Wooden Wonders
for Wingnut Wings' Albatros D.Va

Wingnut Wings Decals, 1/32 scale

HyperScale is proudly supported by Squadron
 

Following hard on the heels of their other Albatros sheets, Wingnut Wings has released a second collection of markings devoted to those scouts with predominantly unpainted fuselages.

As usual it comes on an A4 sized sheet of decal paper (plus a smaller leaf for option E) and is printed by Cartograf in Italy. As such the quality is up to the high standard found in the kits themselves. Every item is printed with perfect colour registration and is surrounded by a minimum of carrier film.

Despite their size, they do stand up to the rigours of pushing and prodding when being positioned on the model. Decal setting solutions will work well but it is advisable to stay clear of the stronger solutions.

A huge bonus with these sheets is the sheer number of extra items to be found. Not only do we get the expected national and personal markings but we also get a wealth of stencil data. Included in this lot are instrument dials, propeller logos, data plates, datum lines, rigging diagram, weight tables and much more. It’s all legible under a magnifying glass which is a credit to the printers.

The instruction sheet is very comprehensive and clearly lets you know where each decal should go. Ronny Bar’s superb artwork takes care of side, upper and lower views and is complimented by period photos of the subject under consideration. Another highly commendable aspect is the callout for optional parts that should be used from the donor kit. No second guessing needed by the builder here.

1. Albatros D.Va, serial 5815/17, flown by Gerhard Hubrich, of MFJ IV, late 1918. (12 victories)

   Fuselage – natural wood with green mottle, Wings – mauve and green upper surfaces with light blue undersides.

2. Albatros D.Va, serial 7098/17, “Gisi” of Jasta 17, May 1918.

   Fuselage – natural wood, Wings – mauve and green upper surfaces with light blue undersides.

3. Albatros D.Va, serial 7343/17, flown by Kurt Jentsch, of Jasta 61, mid 1918. (7 victories)

   Fuselage – natural wood, Wings – mauve and green upper surfaces with light blue undersides.

4. Albatros D.Va (OAW), serial 6981/17, “Red 3”, FA45b, mid-late 1918

   Fuselage – natural wood. Wings – 5 colour lozenge with blue upper and lower rib tapes.

5. Albatros D.Va, serial 7161/17, “Stropp”, from National Air & Space Museum, 1917 to present day.

   Fuselage – natural wood, Wings – 5 colour lozenge with pink upper and lower rib tapes.

   Note that this is not an exact copy of the scheme seen in kit #32015. That release featured Erich Gürgenz’s aircraft as it appeared when flown during the war years. This interpretation replicates this famous machine as it’s now displayed in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
   

It is obvious that a lot of effort has gone into the production of these sheets. This is reflected in the instructions, reference photos, and artwork, which is some of the best on the subject.

These releases capture a variety of schemes that are sufficiently different to suit all tastes. The quality of the printing is excellent and the level of research is first-class.

To keep costs down, 5-colour “lozenge” hasn’t been included in the package but is available separately as #32001 (upper) and #32002 (lower).

So if you want a replica that’s different from those options presented in the box, then these sheets are just the thing.

Thanks to Wingnut Wings for the sample

Review Text and Images Copyright © 2011 by Rob Baumgartner
Page Created 11 July, 2011
Last updated 11 July, 2011

Back to HyperScale Main Page