Hi All

First some history:-

The Siemens Schuckert D.III type fighter was the marriage of several great ideas. First the “monocoque” fuselage was a wooden frame with 3mm plywood panels as a skin. The rudder elevators and wings were fabric covered and conventionally built, and both the upper and lower wings had ailerons. The powerplant was a Siemens-Halske Sh III 160 hp, 11-cylinder counter rotary engine. A standard rotary turned cylinders and propeller on a stationary crankshaft, turning in one direction at 1800 rpm, but on the Seimens-Schuckert, the propeller and the cylinders turned at 900 rpm in one direction, while and the crankshaft turned 900 rpm in the opposite direction. This counteracted the torque inherent in the standard rotary and produced a maximum of 210hp.

Later a modified version, the Sh.IIIa put out a maximum of 240hp. Another company named “Rhemag” developed the reliable Sh.III(Rh). These rotaries were to be the first to be equipped with a true form of throttle control instead of a “blip” switch. Being highly maneuverable and fast climbing aircraft, the Siemens-Schuckert D.III became ideal for Germany’s Home Defense units known as KEST ( Kampf- einsitzer -staffeln). Several examples were flown successfully by pilots like Oblt. Ernst Udet and Ltn. Alfred Lenz. Though it looked like a barrel with wings, it was unequaled in maneuverability.

I have been looking for this limited edition kit for a while and finally found one. The Schuckert was the 1st WW1 kit that Eduard ever sold in 1993 the big thing that everyone loved was the etch but mainly the inclusion of the Lozenge pattern decals for upper and lower wings [two different colours] which was another 1st along with wing tape decals.

A couple of years after the kit was 1st sold 'Flashback' got hold of some unsold sprue/etch/decal sets from eduard repackaged them but as an added extra added a resin set that included the cockpit interior,engine and guns. This is one of those kits.

The kits has 32 parts but the wings and tail parts have a moulded in linen finish the fuselage has the panel lines all the parts are well cast with a small amount of flash. One double sided sheet of instructions are included with a rigging plan. the resin parts are well cast and the engine is much better than the plastic one. For me its the decals that made this kit with the lozenge pattern and the wing tapes.

A nice little kit with some added extra's, the Eduard kit is easyer to find but this kit took it up a notch, if you see one buy it as there not that common now.

Andy

Thanks for looking in and your comments Mark

Really great looking kit Andy will follow your build on this one regards Phil

Interesting looking kit, should be an interesting build.

Graeme