Hello,

hereby my topic for the Air Campaign "Bloody April". I intend to build:

Albatros DIII (early version) 1/48 scale EDUARD Manfred von Richthhofen


FE2b 1/48 scale by Aeroclub


I believe Von Richthofen shot 3 Fee's down in April 1917, so I have to figure out which version I am going to make. The Albatros will not be a difficult kit, but the FE2b is going to be a real challenge for me!

My references:


For the instrumental panel of the FE2b the set I won last december from this site came in handy:



Some work on the nacelle:


Greetings, Nico

P.s. before I could make my start I had to finish this one:

Was an easy build in between, did not take too much effort.

Hi Nico!

I will follow your build thread with great interest!

I hope the models will turn out as good as your Fokker F.VIIb/3m...

Jean-Luc

Right on Nico! If I can help with an Eduard kit review just send me a PM with your e-mail.

Greetings Nico! I wanted to give you the same bit of advice I gave JRatz. Note that the early production machine you are planning on doing had the three colour upper surface camouflage. You may want to check with member Dan San Abbott for more information. This subject is definitely his forte.

That is what Eduard suggested for their DII! Which I believe was not correct for this type. Something which I found out too late.

Greetings, Nico

Hereby some pictures done on my Albatros DIII so far:





Made the front a bit too dirty. Want to make changes.

The FE2b is progressing a bit, but I ran out of drills at the moment (can't have a modeller's life without them). I normally use the ones from Tamiya but unfortenately they run out of 'm at my local hobbystore.



I really like the vacuformed jig whisch Aeroclub included to make the tailbooms:


To get more knowledge about the subject, I also found this on Ebay:




Greetings, Nico

Glad to see you're making progress.
I've hit a brick wall, hard to get any bench time, so I'm way behind.
John

Looking good Nico! Model On everybody! To keep track I'll sticky this and others to the top.

In the midst of April 2007 I got my Albatros more or less finished. Normally I am not the weathering type of guy but an article in "scale models" august 1982 there were some remarks this example took quite some dirt. So there I went with my sets of Tamiya Weathering Masks.
The weather in europe is quit different then 90 years ago, so I went out on our balkony today to have some pictures taken:


For the wheels I used a pair form Eduard's Fokker DVII (Alb.)


Am sorry to say model is not totally finished. Markings on propellor still need to be applied.


I used the original landing gear, but lengthen the struts a bit.


Dirt on underside upperwing was bit too much.


I was a dissapointed with the decals. Very thick and hard too apply. Even Sol did not do much good. Might replace them.

So, today it's the 14th. Just read MvR shot down a Nieuport 17. And well this one is finished, but I am afraid there is quit a chance this may not happen to the FE2b in time. It's mentioned on this site before I run a modelclub on my work, and am preparing for an exhibtion in a bookstore this september. For this I have to build at least one model myself, a Hamilcar in resin. This really has to be done first, sorry. Cannot wait untill later, cause in september I am very likely to become a dad as well, so plenty of things on my mind!

Greetings, Nico

Nico,
Nice & congratulations on getting one out of the way !!!
John

Our good man Nico appears to be burning the midnight lamp oil!!! Model On!!!

Your busy down there mate. This is really looking good. Keep it going mate


Lars

Nico! Where are you?

Hello Stephen,

Wel sorry to say that the FE2b has gone a bit to the background, other sunbjects(mainly that project for the autistic youngsters=> Market Garden) has been my main focus. So, Fe2b is not going to make it in time. Sorry again.

Greetings, Nico

Greetings Nico!

Those kids need your steady hand. No worries. Priorities being the real concern. We will be here. BUt plans are in the works so don't give up on the build.

Greetings Nico;

You and John R seem to be in the same boat as it were. Would it help if we moved the finish date to July 31st?

Allright then mr. Lawson, you put the finger a bit where it hurts. To be honest i was neglecting this project a bit too much, but hereby I make the promise I will start right back on it this week.

So if the the date of finish will be moved up to the 31st of july I will do my very best to get the project finished by then.

Greetings, Nico

Went for the restart today. Had to repaint nacelle and wings. I had made a special mixture for the PC 10, put it in a Citadel mixing pot, but found out this weekend it dried up. So, made some new one yesterday, but of course it will never get the same as the dried up version, so...

What frightens me a bit is working with the white metal struts. Need to drill quit big holes in the wings, bit hard for the tiny drilled holes around them for the wires.

I decided to to this one together now a bit with Roden's BE2c (hee, didn't Manfred shoot a few of these as well in April?), even though the FE2b is main focus now. But, they both need more or less same colors. Made little mistake with this last one this evening. Why is there are drawing on the instruction sheet which shows that you have to add a gravity tank, while only one version of Roden needs one!!!!

That is of course not one I intend to build. Taking it off, meant some glue stains. Can be removed though.

Greetings, Nico Teunissen

P.s., went to a modeller's gathering yesterday, took some pictures, they can be seen on this thread:

http://forum.modelbrouwers.nl/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=10805

I´d really liked that garden Don´t have any problem to drink a beer or two in that place.
But Thats is out of topic
the idea of an garden meet whit some models is a nice touch, thinking late nigth barbeque and some small talks( read modelchat)

Nice Nico

Lars

It sure is a garden with history. When the owner did some digging he ran into plenty of second world war bulletshells. The Americans did serious fighting in that place (Mook, 5 km south of Nijmegen) during Market Garden.

Greetings, Nico

bring out the beer mate, it´s gonna be a long night.
This is history, Wow

Lars

Getting the top wing on was quit a struggle, but now it's fitted strung and firm. There are some things to consider. The color scheme. I am simply going for standard RFC colors, so PC 10 up and clear doped linnen underneath.

It will be a bit hard to find out which precize version of the FE2b MvR may have shot down. In this I am referring to undercarriage and gunmountings. The undercarriage is first of the Oleo type with a small wheel up front (which is included in the kit). A lot of FE2b's had revised Oleo undercarriages without this little front wheel. A simple V-strutted undercarriage is also an option (??)

Mmh, life ain't easy for a boy named Fee.



greetings, Nico

Simply to let you guys know I am working on it:





Booms only dryfitted.

Cheers, Nico