Reviewed by Rob Baumgartner
 

Eagle Strike Productions' Flying Circus Pt.III is available online from Squadron.com

 

FirstLook

It was not too long ago that I bought yet another Albatros Productions publication and marvelled at the photographs contained therein. Some of the schemes worn by those Albatros fighter aircraft were fascinating and now thanks to Eagle Strike, they can be replicated in 1/48th scale.

The decal sheet has been cleverly designed so that a choice of seven aircraft is available to the builder. These markings have been sized for the Eduard Albatros D.III, which is clearly the best presently available.

The wings in this selection of aircraft are finished in a variety of ways. Some are covered with 5-colour lozenge while others have been painted in a two or three colour camouflage scheme, the latter option having pale blue under surfaces. Colours chosen for the 3-colour pattern are light green, dark green and red brown. The two-colour option is a dark green with either red brown or lilac in combination.

Aircraft 1 – Albatros D.III of Ltn. Rudolf Hohberg, Fl.Abt.(A)263, 1917

This is a very unusual scheme to be seen on an Albatros D.III. The upper surfaces, including the fuselage, appear to be finished in the three-colour pattern with the lower surface pale blue travelling well up the aircraft’s side.
There is a large colourful quartered square on the fuselage side that was painted to symbolize the Prussian Observer’s badge.

Despite being a D.III, note that this machine carried a brace from the strut to the lower wing. A prelude of things to come…

Aircraft 2 – Albatros D.III (OAW) 2380/17 of Ltn. Heinrich Arntzen, Jasta 50, 1917.

As with Hohberg’s aircraft above, Arntzen’s mount also wears a representation of the Prussian Observer’s badge. Five-colour fabric is seen on the wings and the black and white Jasta markings adorn the tailplane.

Arntzen scored 11 victories, 5 of them with Jasta 50. He liked to go after balloons and got at least four until he was wounded on 27 May 1918.

Modellers should ignore the larger tail skid fin shown on the instructions for this and four of the next five options. It was not applicable to these aircraft but was introduced on the D.V.

Aircraft 3 – Albatros D.III (OAW) of MFJ III, 1917.

Marine Feld Jasta aircraft often sport colourful markings and this one is no exception. As well as wearing yellow and black décor, the fuselage has had its brightness reduced with the application of a green and brown mottle. The wings are said to be finished in the three-colour camouflage.

It is interesting to note that at some stage of its life, this aircraft was fitted with a rectangular access hatch above the starboard lower wing. The purpose of which can only be guessed at.

Aircraft 4 – Albatros D.III (OAW) 5127/17 of Offstv. Hermann Habich, Jasta 49, 1917.

Checks were popular with aircraft of many nations and here we see them applied to Habich’s mount. The wings are finished in 5-colour lozenge as is the tailplane and rudder.

Habich made it as an ace and finished with 7 victories. He was also one of many pilots that went on to join the Luftwaffe in World War 2.

Aircraft 5 – Albatros D.III (OAW) of MFJ III (sic), 1917.

This striking machine saw a crowned eagle painted on the fuselage, the top half of which is sprayed in green.
Although not mentioned in the instructions, this was Ltn. Wilhelm Papenmeyer’s aircraft. He was with Jasta Boelcke at the time, hence the white tail, and never served with the indicated MFJ III. He scored 4 victories but lost his life flying a Fokker triplane (409/17).

Interestingly the instructions credit this machine with a yellow spinner and a tail devoid of any national marking.

Aircraft 6 – Albatros D.III (OAW) of Ltn. Josef Rohe, MFJ I, 1917

Rohe’s aircraft is believed to have had the tri-colour wings and pale blue under surfaces. The varnished ply fuselage has been toned down with a mottle of green and brown.

The unit colour of yellow has been applied to both the nose and wheel covers, and the white fuselage band is edged in red.

Hede was an abbreviation of Hedwig and Rohe chose to have this name on both sides of his Albatros fighter. Fortunately Eagle Strike has noticed this and provides them on the decal sheet. The instructions are correct in that they depict this decal at different heights on each side of the fuselage.

Aircraft 7 – Albatros D.III (OAW), 1917

The skull and crossbones were a popular marking in the German Air service and here is another example of an aircraft emblazoned with it.

The wings in this case are thought to have been one of the two-colour combinations.

Once again we see attention to detail as even the repair patch (painted as a British roundel) and Albatros serial numbers are supplied as decals for the wheel covers.

Naturally lozenge is not included so the modeller will have to source this elsewhere. Eagle Strike produce a version of their own and this is catalogued as sheets #48017 and #48018 for the five-colour version.

The supplied decals were in perfect register and the printing was as sharp as ever. The carrier film is very thin and the mere smell of decal setting solution will make these hug closely to the model’s surface.

Other welcome items on the sheet include the Albatros logos and propeller markings. There are enough for four aircraft so the spares box can also benefit.

This certainly is a comprehensive sheet. Eagle Strike is to be commended in taking careful note of their references and transferring the markings into print.

It’s not often that this many subjects make it onto a single decal sheet. I for one will be taking advantage of that.

Highly Recommended

Thanks to Eagle Strike Productions for the review sample.
 

Review Text Copyright © 2005 by Robert Baumgartner
Page Created 07 February, 2005
Last updated 07 February, 2005

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