Knights of the Sky (4 Viewers)

[chalklands]

Just received my Sopwith Tripe. Have to admit I think it's the best so far. The detail on it is excellent.

Pete

 

[chalklands]

Maybe slightly off topic, but after seeing the new TG pilot figures using ladders to climb into a cockpit, I came across these figures produced by a company in the UK I hadn't heard of before....'The Fusilier'. I believe they are 1:24th scale, so not right for KOTS, but maybe food for thought if John or TG (Or The Fusilier) are reading this thread. They would look great in 1:30 scale.







Just a different take on the subject!

Thanks

Pete

 

[chalklands]

Hi,
Me again,
My mistake, they're 1:32nd scale. I may get one to see how it compares.

Above and beyond.......

Pete

 

[lancer]

Maybe slightly off topic, but after seeing the new TG pilot figures using ladders to climb into a cockpit, I came across these figures produced by a company in the UK I hadn't heard of before....'The Fusilier'. I believe they are 1:24th scale, so not right for KOTS, but maybe food for thought if John or TG (Or The Fusilier) are reading this thread. They would look great in 1:30 scale.

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View attachment 201844

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Just a different take on the subject!

Thanks

Pete

My TGM Fokker Eindecker came with a wooden entry ladder much like the one being used in your photo of the Albatros. -- Al

 

[lancer]

Has anyone gotten ACE-28, the Maddon Spad, yet? I'm curious as to the fuselage color. Is it an orange/red as the publicity photo shows, or is it a truer red? Thanks for any response. -- Al

 

[ivanmoe]

Has anyone gotten ACE-28, the Maddon Spad, yet? I'm curious as to the fuselage color. Is it an orange/red as the publicity photo shows, or is it a truer red? Thanks for any response. -- Al

Not to sound unduly critical, but it occurs to me that Jenkins' promotional pics rarely do the models justice. Looking forward to some nice shots of ACE-28.

-Moe

 

[ivanmoe]

Here's a pic of the newest SPAD from JJD:

I see red, but I also see what appears to be some orange. I see what I can see, but I want to see more!:wink2:

-Moe

 

[Fitzgibbon]

Got it.
It's great.
Details are generous.
It'll look grand in your house.
{sm4}

 

[chalklands]

Here's a pic of the newest SPAD from JJD:

I see red, but I also see what appears to be some orange. I see what I can see, but I want to see more!:wink2:

-Moe

Hi,
Received mine today. The front half of the fuselage is semi gloss red, the rear half is matt and is a pale orange colour (or it could be red!). A very nice model indeed. Great detail on it.

Pete

 

[lenswerks]

I should have one on Saturday and will post some photos.

What do you think of this?
First photo taken when released which I think was 2012 and second photo taken today.
See difference in wings?

 

[ivanmoe]

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Questions...

How is the bracing holding up?

Do you recall who you purchased the model from?

Does your Albatros model have a fitting for a stand?

-Moe

 

[lenswerks]

A couple of "wires" are not as tight as they once were.
Yes, I know who I purchased from.
Yes, has the brass fitting for stand.

 

[ivanmoe]

A couple of "wires" are not as tight as they once were.
Yes, I know who I purchased from.
Yes, has the brass fitting for stand.

IMO, this is a different issue than that which was raised in regard to the Barker Camel. In discussing the bowed wings with collectors, it really does appear that the Camel's wings were bowed when they were manufactured and were somewhat deformed when they came out of the box. On the other hand, the Albatros wings appear to have gradually bowed over a period of years. To my mind, the latter occurrence is far more difficult for collectors. I suggest that because we have an opportunity to return new items that we see as being defective in some manner. However, no dealer that I know of is going to offer a refund on a three or four year-old model.

The only insight or consolation that I can offer the broader community of KotS collectors is that I've only seen this kind of latent deformity occur on one model, the Lowenhardt Albatros. I commented on this not long ago in another thread. I own a good chunk of Jenkins' model plane collection, all of which reside in the same curio. None of the others is noticeably different in regard to the wings or bracing from when I acquired them. Several of those same models were actually purchased before the Albatros, so mere age is not the issue.

As for you, Lenswerks, I'd suggest that you send your "before and after" pics to Jenkins along with a brief narrative. He has a deep and abiding concern in getting to the bottom of this, and needs feedback so that he can approach his factory partner looking for answers. This really is a big deal and it serves all our interest to ensure that a delayed-action defect like this doesn't get cooked into future production. Because of that, I'm positive that you'll get a sympathetic and productive response from JJD. If you need contact info, please pm me and I'll fix you up.

-Moe

 

[maddadicus]

IMO, this is a different issue than that which was raised in regard to the Barker Camel. In discussing the bowed wings with collectors, it really does appear that the Camel's wings were bowed when they were manufactured and were somewhat deformed when they came out of the box. On the other hand, the Albatros wings appear to have gradually bowed over a period of years. To my mind, the latter occurrence is far more difficult for collectors. I suggest that because we have an opportunity to return new items that we see as being defective in some manner. However, no dealer that I know of is going to offer a refund on a three or four year-old model.

The only insight or consolation that I can offer the broader community of KotS collectors is that I've only seen this kind of latent deformity occur on one model, the Lowenhardt Albatros. I commented on this not long ago in another thread. I own a good chunk of Jenkins' model plane collection, all of which reside in the same curio. None of the others is noticeably different in regard to the wings or bracing from when I acquired it. Several of those same models were actually purchased before the Albatros, so mere age is not the issue.

