1:32 ALBATROS D V

When the marking was overpainted right at the airfield

Changes to the prescribed markings fell on units in the middle of the fighting and few had time for perfect work. Mechanics as a rule painted the old arm of the cross over with the color of the airframe and painted the new shape on top of it, so the outline of the previous marking stayed showing through under the fresh layer. On period photographs those ghosts are plainly visible, and anyone who suggests them on a model with a very thin glaze gets an effect the stencils alone cannot manage.

A machine that carried both fame and a flaw

The Albatros D.V came in May 1917 with an oval monocoque fuselage and cleaner shapes than its predecessor. Its weak point remained the narrow lower wing with a single spar, on which failures recurred when pulling out of a dive, and pilots were therefore instructed not to descend at full throttle. Even so the best units flew it and it became the most widespread German fighter of the second half of 1917.

Assembly and application

The stencil is laid on only once the surface is fully cured, otherwise the paint may be torn away. On a shaped fuselage it is advisable to start from the highest point and smooth the film gradually to the sides. The set holds three stencils and is ready for use without further work. The model, the finish and a degreasing agent are not part of the delivery.

Once the film is off, it is good to check the finished area against the light. A small spot where paint has run under is put right by scraping with the edge of a scalpel led along the edge, and sanding the whole area back is the last resort. Only when the marking is clean does it come to the clear coat and to accentuating the panel lines.