WNW Albatros DV

[gcn]

I'm doing this for the GB over at Swannys forum so I thought I'd post here to bore you lot as well.

Bit of an update as I've been quite busy, but as I hate taking photos (well they always come out crap) I may have missed some steps along the way.

First off was the wood graining, usual method with Tamiya Dark Yellow followed by oils. I tend to put a light coat of burnt umber to get an initial grain followed by blobs of yellow ochre, rust and white that are streaked to get some tonal variation. Once dry Tamiya clear orange and yellow are applied followed by a coat of future.

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This is the fuel tank isn't it  :-[ anyway undercoated with Gunze brass and then masked with Mr Mask and top coated with a mix of 2 parts Gunze RLM 02 to 1 part Tamiya medium green. This was then followed by various washes, both acrylic and oil.

The engine was painted using every paint under the sun, Gunze, Tamiya, Vallejo, Humbrol, Alclad and Citadel. The only change was adding some Tamiya masking tape to represent the asbestos lagging that I copied from Tony Bells marvellous Albatros over on The Aerodrome.

Everything fitting neatly. I did have trouble with the seatbelts in that despite annealing they still remained as stiff as a week old corpse and I'm not entirely happy with the outcome. For my next Albatros build I'll get some of those canvas belts from that Czech outfit whose name escapes me.

Various internal shots

and here's where I am now. I know a few have had trouble getting the fuselage buttoned up neatly with everything installed but I was aware of this and made sure areas were free of paint and it went together perfectly, a positive snap fit. I'll give the glue 24 hours to dry before I get on with sanding and tidying the seams.

[Paul RH]

That looks very good...The engine !!!! The cockpit!!!!

what scale is it...??? Boring..not at all.

Swannys Forum ...???? where is that??

Edited November 25, 2010 by Paul RH

[gcn]

hi Paul thanks for the comments.

It's Wingnuts 1/32 scale Albatros and Swannys forum is right about here

[Paul RH]

Thanks, I´ve just had a butchers and found this : http://ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.html

[T-Tango]

Super job mate, glad you managed to button up the fusilage halves ok.

Thanks, I´ve just had a butchers and found this : http://ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.html

Hi Paul, thats Des's site, known on Britmodeller as beeza1.

[gcn]

Hi Pete

Thanks for the comment. As with the Pup I found forewarned is definitely forearmed. I test fitted all the bulkheads individually and then together just to make sure it all went together and it made life a hell of a lot easier.

Probably means i've left something very important out.

[T-Tango]

I've tried the bulkheads before paint, they fitted perfectly and the fusilage halves fitted together spot on, lets hope they go together after paint.

Pete

[Jennings Heilig]

Wow! That's gorgeous. I keep eyeing the box sitting on the shelf in my office. Would that I were not totally tied up with school at the moment, else I'd have already started it. Maybe in 2013 after I graduate

J

[gcn]

his is kind of where I am at the moment. All subs are painted and completed and I need to dull down the decals and flat coat the wings and add shadows etc.

Bit of a mare with the decals as those paying attention will notice i've put the cocking a snoop figure the wrong way round, I only realised after it was too late and to say i'm not happy would be an understatement.

It's of course entirely somebody else's fault and not my own stupidity.

also wonky gun has now been fixed. more piccies to follow when i've calmed down

latest shot

[gcn]

Right Teddy is firmly back in the pram.

The wood effect was created in the normal manner with a base coat of 50|50 Tamiya white and desert yellow then oils added were yellow ochre, rust, burnt umber and white and then the panel lines got a light coating of Tamiya smoke. The green on the fuselage was a mixture of 2/3 Gunze RLM02 and 1/3 Tamiya medium green. The Rudder was plain old Tamiya deck tan. I could have done with the tail decal being split into two as I want to display it at a jaunty angle on completion, as it was I cut it while it was in place and made good with either paint or offcuts of spare decal.

The decals, my knuckle headedness aside, went on flawlessly using future as my setting agent. I thin Rowans decals were even nicer than the wingnuts ones, but both were excellent.

The wings are as per the manual and definitely need further work to get some tonal variations.

While waiting for the oils to dry I've made 40 buckles so far only another 20 to go. I don't envy Bobs job on mass production.

Edited December 19, 2010 by gcn

[Paul RH]

Pity about the transfer...not everyone will notice though.

The wood work looks top....as does the rest of the painting..

[T-Tango]

Lovely job gcn, great paintwork, I just wish I could get mine progressing a bit more quickly, things seem to have stagnated a bit of late.

