The Fokker monoplanes that had once ruled the skies were
now becoming obsolete.
With the introduction of such types as the Nieuport 11
and D.H.2 fighters, the Allies were now the hunters.
A number of German pilots requested a light nimble biplane fighter to be
developed and the aeroplane industry responded. This resulted in
Halberstadt Flugzeugwerke GmbH being awarded the first ever contract to
supply a single seat, single engine, armed biplane.
Despite its importance in the First World War, kit manufacturers have
never really embraced the Halberstadt D.II. Thankfully there are
companies that will produce these often overlooked subjects and kudos
must be given to Blue Max for doing just that.
Paul Monteagle’s evocative artwork once again adorns the box, which
contains the usual mixture of plastic and pewter items. Here we see 17
injection-moulded pieces along with 18 white metal parts.
A couple of lengths of extruded plastic provide for the struts and
rudder support, the former being of airfoil section.
Click the thumbnails below to view larger
images:
The package is completed with the customary set of decals
and A4 sized instruction sheet.
Being of a limited run nature, one expects a little cleaning up of the
parts to be necessary. This kit is no exception and the modeller should
spend a bit of time in this area. The soft metal items will also need a
bit of adjustment as these tend to be a little out of shape when removed
from the bag. None of this is hard to do and will not tax the builder.
The plastic parts were compared to Ian Stair’s 1996 general arrangement
drawings and as expected, the outlines matched perfectly.
Blue Max is renown for their accurate portrayal of stringers and this
kit follows that trend. The turtle deck is matched by the other fine
detail present on the fuselage halves and this is fully formed and
sharp.
The inside faces show part of the interior structure and to the
manufacturers credit, there is no sinkage on the opposite sides. A
couple of dimples do have to be filled at the rear extremities though,
as does the panel line halfway down the fuselage. The latter is merely
the end point of the white cross field applied in this position to some
aircraft, not an actual detail.
The wings come in four parts, those for the top cleverly coming together
via a staggered slot between the radiator and gravity tanks. The rib
detail is delicately defined with no distortion present anywhere.
Separate ailerons are provided and these even include the controlling
arms.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that you have warped trailing edges on the
lower wings. This “dip” is a characteristic feature of this aircraft and
full marks to Blue Max for replicating this. Strangely this wasn’t done
for the top wing so modellers will have to reproduce this themselves. A
little bending in hot water will suffice.
Some may wish to thin the trailing edges and the soft plastic will make
this an easy task. This can be done from below but the resulting loss of
detail must be reinstated.
One of the sprue attachment points on the top wing interferes with a rib
station so care is also needed when cleaning up that area.
The smaller parts are made from pewter and reside in a bag of their own.
These are well cast needing only minimal cleanup.
Most of the items are for the cockpit and consist of floor, seat,
control column, rudder bar and instrument panel.
The top half of the engine is also in this material as is the exhaust
pipe, machine gun, axle fairing and undercarriage.
Struts and rudder bracing are not forgotten as both are provided in
extruded rod, the former having an airfoil cross-section. Although they
appear delicate, experience shows that these items do work well; they
just need a bit more care during assembly.
An exploded view is shown on the instructions to aid in assembly as well
as some detail shots of both a partly assembled and completed model.
These will answer most questions about construction with the box art
providing the rigging details. The kit is meant for experienced
modellers so if any extra information is needed, you will be expected to
look elsewhere.
Two options are supplied on the perfectly registered
decal sheets. The white portion was inadvertently printed in reverse on
the main sheet so a second one is provided that corrects this error.
Click the thumbnails below to view larger
images:
These are hand printed and as such decal-setting
solutions are not advised or needed. As well as the aircraft markings,
one also finds a selection of instrument faces and Axial propeller
logos.
The subjects represented are 2 of the 30 Hannover-built aircraft, these
being:
-
Halberstadt D.II,
D.818/16
-
Halberstadt D.II,
D.813/16
The Halberstadt D.II has not received the attention it
deserves from kit manufacturers. Blue Max has put its hand up to try and
remedy the situation and has produced a commendable kit of this sorely
needed subject.
Although this kit is labelled as being for the experienced modeller, the
simple design should allow the less experienced to have a go too.
Recommended
Thanks to
Squadron.com for the review sample.
Review and Images Copyright © 2005 by
Robert Baumgartner
Page Created 25 May, 2005
Last updated 24 May, 2005
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