As for you, Lenswerks, I'd suggest that you send your "before and after" pics to Jenkins along with a brief narrative. He has a deep and abiding concern with getting to the bottom of this, and needs feedback so that he can approach his factory partner looking for answers. This really is a big deal and it serves all our interest to ensure that a delayed-action defect like this doesn't get cooked into future production. Because of that, I'm positive that you'll get a sympathetic and productive response from JJD. If you need contact info, please pm me and I'll fix you up.

-Moe

The wings on these planes seem thin and being under stress from fishing line like wire over a number of years, might be a forgone conclusion that all these wings might eventually warp..JJ might have to beef up the wing thickness. Michael

 

[ivanmoe]

The wings on these planes seem thin and being under stress from fishing line like wire over a number of years, might be a forgone conclusion that all these wings might eventually warp..JJ might have to beef up the wing thickness. Michael

Hi Michael,

There are a couple of manufacturing measures that would mitigate against warpage in the parts. One would involve reinforcing the resin with steel rods. This is very common in better resin kits in the larger scales. I suspect that Jenkins employs the rods in some of its castings because some are demonstrably heavier than others. The other method would be to avoid cats-cradling in the bracing as it tends to over-tension the line. I see no sign of the latter technique in the Albatros model. Other of Jenkins models, the Nieuport for instance, do appear to use loops in the line to simplify the rigging process.

-Moe

 

[chalklands]

Hi,
Is temperature a factor in this do you think? I have most of the KOTS planes, but have had no problems (so far), with 'wing droop', but there again I live in the UK, where temperatures don't go much above (or even near) 22 degrees in the summer months (I wish they did).

Pete

 

[ivanmoe]

Hi,
Is temperature a factor in this do you think? I have most of the KOTS planes, but have had no problems (so far), with 'wing droop', but there again I live in the UK, where temperatures don't go much above (or even near) 22 degrees in the summer months (I wish they did).

Pete

Hi Pete,

I must have thirty of the JJ model airplanes, and I've only seen this delayed-action bowing of the wings on one model. My Lowenhardt Albatros did the same thing that Lenswerks did, and it certainly didn't happen overnight. I probably ought to add that this doesn't mean that it will happen to all of them. Rather, I think that the problem impacts a single production run, perhaps one of the three that were involved in the manufacture of the model in question. Were there more than that to the issue, I'm sure that we'd have heard about it months or years ago. You mentioned that your model is sound, as has Al. I suspect that y'all's experience is not unlike that of most collectors in this regard. I've contacted John about the matter, and he's looking into it. It'll get taken care of, I'm certain. The most important thing is to make sure that it doesn't happen again.

-Moe

 

[lenswerks]

I received the SPAD today and will post some photos soon.
Compared to the stock photos, from the rear of the cockpit forward it is a lot redder and looks great.
Some may look at the rear and call it orange but I would call it red. It is not the color as seen in the stock photos.

 

[lancer]

Jack's SE-5 got me to thinking about the JJD aircraft that have been produced. We have multiples of the triplane, N-17, Camel, Albatros, and I know another Spad is on the way. That leaves us with single productions of the D-7 and the SE-5. The D-7 single production is understandable because of color scheme problems relating to the lozenge camouflage that the D-7 carries. What I don't understand is the single SE-5. Along with the Camel, the SE-5 is the most important fighter that the RFC/RAF flew during the war. There are dozens of famous flyer/marking schemes among the SE-5 that could be done, yet we only have one, the Mannock version. The SE-5 done by JJD is, in my opinion, the finest model that JJD has done to date. The detail is simply second to none. I would love to see some more SE-5's come out of the JJD production facilities. Just for starters I would like to see James McCudden's SE-5 #B4863, with his 'G' letter marking that he was flying with B Flight of 56 Squadron when the engagement with Werner Voss occurred in September, 1917. Not having McCudden represented by a JJD aircraft is a huge hole as far as I'm concerned. Other well known aces include such names as Beauchamp Proctor, Dallas, Bowman, McElroy, Rhys Davids, Springs, Jones, and the list just goes on. Some more versions of the excellent JJD SE-5 would be 'must haves' for me. ^&grin -- Al

We are 3 years on since this post and we now have Fokker D-7's on the way with many more possible and we have Spads all over the place. What we don't have are more of the excellent SE-5 that John made. Still waiting on McCudden and B Flight.:wink2: -- Al

 

[HAWKEYE]

hi pete,

i must have thirty of the jj model airplanes, and i've only seen this delayed-action bowing of the wings on one model. My lowenhardt albatros did the same thing that lenswerks did, and it certainly didn't happen overnight. I probably ought to add that this doesn't mean that it will happen to all of them. Rather, i think that the problem impacts a single production run, perhaps one of the three that were involved in the manufacture of the model in question. Were there more than that to the issue, i'm sure that we'd have heard about it months or years ago. You mentioned that your model is sound, as has al. I suspect that y'all's experience is not unlike that of most collectors in this regard. I've contacted john about the matter, and he's looking into it. It'll get taken care of, i'm certain. The most important thing is to make sure that it doesn't happen again.

-moe

well i got my lowenhardt albatros out of the box and i will bew ****ed if mine isn't bowed on the right side too. Is there any recourse? I have not looked at the barker camel yet.