Cheers

Pete

[gcn]

Snoop is now the right way round, peace is restored.

Many thanks to Rowan who sent me some replacement decals gratis to bring me up to here.

Wings were aged by sticking thin strips of Tamiya tape over the ribs and then applying a highly thinned German Grey ay 40 psi as the ice had frozen my moisture trap up.

I then removed the tape and in filled between the ribs with a thinned yellow over the green and a thinned buff over the purple and finally a Vallejo flat coat.

The rudders ribs have had the shadows enhanced by masking with a post it note and then at an acute angle spraying some thinned German Grey

Prop was done by spraying a bottom coat of Tamiya desert yellow and then masking and spraying XF10

Top wings are also complete, all buckles attached, undercarriage assembled. looks like rigging next.

can you tell I got a home photo studio for Christams

Edited December 27, 2010 by gcn

[Andy K]

Wow! That is looking REALLY nice. The woodgrain effect is damn near perfect too.

[AnonymousDFB1]

that is seriously impressive

[Paul RH]

Good to see you got the transfer the right way round. Lovely effect on the prop and the wings..

[Ray S]

That is stunning. Any tips about doing the buckles, I have heard of them but never seen how to use them!

Brilliant work.

Regards, Ray

[gcn]

many thanks for all the comments its much appreciated

Ray as to the buckles I hope I can help.

Firstly there's Bobs Buckles whose buckles are excellent and save a lot of time

secondly theres a detailed tutorial over at Des's site which is where I learned how to do it.

My tips are I get some thin Copper wire and anneal it. This not only softens it but takes away the shine of the Copper.

I take a length of approx 2 inches and fold it over a .3mm drill bit inverted into a pin vice and twist by hand

Then I finish the twist by pliers slightly pulling against the drill bit. By twisting the pliers and not the pin vise and pulling slightly ensures the eyelet doesn't twist and fold over so your buckle remains flat and true.

I probably can rattle off 10 buckles in quarter of an hour so it aint quick and I tend to break it down into lots of 10 as it can get tedious.

cheers, Gary

[T-Tango]

Looking really good now Gary, love the paintwork.

Cheers

Pete

[gcn]

Bambi stands  

I'm going to copy T Bells Albatros build and put only one of the engine panels on.

All the upper wing rigging has been completed I just need to attach said wing and do the lower wing rigging and then its done.

[Dr_Fester]

Thats a cracking build Gary, beautiful detail work and painting.

For some reason I have a hankering for a big 1/32 WW1 model, so Roden or Wingnuts?

Looking forward to seeing the rigging coming together.

Cheers

Doc

[gcn]

Hi Doc thanks for the comments.

The WW1 stuff in 1/32 aint that big, with some notable exceptions (Gotha, W29), for example this Albatros measures up on length and wingspan very closely to a 1/48 Hellcat.

I've neither built or owned a Roden kit but looking at the comments posted I'd say WNW wins hands down.

[gcn]

Is this my final one of 2010 or my first of 2011, decisions, decisions.

Well it's finally complete, the rigging wasn't too tortuous although I think next time I need a proper jig to measure my brass tubes.

A few things I'm not happy with, I think I over weathered the purple on the top wing. I did over weather the decals on there too but a cotton bud soaked in IPA rescued the situation a bit but i'm not entirely happy with the outcome.

I'll definitely be doing some more Albatros's not least because I have a stack of Rowans decals to use up.

I hope you enjoy the pictures.

[Mike]

Very nice Must crack on with my 1:48 of the same

[Ray S]

Ray as to the buckles I hope I can help.

Firstly there's Bobs Buckles whose buckles are excellent and save a lot of time

secondly theres a detailed tutorial over at Des's site which is where I learned how to do it.

My tips are I get some thin Copper wire and anneal it. This not only softens it but takes away the shine of the Copper.

I take a length of approx 2 inches and fold it over a .3mm drill bit inverted into a pin vice and twist by hand

Then I finish the twist by pliers slightly pulling against the drill bit. By twisting the pliers and not the pin vise and pulling slightly ensures the eyelet doesn't twist and fold over so your buckle remains flat and true.

I probably can rattle off 10 buckles in quarter of an hour so it aint quick and I tend to break it down into lots of 10 as it can get tedious.

cheers, Gary

Thanks for those tips Gary, I will try them soon. The tutorials are fascinating, and it adds so much to the model doesn't it?

Happy New Year to you all

Ray