1/72 "German" Tiger Moth from The Blue Max

[KiwiZac]

If you've seen the 1966 film The Blue Max you'll remember all the 1:1 aircraft in it, a flying cast consisting largely of accurate-looking replicas of German WW1 types with some Currie WOT-based SE5s for the Brits. In the background were also a handful of Tiger Moths and Stampes to make up the numbers, with machineguns fitted and covers installed over the front cockpits to pass as fighters. When I was 20 I told people that if I ever got a Tiger I'd restore it in Blue Max configuration.

Now I'm not so sure, but I still wanted to build a model of one. So when Airfix released its new 1/72 Tiger kit a few years back I grabbed two for different projects and, finally, one of those kits is complete as my Luftsreitkrafte (sp?) Tiger!

Untitled by Zac Yates, on Flickr
Untitled by Zac Yates, on Flickr
Untitled by Zac Yates, on Flickr

And here are the three of four planned Blue Max builds all together. I rigged the Pfalz with stretched sprue and really need to do it again with elastic.
Untitled by Zac Yates, on Flickr

Airfix kit with Revell Fokker D.VII guns and Aviattic lozenge decals. Roden's Albatros D.II provided the crosses (which mostly survived intact) and the rigging is the silver/white thread sold by Wingnut Wings. Annoyingly the instructions didn't include the elevator cables so I used the Haynes manual and internet photo searches to help establish where they enter/exit the fuselage sides.

[NARSES2]

Fantastic job Zac, particularly with the lozenge. 

[nighthunter]

That's rather awesome!

[KiwiZac]

Apologies for the busy background folks, I'll try that again now I've figured out how to access the desktop Flickr (and BB links) on my phone::

Untitled by Zac Yates, on Flickr
Untitled by Zac Yates, on Flickr
Untitled by Zac Yates, on Flickr
Untitled by Zac Yates, on Flickr
Untitled by Zac Yates, on Flickr

[Knightflyer]

Oh I like that, it's impressive. I'm impressed that you've managed the rigging on a 1/72nd Tiger Moth...I wouldn't even attempt it!  (as a side note ... reminds me to I must do my BoB film Me109 with roundels ....sometime!)

[zenrat]

Cool.

Oh I like that, it's impressive. I'm impressed that you've managed the rigging on a 1/72nd Tiger Moth...I wouldn't even attempt it!  (as a side note ... reminds me to I must do my BoB film Me109 with roundels ....sometime!)

1/72 rigging isn't too hard.  I can manage it with my big clumsy fingers.
Those lozenge decals on the other hand - wow!

[NARSES2]

Thanks for the new photo's Zac, fantastic 

[KiwiZac]

Thanks for all the very kind comments! I agree the new background does rather help.

The hardest part of the lozenge is cutting it out. The Pfalz in the trio pics had the lozenge already in the shapes required (I think it was a Squadron Encore boxing) whereas the Aviattic sheets are in nice big blocks and strips - you have to lay the kit parts on the sheet and kinda guess how to cut the shapes. It's a problem of my own making so I can't complain! The idea of finishing the planned quartet with Willi's Fokker Dr.I is a bit scary, though...those trailing edges...

The rigging can be frustrating at times - especially when the glue chooses to dry slower than it did before - but I found doing four kits at once helped.

As a fun coincidence, here's a recently-uploaded bit of home movie showing these and other movie aircraft while filming in Ireland!
https://youtu.be/vY_LUpMEDNo

[stevehed]

Very impressive. Subjects that had never occurred to me.

[Glenn]

To complete the set, all you need now, is a Stamp S4.
Glenn

[dumaniac]

very nice

[TomZ]

Very good!

TomZ

[comrade harps]

Dazzling and suitably difficult to look at. Impressive! 

[Army of One]

Fantastic work....!! I have always wanted to try a WW1 or biplane with rigging but considered it the same as front row in rugby...a dark art...

[NARSES2]

Interesting comparison mate, but I know what you mean