Beyond The Sprues
Current and Finished Projects => Physical Models => Aero-space => Topic started by: Brian da Basher on November 12, 2013, 06:50:55 AM
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While the iconic World War I film The Blue Max is widely known
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/BlueMaxmoviepostersmall.jpg)
Less known is the fact that the famous film differs quite a bit from the novel by Jack Hunter. In the book, Stachel survives testing the prototype fighter and meets Herman Goering. Being controversial, the future Reichsmarschall was written out of the film.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/BlueMaxbookvsfilm.jpg)
Little known is the original Blue Max shooting script ended with Stachel, now Jasta C.O., flying crucial mission against the Americans at the end of the war. He was given one of the last, apparently much sought-after Albatros D.Vs. "Take care of it! It's the last one you're likely to get!" Kogenluft HQ admonished him. If there'd been a sequel, they'd have probably given him an Eindekker.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/BMAlb_final_001.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/BMAlb_final_002.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/BMAlb_final_003.jpg)
Pre-production began in 1964 when the German firm of Bitz Flugzeugbau was contracted to build many flying reproductions needed for the aerial sequences. Of course, the first one Blitz Flugzeugbau made was Stachel's suped-up Albatros D.V for the finale.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/BMAlb_final_004.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/BMAlb_final_005.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/BMAlb_final_006.jpg)
Twentieth-Century Fox was pleased Blitz Flugzeugbau completed the Albatros replica in only seven weeks, but was less pleased with the lozenge pattern.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/BMAlb_final_007.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/BMAlb_final_008.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/BMAlb_final_009.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/BMAlb_final_0010.jpg)
Because of a mis-translation, Blitz Flugzeugbau used a lozenge pattern that Twentieth-Century Fox thought was far too bright and might appear cartoonish on film. The studio also disagreed with the white fuselage which they thought was uncomfortably close to Goering's notably all-white aircraft. Blitz Flugzeugbau at least was able to get a better lozenge on later replicas, but they put the Albatros aside to be recovered later. Unfortunately, due to projected cost over-runs, to save on the number of flying sequences, the ending was changed to the one we all remember.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/BMAlb_final_head_on.jpg)
Blitz Flugzeugbau hoped the Albatros might be used in another film but it was unfortunately eaten by goats in a freak accident.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/Goats-LB0810-9726.jpg)
Today, the only evidence that there ever was a Blue Max Albatros are these remaining studio test shots.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/BMAlb_final_0011.jpg)
Brian da Basher
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I've always been a big fan of the Blue Max and I always wanted to do my version of it. Lacking a suitable Pfalz in the kit stash, I reached for the next, best thing, the venerable 1/72 Airfix Albatros.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/airfixalbatrosbox.jpg)
Isn't the box art fantastic? You can almost feel the prop wash, can't you?
Of course, what's inside that nice box is a little basic.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/airfixalbatrossprues.jpg)
The pilot waving hello is certainly a friendly touch, but I didn't call to just say hello. Well of course I like to say hello. But my Albatros needed something I could pass off as a cockpit. This meant robbing some poor Spitfire pilot of his chair and cutting an instrument panel from card.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/BMAlb_build_pit_004.jpg)
Once this was done, the fuselage was buttoned up and I focused on painting. I was dreading hand-painting the lozenge, but there was no way around it. Behold the famous Luftstreitkräfte six-color lozenge, done on installments.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/BMAlb_lozenge_all.jpg)
These were done in acrylics, and I took perverse delight in using Royal Flying Corps PC-10 as the green.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/BMAlb_final_0015.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/BMAlb_final_uppers.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/BMAlb_final_under.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/BMAlb_final_0016.jpg)
The entire model was brush-painted by hand in acrylics and kit decals were used, except the S shields and fuselage crosses which were scrounged from spares. Rigging was done with thin wire and I added a radiator pipe bent from thicker wire.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/BMAlb_final_0012.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/BMAlb_final_0013.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Blue%20Max%20Albatros/BMAlb_final_0014.jpg)
I had a lot of fun building my Blue Max Albatros which took about a week from start to finish. I hope you enjoyed it and some forgotten history of this famous film.
Brian da Basher
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Really --- my cousin is in movie industry plus is model and military buff. Must send this bit of movie history to him.
Thatz a great build :) Your brush painting is top tier. You survived the rigors of rigging and got it looking fine. Add that to hand-painted lozenge and there is lotz of tedious building in this model. Bang up job dude :)
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:-* :-* :-*
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Outstanding work Basha!!! :-* 8)
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Absolutely gorgeous bit of work, Brian. A truly beautiful rendering of a complex color scheme.
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:) super great little plane ya got there! great job on the rigging and paint. did you cut the wire to size(length) then glue it ,or did you drill holes in the wings and pull it though?
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:) super great little plane ya got there! great job on the rigging and paint. did you cut the wire to size(length) then glue it ,or did you drill holes in the wings and pull it though?
Same question goes for me too.
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:) super great little plane ya got there! great job on the rigging and paint. did you cut the wire to size(length) then glue it ,or did you drill holes in the wings and pull it though?
Same question goes for me too.
I'm really glad you guys enjoyed this one. The rigging is just wires cut to length and attached with glue. While I marvel at those who can rig properly by drilling holes and using just one length of wire, I don't have the patience or skill to pull that off.
I've got at least three more Albatrosses (Albatri?) in the stash, all bagged Roden Econo-kits. Not sure how they'll end out, but I welcome ideas.
Brian da Basher
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what if Boelke had lived hand still outscored "the red baron"
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Great job, Brian - the rigging looks great and I was going to ask you where you got the lozenge decals! The lozenges came out great; I'm surprised that you had painted them. I'm not sure I'd have the patience.
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That is some serious hand painting! Hope the goats got indigestion ;D
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Realizing that jealousy is unbecoming, I will hopefully make up for it a little by at least being honest when I admit that I am green with envy! The build, the paint-scheme and, yes, that damnable RIGGING that you claim is so easy.
Green with jealousy, I am.
----Yoda.
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Mighty nifty, Brian! I've only built one Airfix WW 1 kit, a Hannover about forty years ago, but I remember the pilot and observer figures being very good sculpts for the time. Looks like the Albatross pilot might have come from the same hand.
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That lozenge is spell binding!! You made it look so simple! First class job all around :-*
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Hand painted Lozenge for the win !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I love the color scheme. It kinda reminds me of Wonder Bread. Ya messed up. The plane in the movie poster has no wings showing. An eindekker? Well done G.A. Adios, Larry.
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Love this! Great backstory, great end result and a great novel and film. Great work Bri - love the lozenge, too!
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"Here comes the king, here comes the king, here comes the big #1..."
Very much looking forward to it!
Brian da Basher