Eduard 1/48 PFALZ D-III
Price: MSRP - $24.95
Decals: kit decals for two different aircraft.
Media: injection-molded plastic, cast resin, etch brass detail.
Accuracy: Excellent
Overall: See review
Reviewed by: Thomas McKelvey Cleaver (THE AERONUT)
ThePfalz D-III and D-IIIa were overshadowed by the Albatros D-III and D-V, but were excellent fighters for their period. I made my D-III as a plane from Richtofen's Jasta 11, with a "Flying Circus" red nose and white tail, flown by an unidentified pilot.
This Eduard offering continues their new moldings which are easily the best limited-run injection moldings to be found on the market. The wings are thin, the moldings are flash-free, the fit is excellent. The kit as produced is the D-III. The D-IIIa differed by having a horizontal stabilizer of greater chord and area, differently-shaped lower wingtips, and - most important - the machine guns were moved from within the fuselage to a more conventional position atop the fuselage in front of the cockpit, where the pilot could get at them when they jammed. This is an easy conversion; if you have the Aeromaster Pfalz Collection sheet, the differing wing and horizontal stabilizer are shown in drawings.
My D-IIIa was flown by Rolf Bertolt, Jastafuehrer of Jasta 15, a winner of the Blue Max with 42 victories. Bertolt was badly-wounded in 1916 and his left arm was crippled; the Pfalz had the throttle on the stick, which he could control with his right hand. Jasta 15's red nose/blue fuselage and upper wings marking was developed from the dress uniform of the Prussian Hussars, of which Bertolt had been a member before the war.
The D-III has a simple bracing system, which I did with .008 brass wire painted silver. The prop blades are finished with SuperScale's "dark wood pattern" sheet. Overall, this is an excellent kit. If you have yet to build a World War I airplane, the Pfalz is a good place to start and have a good experience.