Roden

1/32 Albatros D.III

Kit Number: 606

Reviewed by  Dick Montgomery, IPMS# 14003

MSRP: $64.99 Thanks to Roden for supplying the kit to IPMS. This is a 1/32 scale model and measures out at about 11 inches wingspan and about 9 inches from spinner to tail. Opening the box one sees parts contained in a set of cello bags, a 12-page instruction booklet, and a single sheet of decals. The decal sheet includes markings for seven different aircraft. Three of the decal sets are for aircraft which feature the offset radiator on the upper wing. The kit includes an upper wing with only the centerline option, so three of the markings sets will require some conversion work. The kit's contents suggest a follow-up kit which might feature the variants which have the offset radiator. There are two set of rims/tires, one slightly larger than the other. There are also two propellers, each with a slightly different profile. I chose to build the aircraft flown by Lt. Bruno Loerzer of Jasta 26. It is one of the four aircraft with the radiator on the centerline for which markings are provided within the kit. Let me begin by stating that I am not very knowledgeable about WWI aircraft and the proper colors and markings to be used. Nor am I an "expert" modeler, so please consider these facts as I proceed with this review. In short, if I can do it so can you.

Molded in a medium tan color, the plastic had just the right amount of "flex" and responded well to acrylic paint, sanding, and Faller glue. There was little or no "flash" on most of the parts and the few parts that had flash cleaned up nicely with a sharp # 11 Exacto and medium grit Flex-i-File. There were some issues, however, that were rather surprising for a kit of this apparent quality. There were some very noticeable and large sink marks on the insides of the fuselage halves that had to be removed since they would be visible after completion. The exhaust pipe assembly has a large sink mark on the underside of the part, but it disappeared with an application of Mr. Surfacer. There were two sets of machine guns included. The first set had the cooling jacket molded in place. The second set had "removed" the cooling jacket and had the barrels and breaches molded as a single piece. The barrel is very weak and I managed to break one barrel when removing these pieces from the part tree. The good news is that none of the wing struts suffered that same fate. The overall fit and alignment is excellent. In fact, it borders on "precise" to the point that all subassemblies, if slightly misaligned will cause major problems when you glue them into the fuselage. It is because of the exquisite fit of the parts, where margins of error are non-existent, that I recommend this kit for the more experienced modeler. The motor is a model all to itself.

There are about 14 pieces that make up the power plant. The only seam that was noticeable would be on the underside of the power plant so I did nothing to close it. There are some nice touches such as spark plugs that are molded in place. The challenge is to get the power plant built and installed without snapping off these small details. References which I used for my "build" stated that there is a noticeable part missing from the motor. There is an "oil" container that looks much look a soda can which should be located on the forward part of the motor but there is no piece representing that detail in the kit. It made no difference to my building experience but it did seem to cause the more knowledgeable individuals whose internet work I used as a reference some concern. My first point of concern with this outstanding model is found in step 9 when one is directed to assemble a set of fuselage frames. This subassembly is the cradle for the power plant and it is absolutely essential that it is assembled properly. The problem I encountered (too late, I might add) is that one of the frames leans forward and is not parallel with the other three frames. In point of fact and in Roden's defense, one will notice that there are alignment pins on parts 9A and 6A, these two parts serving as the stringers upon which the power plant sits. On those stringers the locating pins for the bulkhead frame and molded at the proper angle. The drawing on the instructions, however, show all four frames at right angles to stringers 9A and 6A, and thusly, I managed to get some critical parts misaligned. This misalignment came back to bite me in the final stages of construction. A second issue and a much less significant problem is that part 9Z, the prop shaft, is not included in step 6 on the instructions. By the time step 10 indicates that the flywheel, part 7A, should be attached to 9Z its too late to do much about the problem. I just cut off the end of the shaft and glued it in place in the power plant. Problem solved. Another critical point occurred in step 10. It is essential that the power plant fits perfectly within the cradle and frame into which it is placed. Of course, the fact that one of the frames is still shown at the wrong angle in step 10 is distracting. Step 15 was very confusing for me. I expected a nice, tight, fit at the points where the axle passed through the undercarriage struts. Instead there is a considerable amount of "play" in which the axle can jostle around. Allowing for my lack of knowledge about WWI aircraft I am left with the assumption that there was "play" on the real aircraft. I found no comment about this issue in any of the references I found on the internet. In step 16 it is important to correctly place part 5A onto frame 37A in the correct location. I don't know how I managed to get it wrong but I did and the consequent problem with the location of the machine guns created a "great disruption in the force". Roden's instructions clearly indicate the correct alignment of this part. I just blew it. All of my misalignment issues resulted in the need for a complete gutting of the interior after I was well into the construction of the model. I had the fuselages glued together with the interior parts fixed in place and then I found the machine guns were at the wrong location to fit into the engine and machine gun cowling. Also the propeller spinner backing plate was clearly misaligned due to my poor installation of the power plate cradle. Not a fun experience, but it all came out. You'll know if you got it right by looking at the fit between the flywheel (part 7A) and the fuselage halves. No gap is the goal. The flywheel should plug the forward end of the fuselage perfectly.

Lastly, I was confused by a notation on page 10, showing the color scheme I decided to use. On the illustration the left tip of the upper wing is shown to be a tan color. This excludes the aileron, but includes the surface of the upper wing from the wing tip to the 6th wing rib. I tried to figure out why the upper surface would be colored in such a way. Perhaps battle damage, perhaps a unique color scheme…. I then thought that perhaps it was a reference for the color to be used on the underside of the wings. I then noticed that the underside of the lower wing was represented by a similar illustration. I made the assumption that Roden had used an image available on the internet to complete their color scheme illustrations for the kit instructions. The decal sheet was printed to match the color scheme as it appears on the instruction sheet, even to the point of having a wedge of the wing insignia that should be placed on the left aileron. I made the assumption that Roden made an error and had misinterpreted the images they had used as references. I painted the upper wing without the tan area.

One of the major problems with this kit is the lack of locating pins on the fuselage halves. I thought that the plastic was thick and strong enough to prevent the fuselage seams from popping open once they were joined, but I was wrong. All that was required from me was to reinforce the seams with some plastic strip prior to assembly and yet I didn't do it. Big mistake. There are some great design features that should be mentioned. Molded into the model are vents located on the underside of the fuselage directly under the water reservoir tank. These little vents beg for a touch of weathering. There are panel lines molded into the fuselage that are straight, neat and clean, and it makes it very easy to shade them with an airbrush. Roden gets a "well done" since the panel lines are very uniform in depth and width and are not, in my opinion, overdone. There are a number of panels or vents molded into the fuselage where parts of the power plant might be accessed or might extend through the fuselage. Again, some weathering around these details really adds life to the model. Access hatches are molded on the fuselage and underside of the lower wing. One of the most appreciated details incorporated into this kit are the molded attachment panels at which the wing bracing and rigging meets the wing surfaces. There are even small depressions molded into the wings showing exactly where the rigging should be threaded into the wing surface. The last step was to apply the markings. At first they appear somewhat thick but they cling to the model surface quickly and snuggle down nicely with SolvaSet. Conclusion: While the Albatros D III is not recommended for rank beginners I would certainly encourage WWI aficionados and more experienced builders to add it to their collection. The problems I experienced in construction were mostly self-inflicted and not a major problem caused by the design of the model. With the right tools and a modicum of patience the Roden Albatros D III is an immensely enjoyable build and certainly worth the price. I look forward to more of these classic aircraft in 1/32 from Roden.

Information, images, and all other items placed electronically on this site are the intellectual property of IPMS/USA ®.