EASTERN EXPRESS (TOKO) 1:72 AVIATIK (BERG) D.1

 

Reviewer: Steve Hedworth (contact via SMAKR webmaster)
Kit Review submitted:  6 October 2009

Aircraft History:

The prototype flew in early 1917 and the type entered service in the autumn. Initially engined with an 185hp Austro Daimler and side mounted radiators, later models introduced a car type radiator and 200hp engines. At first the type had a single machine gun firing over the wing but twin guns were quickly introduced. As common with most AH fighters these were streamlined within the forward cowlings and beyond the reach of the pilot although eventually a more conventional position was adopted.  About 700 were built and later models had the 225hp Austro Daimler. In this version the frontal radiator was replaced by a wing mounted type similar to the Phoenix D types. An open topped nose cowling was installed and the more powerful engine caused the wings to be reinforced.  The D1 was usually flown with engine panels removed to assist the aircraft’s cooling system. The car type radiators were apparently prone to overheating in the rarefied air over the Alps during the summer months. The radiator mounted on the leading edge seems to have improved matters.

The Aviatik D1 served widely with the A-H airforce on the Balkan, Russian and Italian fronts. Although both Frank Link Crawford and Josef Kiss flew the type most of the leading pilots preferred the Albatros D111 or the Phoenix D types. The structural deficiencies often raised appear to have been limited to one production batch where unauthorised changes to the wing during manufacture were made. A captured example was tested in the UK and found to be comparable to any enemy aircraft then in service. The structure was light and strong and the pilot’s position was given a favourable review.  In fact, the later models were considered to be one of the best types to be employed in the interceptor role being comparable with the later Phoenix D11a.

In short, the type was built in significant numbers and whatever the shortcomings they must have been within the limits of toleration. It was a regular adversary of Italian and British aircraft in 1918 but, like the German Pfalz, doomed to suffer faint praise.

The Kit:

This was from Eastern Express. There are two sprues and the plastic is white. There was minor flash on the tail pieces and upper fuselage. More on the wings but it was thin and easy to remove. The parts were bagged and stamped both Toko and Eastern Express.

Instructions:

Very short history in Russian and English. There are six exploded picture views that are easy to understand. The back page has the colour scheme and decal arrangement but the paint menu is incomplete although it quotes Humbrol numbers.

Construction:

The engine is first and builds into a nice little unit. The shame is that when it is installed within the fuselage very little can be seen. Undercarriage is built as a separate unit and set aside. I built mine later as it would be too easy to allow it to set misaligned. There is ribbing on the insides of the cockpit walls. After this is painted, I just used wood colour and dark brown for the ribs, there are pedals, a control column, a seat, and an instrument panel and another similar bulkhead to be installed. Together with the engine these are all enclosed within the fuselage halves.  I saved the pedals and column for another day and installed a pilot from the spares box. To assist the fitting of the fuselage halves I glued a couple of locating slots behind the cockpit. These helped to line the pair up and a dab of superglue secured the rear section. This allowed me to better concentrate on getting a good join along the forward section where the cockpit and engine cut outs can make life a little more tricky.  When everything was finally secure I found that a touch of filler was needed on the under fuselage between the wings and a dab on the nose. A small gap in front of the cockpit succumbed to superglue and paint.

The radiator is next and this also requires filler along the joints. The prominent pipework is best left to the end.  Section six covers the upper wings, tail section and the undercarriage unit. The lower wings have tiny guide pins. I drilled out the receiving holes, applied a small amount of tacky glue and set the piece down on a foot ruler to dry. The taper of the ruler proved to be a pretty good guide and when the glue was almost set I carried out the final adjustments and ran some CA into the joints. At this stage I painted the wings CDL and the fuselage dark wood stain with the metal panels grey, later adding varnish to allow handling.

Next was the wing struts. Again tacky glue and patience were applied. All the locating holes had been drilled out for ease and I should add that the lozenge transfers had been added to the wings and satin varnish applied to them. I managed a good positioning of the top wing, assisted by my pair of Airfix Pup wing supports, and secured it with CA. My problem was the cabane struts. I could not get them to match the holes in the top wing. I don’t think I have them back to front as I tried both ways so in the end I fixed them into the slots on the fuselage and secured them onto the wing undersurface where they lined up.

The undercarriage was a bit fiddly but I got there in the end. The wheels have spokes moulded into them but I simply painted them canvas colour and the tyres grey. The elevators needed the space between them enlarged to fit and they seemed to have a bit of tension in them. I thought I had them level and left them overnight to find them not quite so. It’s not really bad so I left them as they are. Tail is butted onto the fuselage and the fine bracing struts have to be found from the spares or Contrail as the kit neglects to supply them. Two fine rods are fitted into slots at the nose to represent the machine guns, the tail skid is added and the radiator piping positioned. Lastly, the propeller was installed onto the pin protruding beneath the radiator. This is part of the engine installation and I waited until all the transfers and rigging was completed.

Colour Schemes:

There are several schemes that can be applied to this model. Many Berg’s sported lozenge patterns but others used a more standard camouflage of greens and browns or clear varnished wood panelling. The kit has overall lozenge pattern applied as a transfer. I had never used lozenges before, I once hand painted an Airfix Hannover, so I was keen to try them out.  Richard Stracy had warned that Toko’s were delicate but I can state that the Eastern Express version went on with no trouble at all. I had painted the wings CDL beforehand. It was a homemade concoction of  Revell matt 88, which is a paler version of wood, and Revell matt white. That was the wings by the way. Having reread Richard’s earlier appraisal, and being unfamiliar with decal softening solutions etc, I decided life was too short to spend time on trying to make the fuselage transfers fit. So I checked out Wings Pallette on the net, an old publication I have and looked up Austrian lozenges on The Aerodrome. I finally decided on a dark stained varnished fuselage and adapted the kit markings. The paint used was Humbrol matt 160 with some matt black added.  With the benefit of hindsight I should have lightened the fuselage colour which would have made the black band stand out better.

Decals:

There are a choice of two. An Austro-Hungarian fighter flown by the ace Frank Linke Crawford that is lozenge patterned and the transfers cover most of the aircraft. The other option is Ukrainian. There are six insignia but no instructions as to what colour scheme they are to be applied to. I used the kit lozenge decals on the upper surfaces of the wings, the elevators and the tail unit. The crosses are from the kit and I used the black fuselage band. This has a white L on it but I painted it out, varnished it, and then applied a number four from the spares box. All the transfers were sealed with satin varnish and the paint was similarly treated.

Accuracy:

The wing spans out at 4.4 ins (112mm) which is close enough for 26.3 feet or 8m. The lower wing is a smidgeon less and fits the 7.89m of the original. Length is 3.9 ins(99mm) which makes it a scale 6 inches too long. Height is spot on at 1.4 ins(36mm). More than good enough for me.


© Steve Hedworth 2009

Recommendations:

I like Eastern Express because of the various WW1 kits they have brought out but I don’t think they are for the faint hearted. My other EE kit was the Sopwith Snipe and on both it and the Aviatik I came across parts which did not match the location holes. Nontheless these are not insurmountable problems and with care and patience a very good model can be built.

References:


© Steve Hedworth 2009

 

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