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Paul Higgins
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WnW 1/32 Pfalz D.IIIaJasta 72, May 1918

May 31, 2020 · in Aviation · · 14 · 2.5K

Hi, guys... this is my latest offering of a scale WW1 aircraft, the beautiful Pfalz D.IIIa. This was a very nice model to build, with no major issues other that the rather neat fit of the lower wing, but once carefully persuaded to click into position, it was a very sturdy platform for the struts and top wing. Most things came from the kit with the exception of the MG barrels, which were from the Aber range of accessories, the obligatory GasPatch turnbuckles threaded with elastic thread and lozenge pattern transfers from the Aviattic range. The national markings were taken from the kit transfer sheet as were the various dials within the cockpit and other stencils on the fuselage as well.

These aircraft left the manufacturer with a silverish-pale grey finish; the fuselage was finished so well that the plywood panels offered no 'panel lines', which means for the modeller, there is a large expanse of the model where blackwashing will not have much of an impact. Around the nose and engine areas, there are various panels and cowling details that blackwashing will enhance but having the all-white tailplane really did necessitate some minimal attention to give the viewer something to break up the somewhat pristine and perfect appearance.

The rigging was easy enough to do, although the interplane struts were a little tricky as they sit far enough back from both the leading and trailing edges as to inhibit modellers with fumbling fingers - that's me! - with smooth progress, but it is doable. The elevator and rudder cables presented no such problems.

I chose this colour scheme from the internet, where this offering was the subject of a colour 'skin' for - in my ignorance, I presume - some sort of gaming option? Don't laugh too loudly please, if that's not correct... some things are just a tad beyond my comprehension, but it did look very smart. However, there was no indication from where the scheme had come from, so after a long search, I found a photo at this website - http://www.buddecke.de/jasta72.htm - showing my chosen subject at the end of a line of D.IIIs and Albatros D.Vs. Other photographic information shows the D.V at the opposite end as being that of Staffelführer Leutnant Karl Menckhoff, whose aircraft was apparently painted with green and white stripes, a green cowling and white tail, and therefore it would appear that other D.Vs and this D.IIIa followed suit, although the silver-grey factory finish was apparently not overpainted so the green was applied atop of that. Although the pilot of this Pfalz is unknown, the unit was based in northern France at the time the photo was taken, in May 1918.

I hope you like the end result, although I apologise for the quality and size of some of the images. My camera seems to have been adjusted unwittingly by me to take smaller-sized images... now rectified for future use. Thanks for looking in.

Regards,

Paul

Reader reactions:
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17 additional images. Click to enlarge.


14 responses

  1. Paul: You did an outstanding job on this very colorful Wingnuts kit. All of your hard work has paid off with a beautiful model.

  2. Thanks, Marvin... much appreciated. It's a lovely kit to build, and easily the most elegant of designs.. ;-).

  3. Magnificent work Paul ! @paulh

    This is one of my favorite all time WW1 German planes. It's right up there with the Albatros' and Fokker's.

  4. Thank you, Louis... I appreciate your comments. Yes, it's a lovely model of a lovely aircraft.

    Regards,

    Paul

  5. Great job! That’s probably my second favorite kit of all time.

  6. This is an amazing model of a beautiful plane, Paul. Cannot stop looking at the details (and that cockpit!).
    Congratulations, my friend!
    All the best!

  7. A beautifully rendered model of an elegant, but much maligned German WW1 scout. Great shame that WnW won't be selling any more of this and other kits. Hopefully, some enterprising but equally skilled company will take over the moulds. Well done on the model - It looks very realistic! Paul

  8. John, Spiros and Paul...

    Thanks very much for your comments. I had a lot of fun building this Pfalz and I do have a liking for colourful schemes and markings. Nice of you all to be so complimentary... ;-).

    Regards,

    Paul

  9. A great build Paul! Looks really sharp.

  10. Beautiful build Paul @paulh. For all you WWI plane fanatics, you should check out Mikael Carlson's reproductions. http://www.aerodrome.se/
    @j-healy, @lgardner

    He recently debuted his Pfalz D.VIII

    youtu.be/4J9P1mamdYA · on youtube
    • This is some amazing work on display here. This Pfalz D VIII is all engine... and reminds me of a Siemens-Schuckert D. III

      Thanks for posting this James. @jamesb
      The videos were fantastic. I went to his website and looked around a little... worth the visit.

      Thanks !

  11. What an incredible build Paul, so much details.
    Great job.

  12. It's a great kit with a lot of great markings options, of which you have chosen one that really looks nice. Great work on this and a beautiful result.

    "Liked"

  13. Greg, James, John and Tom...

    Thank you very much indeed for your comments. I'm really pleased you all liked the end result... ;-).

    Regards,

    Paul

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