Eduard 1/72 Albatros DV/DVa Corrections
There *are* a few simple things that should be done to make the column/cockpit more accurate. Note – all etched metal specific bits relate to the Profipack kit.
The kit provides an etched piece PE32 (looks like a tuning fork) which is shown as being installed between the control column and the pilots seat. This is in fact wrong, the piece should sit on the engine side of the column. It's also reversed in the instructions, the lever attached to one side of the "U" should be on the *port* side - it represents the column locking lever.
The column has an inverted "U" shaped section on the bottom which fits into two holes. In reality this fits over the aileron torque tube which extends from about 6" the pilots side of the base of the column, to the firewall. I put a piece of thin styrene rod under the column, with the aft end extending through about 2mm and the forward end *above* the centre of the rudder bar and cut to fit at the "firewall" end.The base end of part PE32 sits on top of this rod and the top of PE32 cradles the front side of the stick under the grip.
(In reality, the "U" has a bolt across the top which goes through a split tube which slides up/down the column . Turning the locking lever tightens the bolt and closes the split tube to prevent the column moving fore/aft)
The column grip is a bit simplified. Side on it should look approximately
like:
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(Editors note This picture is actual size. Click on the picture to see
a magnified version)
I cut off the grip, extended the top of the column slightly with a curved fragment of rod thinner than the column, then glued the grip on top at an angle - then added another piece between the column and the bottom of the grip ring.
I made triggers from two disks cut off the end of some rod which had been scraped to a flat sided oval shape, and a hand throttle from stretched sprue.
Another useful addition would be the machine gun support bar running across
the cockpit just below the guns. This often had a tachometer mounted on it.
Excerpt from the WWI
Modeling List Archives from a post by Shane Weir. Shane's work
on the Eduard 1/72 Albatros can be viewed on Shane
Weiers Models Page of the WWI Modeling
Page.