Albatros C.III Captured & Foreign Service

Special Hobby's 1:48 scale Albatros C.III returns in a new "Captured & Foreign Service" boxings. The sturdy and rather too big top opening cardboard box comprises the same kit parts as the previous boxing already reviewed on Aeroscale by Rowan Baylis (see here) except for a new decal sheet of course. Here is a list of what is provided in this edition:

• Three grey injected plastic sprues (74 parts);
  
• Four resin parts;
  
• One photo etched fret (90 parts);
  
• One small acetate sheet (windscreens);
  
• One decal sheet;
  
• One instruction booklet.

The overall quality of the parts is very good with a nice representation of the fabric surfaces and also a very convincing rendering of the structure inside the fuselage halves. The level of detail is also very good thanks to the inclusion of a photo etched fret featuring very delicate parts such as turnbuckles, machine cooling jackets and sights, seat belts, internal bomb racks, radiator faces, etc... The cockpit interior will look very busy from the box and only the engine could benefit from some additional wiring and plumbing as it comes in a rather naked state. The optional resin exhausts look good though and it is strange that two are provided while only one is used in this boxing (but one more is always better than one less).

The instructions are printed in black & white on two A4 and one A5 sized pages folded so to constitute a 10 pages booklet. It comprises a history of the aircraft, a part layout diagram, a color table (Gunze), a 10 steps assembly guide, a rigging diagram and three pages for decals placement and painting instructions. Three marking options are provided on the huge decal sheet:

• Albatros C.III in French colors tested at the Section Technique de l'Aeronautique in Paris, 1916;
  
• Albatros C.III captured and frontline used by the Russian Czar's Air Force. It features a non standard machine gun (probably Colt, provided in the kit) mounted atop the upper wing;
  
• Albatros C.III, AK60, Fliegerabteilung 6, Turkish Air Force.

The decals printed by Aviprint are very nice and in perfect register.

Conclusion

This is an interesting boxing if you like WWI aircraft in unusual markings. The build shouldn't be too complicated (except for the rigging of course) and once assembled with the parts from the box, the model will surely look good. The price of this boxing is also less than the original one.

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on AeroScale.