Author: greatwarplanes_qv52wz

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New Miniatures: The Ago C.I

The twin-boom Ago C.I and Ago C.II pushers were instantly recognizable, just as their spiritual brethren the P-38 Lightning would be in the next world war. Small numbers of them were used for reconnaissance in 1915-1916, tailing off after summer.

The Ago was one of the very few single-engine pushers used by the Germans, and it holds the distinction of being the first German plane armed with the Parabellum LMG14 machine gun, where the prototype was used in combat evaluation in April 1915. Around sixty-four of them were built in several small batches between February and October 1915. The maximum at the front was a little under two dozen in Spring to mid-summer 1916 (with an unexplained dip in numbers in April). Air crews found it easy to fly and robust, and its lifetime was extended even though it was never seen in large numbers. Once pilots grew accustomed to its characteristics, the forward nose-over wheels were frequently removed. While the forward field-of-fire was excellent, the lack of rear protection eventually turned into a major limitation.

Two paintable Ago C.I miniatures are now available from https://greatwarplanes.com — one with a 160hp Mercedes D.III engine and the other with a 150hp Benz Bz.III engine.

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New Miniatures: The Albatros C.I

Three full-color and two paintable 1:144 Albatros C.I miniatures are now available at https://greatwarplanes.com.

The Albatros C.I was the company’s rapid response to the German directive to provide defensive armament to two-seaters. It was provided with either the 150hp Benz Bz.III or the 160hp Mercedes D.III engine, both which gave it good performance. It arrived at the front in spring 1915 and by the end of the year comprised around 42% of all German two-seaters at the front. As better machines appeared, it was moved to less active fronts, where it served into 1917. It was exported to Turkey and Bulgaria and served as a trainer (as the C.Ia through the end of the war). Around 630 Albatros C.I’s were built for combat use. Roland-built C.Is cleaned up the aerodynamics by switching from side radiators to a top-wing leading radiator, and this was carried forward in the C.Ia variant.

From early to mid 1916, it was the most common German two-seater in service, eclipsed by its successor, the Albatros C.III, in the summer of 1916.

Computer render
Computer render
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Airco D.H.9/D.H.9A

The Airco D.H.9 was a fine airplane design held back by an underperforming engine. Designers were expecting 300hp out of the Siddeley Puma, but in practice it only delivered 230hp on a good day. This left the D.H.9 — a successor to the D.H.4 — with less power than the plane it was supposed to replace. While everyone, including high command, recognized that the D.H.9 wasn’t the two-seater they really wanted, there was no way to stop production or introduce a better engine (such as a Rolls-Royce), given the demand for high-performance engines on existing models.

A reprieve finally happened with the arrival of the 400hp Liberty V-12 from the USA. When installed in the D.H.9 airframe (modified for the larger engine), the D.H.9 gave excellent performance and was well-liked by its crews. Unfortunately the supply of Liberty engines never kept up with projections or schedules, so the supply of D.H.9As was limited as well.

Three paintable D.H.9/D.H.9A models are now available at Great War Planes as well as three full-color D.H.9s.

Computer render
Computer render
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The Fokker D.I-D.IV

The Fokker D.I-D.IV were by no means excellent planes, but these biplanes did help fill the gap between the Fokker Eindeckers and the Albatros D.I and D.II. The D.I and D.IV featured inline engines while the D.II and D.III featured rotary engines — the latter using the same double-row rotary as the Fokker E.IV. All of them suffered from workmanship problems and were frequently grounded. In fact, the D.IV was so troublesome it may have never seen combat action, relegated to training duties before its combat career ever began. On 6 December 1916 all Fokker biplanes were withdrawn from front-line service due to structural failures both in static testing and in combat use. Paintable 1:144 models of all four of these transitional planes are now available from https://greatwarplanes.com.

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New Miniatures: The German Albatros D.III

Eight full-color Albatros D.III and five paintable models were recently added to the shop. Why so many paintable versions, you might ask? The earliest model D.IIIs had the radiator centered in the wing, but it was soon moved somewhat outboard to improve sight lines and/or to reduce the chance of hot water being sprayed in the pilot’s face should the radiator be punctured. D.IIIs manufactured at Albatros’ east German affiliate O.A.W. featured a rounded rudder like that on the D.V. Finally, D.IIIs headed for the Middle East were fitted with double radiators for improved cooling in the hot conditions. Five versions covers most of those combinations.

Austria-Hungary also made wide use of the Albatros D.III design, produced in three series by the Oeffag fIrm (Oesterreichische Flugzeugfabrik A.G.). But those designs had already been added to the shop.

Computer render
Computer render
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New Miniatures: The Sopwith 1½ Strutter

The Sopwith 1½ Strutter was Britain’s first tractor aircraft in service with a synchronized gun. It served widely in both its 9400-type two-seat configuration and its 9700-type single-seat bomber, with both the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Navy Air Service. Perhaps more impressive was the Strutter’s use in the French air service, with around 4,500 built. Unfortunately the French Sopwith 1A2s and 1B1s came into widespread service in late 1917 and early 1918 when the type was long beyond its prime, and French crews were happy when the Strutters were later replaced with Salmson 2s and Breguet 14s. Desperate for aircraft, the Americans used the Strutter in combat for a short time before replacements could be arranged.

Five paintable Sopwith 1½ Strutters and a dozen full-color miniatures are now available at https://greatwarplanes.com, including planes from the British, French, Belgian, and American air services.

Computer render of a Sopwith 1½ Strutter
Computer render
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New Miniatures: French Voisins and Austro-Hungarian Brandenburgs

New miniatures! Reduced Aircraft Factory has recently added a host of French Voisin bombers (3,4,5,8, and 10, with both cannon and machine gun armed variants), as well as five paintable and four full-color Hansa-Brandenburg C.Is. The Voisins served the French Air Service from the beginning of the war through the end. While they were slow and not very maneuverable, they were sturdy and reliable. The Brandenburg C.I was Austria-Hungary’s most common aircraft type by far, and if you encountered an Austro-Hungarian two-seater, it was most likely a Hansa-Brandenburg C.I.

Hansa-Brandenburg C.I
Hansa-Brandenburg C.I