¹⁄32

October MOM Winner

history

The Pfalz D.III was a fighter aircraft used by the Luftstreitkräfte (Imperial German Air Service) during the First World War. The D.III was the first major original design from Pfalz Flugzeugwerke. Though generally considered inferior to contemporary Albatros and Fokker fighters, the D.III was widely used by the Jagdstaffeln from the fall of 1917 through the summer of 1918. It continued to serve as a training aircraft until the end of the war.

History adapted from Wikipedia

the model

This is Wingnut Wings' superlative 1/32 rendition of the Pfalz D.IIIa. Paraphrasing the text on the instructions:

Pfalz D.IIIa, with black and white comet - personal markings of Max Holtzem of Jasta 16b in early 1918. Starting his aviation training in 1913, Max Holtzem has spent much of the Great War as Pfalz test pilot, flight instructor and posted Jasta 16b from early 1917 until the end of the War.

Max's post-war career saw him barnstorming in Argentina, test pilot for Anthony Fokker's Atlantic Aircraft Corporation in US and (by then a US Citizen) as flight inspector for P-51 Mustang assembly line during the WWII. Max remained active in aviation circles until his death in 1980.

the build

The build is utilizing 1/32 Wingnut Wings kit #32006 - straight out of the box. The kit pays special attention to details specific to Max Holtzem's aircraft - especially "organ pipes" exhaust, as well as making early/late features easily discernible during the build. Kit comes with 4 color lozenge and lozenge ribtapes for lower and upper planes of the wings (Max's upper wing is completely overpainted in Pfalz silver gray). Fuselage personal markings are provided as multi-piece wrap around decals that register with precision and ease of application (though I've still mucked it up and had to touch up). Kit also provides an option for finished comet marking on the top wing, though I have opted for historically accurate unfinished black star.