Tethered Flight Scale – My Albatros DV.a

Albatros—a German Luftwaffe aircraft from World War I that has always fascinated me because of its appearance. I didn’t decide to build a model of this aircraft until after I discovered a kit from the U.S. company Arizona Aircraft. It was an RC model that still needed to be converted into a tethered-flight model.

If you take a look around the www.arizonamodels.com (AZM Catalog) website, you’ll find a wide variety of wonderful German and English model airplanes from the period before and after World War I. The Albatros DV is one of them.a. I ordered the 1:6 scale model kit in June 2016. And that marked the beginning of a real odyssey for me. After months of waiting and following up, I received a reply stating that the entire Arizonamodel production facility had been flooded and would have to be rebuilt. Then, at the end of the year, the email finally arrived: The kit had been delayed. But it never arrived. Then, finally, in March 2017, a large package was sitting on my doorstep. Joy reigned—and disillusionment followed.

The entire model kit was a jumbled mess of parts, some of which didn’t match the plans at all. On top of that, the plans were very superficial and lacked any details.

Despite the frustration mentioned above, I ventured to build the model in mid-2017. Many parts had to be redrawn and rebuilt, and all metal parts—which were originally made of the thinnest brass or steel sheet—had to be laser-cut from sturdier chrome steel. A new wing plan was also necessary, because in the included plan, the two wings were constructed differently than the ribs dictated. Finally, after months of painstaking work, all the components for the cockpit, the two machine guns, the cooling system, and—above all—the mock-up engine were assembled. The initial frustration had long since given way to the joy of the challenge. Anyone building a scale model must adhere faithfully to the specifications of the original aircraft. A wonderful construction manual from “Vintage Aviator Ltd.”—a company that has faithfully replicated and flown two Albatros DV.a aircraft—proved to be a great help to me in this process.

On May 17, 2020—almost four years after ordering the kit—the time had finally come. After numerous test phases—such as throttle adjustments, center of gravity positioning, sound checks, taxiing tests, etc.—the model stood on the runway at the “Schwalbennest,” ready for its first flight. I was really nervous. But I wasn’t going to let it show. My wife, who has been by my side in model flying for years, was on hand as ground crew.

So, let’s go! A slow roll-out, increasing speed—the model feels “lighter”—no problem on an endless runway—and takes off on its own. A little more throttle, and the Albatros hovers calmly and steadily in the air. Sometimes high, sometimes low, sometimes at full throttle—the Albatros handles it all and lands without a hitch after about 5 minutes.

Albatros DV.a: A huge effort—but also a huge joy!

Take off on your own. A little more throttle, and the Albatros hovers calmly and steadily in the air. Sometimes high, sometimes low, sometimes at full throttle—the Albatros handles it all and lands without a hitch after about 5 minutes.

On August 22–23, 2020, the International Scale & Semi-Scale Competition took place at the Hard 2000 tethered flight field in Untersiggenthal. Of course, I had to compete in the Scale category with my new Albatros. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the Czech competitors were absent, but otherwise there was a strong international field at the start.

In the build evaluation, I took first place by a wide margin, and since all my flights went according to plan, I also took first place in the overall standings.

I’m already looking forward to showcasing my Albatros at international scale competitions abroad soon.

Video: www.fesselflug.ch/content/berichte/berichte-2020/