"Albatros" D. III (Oef) - the German/ Polish/ Lituanian fighter

In 1916 several new fighters were designed in Germany, which were to replace the previously used monoplanes "Fokker" and "Pfalz". One of these aircraft was the biplane "Albatros" D. I, which first took to the air in April 1916 and was distinguished by an excellent aerodynamic fuselage. The characteristics of the aircraft were satisfactory, so serial production began in July. Improved versions of the D. II, D. III and D. V soon appeared. From the autumn of 1916 to mid-1918 this type of aircraft formed the basis of German fighter squadrons and was highly valued by pilots. The Austro-Hungarian Air Force also became interested in it. At the end of 1916 the “Osterreichische Flugzeugfabrik AG” (Oeffag) began their production under license. The fighters of this factory differed from the German ones in a more powerful engine and some other minor improvements. In 1919 the Polish Air Force purchased 38 “Albatros” D. III (Oef) machines. With these aircraft were armed two fighter squadrons: 7 Kosciuszka and 2 (later 13) Wielkopolska. In the 1920 war with Soviet Russia, the “Albatros’ supported the actions of the Polish army, mainly carrying out strike operations, for which they were not adapted. An exceptional squadron at that time was the 7th Kosciuszko Squadron, which was flown only by US pilots. Its commander was Cedric E. Faunt Le Roy, who during World War I was a member of the Commission accepting aircraft from French factories for American squadrons and its main test pilot. This model recreates the appearance of his aircraft from the 7th Kosciuszko Squadron. A couple of such aircraft were assembled from available parts in the Kaunas Military Aviation Workshop for Lituanian Military Aviation.

A perfectly detailed and well-designed model with full cockpit equipment, armament, landing gear, propeller and exterior detailing. Although it looks complicated, the model, like all Pawel Mistewicz projects, is not. It can be assembled perfectly by modelers of any experience, working under the supervision of a more experienced colleague. The model without any technological intricacies, and assembled, will certainly look no worse than the famous expensive and complex models. There are no color stocks. The textual instructions are small, but clear, informative in Polish, the graphical instructions are medium-size, but also comprehensive and informative, and are also perfectly readable. With a little work with computer programs and based on historical photos from the Internet, this model can easily be repainted in "Lituanian" colors. Antiquarian publication.