Albatross D.III - Oooooooooo I'm in Luv!

[touche]

ARGGG!,
In a moment of weakness and insanity I just ordered the D111 from Maxford on sale. Just the plane..as it may be a while before I build it. It's Red and I know it will clash with my other Allied planes but I just love the looks of her.
I wonder why they recommend their Uranus motor/esc when they also sell capable motors cheaper..
As I am near Ocala I'll see what HURC offers. That way I'll have all the bits and pieces when I get back to the frozen north.

[touche]

It kind of feels like a shell blew up and I was knocked unconscious for 4 days. When I came to I found out the war ended and everyone has gone home..Been very very quiet on the western front for 4 days.
My Albatros comes today. I'm working on a colour change. Be kinda glad when leave is over and we can resume flying.

[touche]

I managed to get the parts out of the box. Lots of tape to hold everything in place for shipping. Examination confirmed my fears...Lots of bright RED....I'm thinking a repaint. I noticed on the origional thread back in 09 several guys painted theirs using either Krylon or Rustoleum.. I'm not familiar enough to know what covering was used. I would like to imitate the ply colour for most of the fuse. Can anyone point me to a good thread on painting over ultracote/Monokote films and perhaps some tips from their experiences.
This will be a slow build as I'm Rving so it won't get put together till I get home in late April, but between then and now I can do prep work like repainting etc.

[degreen60]

Originally Posted by touche

Can anyone point me to a good thread on painting over ultracote/Monokote films and perhaps some tips from their experiences.

I use acrylic paint put on with a brush. I thin it with glass cleaner. I think it can be sprayed but I have not tried to spray it. I buy it at Walmart.

[touche]

Thanks Don,
My neighbour just got back from the frozen north in Indiana says its cold up there..Gives you time for reworking all your rebuilds I guess.
I've been reading up on various sites and found some repainted maxfords but again they are old threads and the writers don't seem to be on this site any more. I found one with a reasonable ply looking sides and trying to figure out what and how it went.
Seems it just requires a good wipe down with acetone and a light scuffing after being sure the covering is tight, and go easy on the paint over. I'll do some more reading. Less red will be a nice thing for me anyway..

[degreen60]

Originally Posted by touche

Thanks Don,
My neighbour just got back from the frozen north in Indiana says its cold up there..Gives you time for reworking all your rebuilds I guess.

I live southern Indiana, it was 60 yesterday and 55 today. Suppost to be about 34 by the weekend. The wind is keeping me from flying.

[touche]

Well, Got home to the chilly north and am still waiting for Florida weather to catch up.
Got the Albatros DIII almost finished. Decided to keep her red with some diamonds to break up the colour. Matted down the shiny as well. Changed out the wheels to a set of Williams Bros 3.25 from the cheapo supplied ones. Motor,ESC,batteries servos and wires from HURC in Ocala..Slo fly 450-880kv, used a 40amp esc, 2200 batt., 2T90 & 2T50 servos, 9x6sf prop. Seems to balance at about 2.25 inches from front of upper wing. Will do a wattmeter test on her as there is no rush to fly her.
Have to get the Sensei trainer up and going and get some training time in.
Being red..she will be the first out of the hanger for a test crash as Don likes to say.

[wattman]

Looks good , the black triangles and dull coating certainly improved its looks , good luck flying this beauty .

[degreen60]

Hope it flunks the crash test. If it don't will pm you my shipping address. LOL

[pepcid]

How long did it take you to make it?

[touche]

Thanks Gents,
By the way Don this winter (12/13) going south to Fl we will be cutting over on 74 thru Indianapolis and onward to Cinncinati but could drop down 65. Guess I could leave the shards and pieces (if there are any) behind a tree somewhere along that route. I don't want to get too close to you for fear the hex might reach out and touch me...
The nose cone is a bit of work. I should have wood grained the prop before I put it on so I have that do do. I still have another 100 or so diamonds so I can make it blacker...lol. I'm saving those for its first rebuild..lol.
Between the SE5a,SpadX111. Nieuport17 and now this one I have quite the dogfight going on on the den ceiling..

[touche]

Hi Pepcid,
I guess about 2 weeks total but not everyday.I did have to pace myself as the wifes list of honey dos was growing. The coating doesn't take long but didnt go on this Chinese monocote as nice as it applies to the GP models. The diamonds I cut myself on a $3.00 piece of black trim from the LHS. I used different control rods for the ailerons but had to use the CF rods and their crappy heatshrinks for the rudder/elev. There is a guide X member inside the fuse and the holes were very small. As well on the exits for the R/E the holes were huge so I had some yellow covering and covered them over. The yellows don't quite match but are close enough to simulate to battle damage repairs..lol. I put an Orange X RX in it and I have an extension Ant as well.
I just joined a club here so I may even get one of the guys to give it a once over and take it up. He has a few WW1 planes he has flown.
I'll post a pic of the innards and add them later today.
I also left off the windshield as it was just a piece of printed clear acetate. I have a windshield from a T moth somewhere and will see how it looks.
The wheels that came with it we pure crap but it wasn't worth the time to write them.
If your thinking of this plane drop me a PM and I'll give you my real biased opinion..lol
Just after I got it PZ has 2 new ones coming out. Hope I can hold out long enough..

[TM4197]

I LIKE IT!!!

[touche]

I just added a few more pics. I sanded the cabanes as the finish was very splotchy ie: shiny here, dull there as were the rads. I put some screen on the bottoms of the rads so the red wouldn't show thru. I also made a leather looking cockpit seat and still want to add a faux gauge panel. I also rusted up the engine a bit as well as the exhaust. I saw on the earlier threads some had trouble with the servo wires etc. I used a rod taped to the side of the extended 12 in.servo leads and they went thru easily. The Y connection is inside the fuse along one edge.
To join the wings together I used small screws front and back of the join glued in and wrapped red thread in a loop. This can be cut to separate the wing roots " for shipping to Don".
Now a question for those more experienced...
I mounted the RX with the stub antenna going thru the motor mount. There is an extension running back to the cockpit area. The ESC is opposite with the motor between. I did a range check and all seems well but that is w/o the motor running. Any thoughts re interference, from your experience.
Other than having to be careful connecting the battery it all fit very neatly.

[jcopter]

I have just receintly got one. I had problems getting the ruddar & elevator servos installed, the boxes for the struts were in a little in the way, a little trimming solved that problem. I also shortened the height of the motor it was a little to tall looks much better now. I also installed my own rigging, as the nylon fishing line looked wrong not with the black wire installed it looks more scale. I am now in the process of figuring out where to place the electronics. I would like to get all the weight forward that I can with out adding to much balast, so lets see how all you albatross builders did this.
Jcopter