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In-Box Review
148
DFW C.V
1st Production batch
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by: Stephen T. Lawson [ JACKFLASH ]

History

In 1916 it was the Deutsche Flugzeug-Werke that manufactured their C.V as a two-bay wing cellule and either a Conrad C.III 150 hp or Benz Bz.IV 200hp. Predictably, the more powerful Benz engine gave significantly better performance. The C.V main designer was Heinrich Oelerich, and it was produced in larger numbers than any other German aircraft during World War I. About 2000 were manufactured in DFW and about 1250 licence maufactured by the Aviatik (DFW C.V (Av), designated also as Aviatik C.VI), Halberstadt, LVG, and Schütte-Lanz. It was a biplane of mixed, mostly wooden construction. A fuselage of a wooden frame, covered with plywood. Two-spar rectangular wooden wings, canvas covered. Upper wing of slightly greater span, with extended ends with ailerons. Tail of metal frame, covered with canvas. Straight engine in a fuselage nose, with a chimney-like exhaust pipe (LVG-produced planes had horizontal exhaust pipe). Engine was initially covered with an aerodynamic cover for the cold winter months. Two-blade wooden propeller, 2.8 m diameter. Water radiators on both fuselage sides, later water radiator before upper wing. Fixed conventional landing gear, with a straight common axle and a rear skid. Besides Germany this machine was use in the post war fledgling air forces of Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland and Poland.

Kit history

This Karaya 1/48th scale kit is a very high quality resin kit. In addtion to their very unique and rare WWI subjects. Karaya includes several high quality features such as custom photo-etch parts and water slide decals. Other unique Karaya features include embedded copper wire inserts in their strut assembly parts, making for stronger joints and precise placement much easier. Better than many plastic kits! The resin fuselage halves, for example, fit well together. Altogether a good kit but there are some challenges.

Box Contents

102 Resin pcs.
40 Metal pcs.
02 Plastic pcs.
01 Decal option.
02 sided sheet of insructions
01 sided half page on decal locations.

List of Caveats

Anyone trying this should know the following:
1. Not all Karaya boxes have wire re-inforcement in the struts and some don't always protrude through both ends.
2. This first production batch kit has a forward firing Spandau MG. unfortunately the fuselage half doe not have a cutout for it, But there is a gap for it in the nice PE control panel?
3. Colour scheme is based on a single photo in the Windsock Datafile. I think Dan San Abbott's interpretation in his writings on the DFW are closer to correct.
4. The winter cowling was absent at the time of the photo.
5. Other modelers say that the decals go on nicely, but the DFW logo for the nose appears too large for 1:48.
6. The cabane struts don't seem to have attachment points for them on the forward fuselage deck.
7. The kit offers nice detail for the cockpit, but there are no ammo boxes and empty belt chute as well as the Telefunken transmitter. So you may need to scratchbuild them.
8. If you do have the winter cowl and want to use it, it won't fit with the completed motor in place. You will have to make a choice. to have the motor exposed or just do the build with the cowling and exhausts in place.
9. The radiator header tank that sits above the motor is the wrong size for the winter cowl. The length is actually too long even without the winter cowl. If you do fix the tank as is the water pipe is too close to the small windshield.

The finished build images included here are from Aeroscale member and all round good fellow, Mikko Saarela of Finland. His input on this build is greatly appreciated.

When contacting manufacturers and publishers please mention you saw this review at AEROSCALE

SUMMARY
Highs: The resin fuselage halves fit well together. Wings over all are well done.
Lows: Altogether a good kit but there are some challenges that I have attempted to list here.
Verdict: I spent my own money for this kit and I am sure I would do so again. Knowing the issues and the fine details included in the mould It a good deal.
  DESIGN & DETAILS:89%
  CAMO COLOUR:86%
  DECAL CHOICE:83%
Percentage Rating
86%
  Scale: 1:48
  Mfg. ID: # 48010
  Suggested Retail: $55.00
  Related Link: Misterkit USA
  PUBLISHED: Aug 13, 2010
  NATIONALITY: Germany
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 90.97%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 88.00%

About Stephen T. Lawson (JackFlash)
FROM: COLORADO, UNITED STATES

I was building Off topic jet age kits at the age of 7. I remember building my first WWI kit way back in 1964-5 at the age of 8-9. Hundreds of 1/72 scale Revell and Airfix kits later my eyes started to change and I wanted to do more detail. With the advent of DML / Dragon and Eduard I sold off my ...

Copyright ©2021 text by Stephen T. Lawson [ JACKFLASH ]. Images also by copyright holder unless otherwise noted. Opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AeroScale. All rights reserved.



Comments

Thanks for the review Stephen . What is the surface of the wings like for the ribbing ?
AUG 13, 2010 - 03:18 AM
(Image from the review.) The surfacing is actually a decent representation.
AUG 13, 2010 - 10:01 AM
The finished build images included in the review are from Aeroscale member and all round good fellow, Mikko Saarela of Finland. See this and his other builds also on his website here.
AUG 13, 2010 - 08:35 PM
A very good and accurate review, Stephen! I've got nothing much to add, except maybe this about the forward firing MG: Your kit, # 48010, has fuselage halves for the first production version with a blunt nose and no spinner, right? I don't think that version actually had a forward firing mg installed, so the fuselage halves are probably right. Karaya seems to have the same PE set - and same assembly instructions! - for every boxing of the kit and you have to fix the instrument panel for this first production batch version. No scratch built ammo boxes are needed and you can also use the nice Karaya mg for an other model! I had some interesting information about the Telefunken transmitter after I had finished my model. A fellow Finnish modeler Heikki Lappalainen had come across a photo taken inside the observers cockpit of DWF C.V. The radio equipment had been installed on a plywood wall in front of the cockpit just under the extra Parabellum ammobelt reel boxes (these are nicely detailed in the Karaya kit, too!) and behind the fuel tank. There is no such plywood panel in the cockpit of the Cracow museum DFW. So my scratch built radio on the port side of the observers cockpit might be in the wrong place. Mikko
AUG 14, 2010 - 03:55 AM
   
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