Knights of the Sky (2 Viewers)

[lancer]

My 1/30 scale Imperial German Army Air Force (Luftstreitkrafte) is really growing beyond the ability of my 1/30 scale Allied Air Services to contain it. As of the delivery of the Weiss tripe, there are now 12 German aircraft crammed on my shelves. There are 6 triplanes (all JJD), 5 Albatros (3 KC, 2 JJD) and a lone JJD Fokker D-7. I have 8 Allied planes to confront them with, 3 Nieuport 17's, 2 Sopwith Camels (still missing the Barker version:redface2, 1 Spad 13, and 2 SE-5's (one an all grey prototype). All my Allied planes are JJD models. Throw in a tinplate Fokker tripe and a brass SE-5 (both in 1/32 scale) and I have 22 WW1 aircraft on my increasingly crowded aerod...err...shelves. If a put every inch of shelf space I have left over to aircraft, I figure I can fit another 6-7 aircraft. After that I will be forced to either move or convince my wife that the china cabinet is wasted on china. Wish me luck.:rolleyes2: -- Al

 

[Jack]

My 1/30 scale Imperial German Army Air Force (Luftstreitkrafte) is really growing beyond the ability of my 1/30 scale Allied Air Services to contain it. As of the delivery of the Weiss tripe, there are now 12 German aircraft crammed on my shelves. There are 6 triplanes (all JJD), 5 Albatros (3 KC, 2 JJD) and a lone JJD Fokker D-7. I have 8 Allied planes to confront them with, 3 Nieuport 17's, 2 Sopwith Camels (still missing the Barker version:redface2, 1 Spad 13, and 2 SE-5's (one an all grey prototype). All my Allied planes are JJD models. Throw in a tinplate Fokker tripe and a brass SE-5 (both in 1/32 scale) and I have 22 WW1 aircraft on my increasingly crowded aerod...err...shelves. If a put every inch of shelf space I have left over to aircraft, I figure I can fit another 6-7 aircraft. After that I will be forced to either move or convince my wife that the china cabinet is wasted on china. Wish me luck.:rolleyes2: -- Al

Al

Try the line 'isn't marriage a partnership based on give and take'. That half worked for me once in 1989.

Jack

 

[lancer]

Al

Try the line 'isn't marriage a partnership based on give and take'. That half worked for me once in 1989.

Jack

^&grin^&grin^&grin I think we men like to believe it's an equal give and take, but I suspect (and know, in my case), that it is our wives that do the majority of the giving. I'm way to lucky with my wife to take a chance at ticking her off. No one else would put up with me or my, uh, hobbies/habits/personality. I guess I just have to concede her the china cabinet.:wink2:^&grin -- Al

 

[ivanmoe]

As of the delivery of the Weiss tripe, there are now 12 German aircraft crammed on my shelves.

Hi Al,

Does the Weiss tripe come with the hole on the bottom for a stand? BTW, I can get a lot of these models in a relatively small space when using the stands. The parts are a real boon for the space-deprived!{sm4}

 

[lancer]

Hi Al,

Does the Weiss tripe come with the hole on the bottom for a stand? BTW, I can get a lot of these models in a relatively small space when using the stands. The parts are a real boon for the space-deprived!{sm4}

That's affirmative, Moe. The Weiss tripe does have the stand fitting. Oddly enough, I haven't got a single stand yet. I am going to have to get some to help alleviate my space problem. -- Al

 

[Flyboy]

Mike here new to the forum. For what it is worth this is one of the next sets I am going to start buying. I have always admired the cloth covered airplanes of WW1. Had to be quite the thrill to be in the early days of aviation. These are just marvelous.

 

[Jack]

Mike here new to the forum. For what it is worth this is one of the next sets I am going to start buying. I have always admired the cloth covered airplanes of WW1. Had to be quite the thrill to be in the early days of aviation. These are just marvelous.

The range of ground crew and accessories is quite magnificent as well. It is also a quiet, respectful and supportive part of the Forum.

 

[Flyboy]

The range of ground crew and accessories is quite magnificent as well. It is also a quiet, respectful and supportive part of the Forum.

