduard limited edition kit of the Richtoven brothers two aircraft and thier dog on ebay.Does anyone remember this rare kit?

I never heard of that kit. What is the model #, what scale is it, and how much was Eduard asking? I'm also wondering if I could find it on Ebay, as there are a number of sellers there who sell Eduard kits of 'most any kind.

There is also Hannants.

Could you describe it a bit more, or do you have a photo of it?

See it here.

That is a wonderful kit. I looked through Ebay on the chance that it might be either up for bidding, or could be bought outright, but, sadly, no luck there. Was this a limited run, or are they still selling it? 1/48 scale would be fine with me, but even if I can get the kit, I'd still have a bit of research to complete, such as the engine.

I've noticed on kits of WW1 aircraft, when there is one with a rotary radial, and there are PE parts added to the kit, and I know this from having a Sopwith 1 1/2 strutter, the push rods are etched brass, which, seeing as I have experience working on a real live rotary(a Gnome Rhone on a Tommy Morse that was being put back together), the push rods for the cylinder valves are not flat pieces, but actual round rod, which is what push rods are supposed to be. I don't know if anyone else has ever noticed this, but this was the first thing to hit my eyes when I opened that kit, a Roden kit, and this was also my first WW1 aircraft model of any type. I looked at the etched brass parts, and knew I couldn't put the kit-supplied pushrods on, because they'd simply look wrong. And there is plastic rod of the proper diameter available, most likely Plastruct, or similar.

Am I wrong in my assessment, or do I have a valid point?

Anyway, back to Der Rote Flieger kit. Is there any other dealer, other than Hannants(I also checked their site and couldn't find the kit there) who might have one or more of the kits and would sell it at a reasonable price(I wouldn't expect to pay any less than the $US130.00 that was listed in the article, although if it were lower, I'd not give any argument)?

Well, I went to Eduard's site and asked them outright if the kit is still in production and for sale, or if it would be some time in the future.

And if not either, would it be possible to purchase a Dr.I kit, as well as the two figures of the men and the dog.

So now I wait and see what may come of this.

PE is never meant to stand alone on its own merits. Many times you have to use gel type superglue (cyano) to thicken the parts.