1/32 Wingnut Wings Pfalz D.IIIa

Gallery Article by Mike Muth on Oct 11 2016

 

      

Pfalz D.IIIa using Pheon Decals for Jasta 30

In July of 1917 the first Pfalz D.III aircraft began to appear at the Front. The Albatros D.III and D.V were the primary frontline German fighter airplanes at this time. They were a sesquiplane design similar to the French Nieuports.  A sesquiplane meant that the lower wing was narrow and limited to one spar. This smaller wing provided better lower vision and maneuverability. Unfortunately, it also meant less strength and the lower wings had a disquieting habit of falling off during stressful maneuvers. The Pfalz D.III also had a narrow wing, but utilized 2 spars to give it more strength. By the time of its introduction in 1917, the standard German fighter was armed with 2 synchronized Spandau machineguns. On the Pfalz D.III these were buried in the fuselage as opposed to being on top of the fuselage like the Albatros fighters. Pilots complained and on the modified D.IIIa the machineguns were relocated to the top of the fuselage. There was a minor change to the shape of the lower wingtips from pointed on the early models to rounded on the later ones. The struts went from a blunt shape to a more pointed one on the latter D.IIIa. A total of 1,010 D.III and D.IIIa fighters were ordered with the majority being the D.IIIa. More information on the Pfalz D.III and D.IIIa can be found in Jack Herris' excellent book Pfalz Aircraft of WWI.

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In any contest for which Great War aircraft had the most aesthetically pleasing appearance it is usually a tie between the Pfalz D.III/a and the Nieuport 28. Unfortunately, good looks did not translate into great flying characteristics for either. The Pfalz was described by pilots as underpowered, having poor maneuverability, and difficult in a climb. However, the 2 spars gave it excellent strength in a dive. The beautiful lines of the Pfalz D.IIIa are nicely captured in the 1/32 scale kit produced by WIngnut Wings. It is still available and easily worth the purchase price. While there are a lot of interesting schemes provided for in the kit, I ended up using the Pheon Decals sheet specifically designed for this kit depicting 6 Jasta 30 Pfalz. I chose the scheme for a D.IIIa shown in front of a hangar at the Phalempin airfield in April of 1918. The Jasta markings consisted of a black outlined orange diamond on the top wing, fuselage sides and tailplane. This particular aircraft had added to it a series of black bands near its rear. The pilot of this particular plane is unknown. The black bands combined with the black outlined orange diamonds provide a sharp contrast with the silver fuselage.

What a breeze this kit is to build. Like all Wingnut kits the tolerances are very precise, so it pays to make sure everything is aligned properly. I use Silly Putty to fill all the strut holes and attachment point when painting and lightly scrape any paint from the struts where they will connect to the wing or fuselage. Doing this and being patient with aligning the parts before gluing makes for an easy build. The cabane struts had large attachment inserts that slide into corresponding slots of the fuselage that make positioning of the top wing simple. The fuselage on the Pfalz was constructed using a technique called "wickelrumpf". This technique used thin strips of plywood wrapped in a layer of fabric. This was then wrapped around a mold. A strong fuselage with little framing was the result. The linen wrap was probably left in a clear doped color but I suspect silver is another possibility. The Pfalz D.IIIa's fuselage was painted a color called "silbergrau". I used Model Masters' non-buffing aluminum metalizer. The tires on WWI airplanes were not black but a range of shades from gray to tan to pink. I chose a tan color. The rest of the airplane was painted following the instructions suggestion. The decals by Pheon are phenomenal. The fit is perfect, especially around the top wing radiator. The rigging on the Pfalz was minimal by WWI standards. I used a silver colored thread attached by deepening the pre-drilled holes located on the kit and using ca glue. 

A great kit and great decals. This is a simple bi-plane to build and a good one to get started on if you want to see what all the fuss is about regarding Wingnut Wings kits.

Mike Muth

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Photos and text © by Mike Muth