Magnificent is for sure. I love the new cockpit guys too. The one with the spike helmet is just great. Keeping up with KC, Jenkins, Britain's and some assorted Thomas Gunn and First Legion is becoming quite the project. But I am up for it. These planes look so real and I like the signature shadow if that may be the right word and slight nostalgic glow that John Jenkins soldier figures have. Passed down from my Dad is a number of the French and Indian war soldier figures. I will have to come up with a scene but the tree thing is an obstacle. Good scale trees are hard to find. Looking for some fort timbers too. Thanks Jack, Mike

 

[Jack]

Magnificent is for sure. I love the new cockpit guys too. The one with the spike helmet is just great. Keeping up with KC, Jenkins, Britain's and some assorted Thomas Gunn and First Legion is becoming quite the project. But I am up for it. These planes look so real and I like the signature shadow if that may be the right word and slight nostalgic glow that John Jenkins soldier figures have. Passed down from my Dad is a number of the French and Indian war soldier figures. I will have to come up with a scene but the tree thing is an obstacle. Good scale trees are hard to find. Looking for some fort timbers too. Thanks Jack, Mike

Mike

Jenkins have become a bit of a nemesis for me. I get a bit of a plan regarding my K&C ALH and WB WW1 humming along and then along comes another KoTS addition that is a must have and it all just falls apart.

Jack

 

[ivanmoe]

Mike here new to the forum.

Welcome, Mike! Suffice it to say, JJD has amassed a pretty nice stable of aircraft models and supporting accessories. IMO, it's a line that you can go "long" or "short" on, collecting-wise, and that you'll find either strategy very satisfying. In my experience, the parts display well. Friends and visitors to my study are invariably drawn to the models, and I enjoy explaining who's who and what's what in the cabinet. In other words, you can't go wrong with KotS!^&grin

 

[lancer]

Mike here new to the forum. For what it is worth this is one of the next sets I am going to start buying. I have always admired the cloth covered airplanes of WW1. Had to be quite the thrill to be in the early days of aviation. These are just marvelous.

You can't go wrong with WW1 aircraft, the canvas falcons. As someone once said, "You can never have too many Fokker Triplanes." :wink2:^&grin -- Al

 

[ivanmoe]

Jasta 11 flies again:

[video=youtube;_iJpzsbsD2M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_iJpzsbsD2M[/video]

I'm pretty sure that the NZ replicas are using some sort of small radial engine, so they aren't going to sound the same as a rotary would have. Also, note the tail-gear. Still, it looks like so much fun that I just had to post the video. If this has been made note of, here, in the past, please forgive me.

 

[ivanmoe]

ACE-19(S) arrived yesterday, and I've taken some pics of it. It's a nice model replica of the Fokker DR.I flown by Hans Weiss.

For analysis sake, an artist's rendering of Weiss' Fokker:

View attachment 134899
And an aircraft replica that resides in New Zealand:

View attachment 134900

What we see above are nice attempts at rendering likenesses of a Jasta 11 Fokker. The red cowling and white tail denote it as such. The artist drawing is likely the more accurate of the two, because it's absent the tail-wheel on the aircraft replica! {sm0}

In my next couple of posts, I'll take the JJD model on a walk-around for comparison's sake.

 

[ivanmoe]

As offered, a walk-around of ACE-19:


View attachment 134901

View attachment 134902

View attachment 134903

View attachment 134904

View attachment 134905

Nice model, and I got all the pics into one post!{sm3}

 

[ivanmoe]

And now some detail pics and commentary:

So, we would appear to have yet another nicely conceived and executed Fokker Triplane from John Jenkins Designs. Item's like the prop and engine are handled well. The stenciling and other detail on the fuselage remain a strong-suit of the type. Likewise, the "spandaus" are well done, although I'd like to see JJ "take a shot" at molding sights into the parts. As on the other JJ triplanes, the cockpit remains something of a "black-hole" in it's appearance. Cabling, when implemented, continues to be a real plus on all the JJD models. Finally, seventeen purchases into JJD KotS, I feel compelled to once again mention the consistency in quality of manufacture that's a hallmark of the entire series. Biplanes can be a real bear to model, as they tend to evidence VERY CLEARLY any defects in alignment between parts or bracing. As has so often been the case, I have no quibbles with ACE-19 in this regard. It's a keeper!

:salute::

PS: The half-figure "pilot" in the cockpit is from the new, 2-piece set from JJD, ACE-GP2, I believe.^&cool

 

[lancer]

Moe, thanks very much for the excellent photos. Your close-up pictures are unbeatable and I must say allow me to see the detail a lot better than my old eyes do with the actual model in my hands.:wink2: I have also been very pleased with all the JJD aircraft I have purchased (16 WW1, 1 SCW). The attention to detail in all respects is just outstanding but it his paint jobs that I am most impressed with. Lots of research is evident in JJD's finished products and the care taken to make them accurate is what makes them so attractive to me. I really like the weathering he uses as it makes the aircraft that much more realistic. It didn't take much use to turn actual WW1 aircraft into rather dirty looking machines, as almost any photos of the rotary engine aircraft will show. JJD's attention to the little things such as the weathering and even the small manufacturers logos and such makes these models the best. -- Al

 

[ivanmoe]

Moe, thanks very much for the excellent photos. Your close-up pictures are unbeatable and I must say allow me to see the detail a lot better than my old eyes do with the actual model in my hands.:wink2: I have also been very pleased with all the JJD aircraft I have purchased (16 WW1, 1 SCW). The attention to detail in all respects is just outstanding but it his paint jobs that I am most impressed with. Lots of research is evident in JJD's finished products and the care taken to make them accurate is what makes them so attractive to me. I really like the weathering he uses as it makes the aircraft that much more realistic. It didn't take much use to turn actual WW1 aircraft into rather dirty looking machines, as almost any photos of the rotary engine aircraft will show. JJD's attention to the little things such as the weathering and even the small manufacturers logos and such makes these models the best. -- Al

Hi Al,

Good to hear that you like the model. Unlike a lot of pre-finished aircraft replicas, the JJD pieces really do shine when it comes to detail and finish. When I look at a new one, I always make sure to check for minor changes. In that light, ACE-19 has some subtle differences when compared to the first five tripes. The most significant of these appears to be its application of faux dirt. There's simply not as much of the staining, particularly in comparison to the Udet version (which really is muddied-up). The other thing that I look for are hints that the model is suffering from the effects of manufacturing cost pressures. Given that the price of the KotS tripes has remained stable since they were first introduced, one might logically deduce that "something had to give" with the resulting product. However, I'm simply not seeing any reduction in quality with this one. JJD has added a fitting for a stand to its newer models. That's probably the most noteworthy change in the triplane line.

 

[lancer]

Hi Al,

Good to hear that you like the model. Unlike a lot of pre-finished aircraft replicas, the JJD pieces really do shine when it comes to detail and finish. When I look at a new one, I always make sure to check for minor changes. In that light, ACE-19 has some subtle differences when compared to the first five tripes. The most significant of these appears to be its application of faux dirt. There's simply not as much of the staining, particularly in comparison to the Udet version (which really is muddied-up). The other thing that I look for are hints that the model is suffering from the effects of manufacturing cost pressures. Given that the price of the KotS tripes has remained stable since they were first introduced, one might logically deduce that "something had to give" with the resulting product. However, I'm simply not seeing any reduction in quality with this one. JJD has added a fitting for a stand to its newer models. That's probably the most noteworthy change in the triplane line.

I sure am thankful for the price stability where the KotS series is involved. It is about the only thing I collect at this point and if the prices were constantly going up with every release, it would have knocked me out long ago. As it is, I think the prices which range from $188 to $235 are very fair for the product. The addition of the stand fittings is a good add-on with little effect on appearance or price so I am for them. I just need to get a stand or two to take advantage of the fitting.:wink2: All that said, in relation to price, I would not want to see a reduction in quality to hold prices down. I am spoiled by current quality AND price. I hope nothing ever has to give. -- Al

 

[Flyboy]

Give me time and I will be adding these to my arsenal. MARVELOUS!!!!!!!! Look at the detail on the propeller alone. Mike

 

[ivanmoe]

Look at the detail on the propeller alone. Mike

Hi Mike,

The props are actually one of the areas where we can see an evolution in Jenkins' handling of a part. The props on the triplanes have steadily improved from the ones first seen on the Richthofen example. I really like this one because the colors in the "grain" are somewhat more subtle than those found in earlier models. It's also nice to see variation in the parts when the triplanes are displayed together, having far less of a "mass-produced" quality than items that you might see from another manufacturer. I suppose that character is the word that I'm looking for, the models are all the same, but, well, not exactly.:wink2: