De Havilland DH2: Times Two

I can't be certain but I think these two models have been my longest ever builds. I put the models together (the easy bit) in 2014 and just finished them. Prior to that I decided to get into Wings of Glory (what a fabulous and fun game concept) but wanted to play it in 1/72 scale because the models are better.

None of my aeroplanes are after 1916 vintage and these two additions will give my British squadrons half a chance against my two eindeckers. Obviously I like to rig my models to take it a step closer to an authentic look but it's a compromise at this scale - they are not fully rigged - I'm not completely mad.

I just love these pusher types - all very 'stop the pigeon.' Having said that they are a damn sight more fiddly than standard biplanes which I admit to having difficulty with at the best of times.

Weathering is a bugger as I needed to replicate the thin fabric semi-translucent effect with the air-frame ribs showing through. The decals for the tail section are problematic even using Microsol. They come as an entire tail section (tricolour with numbers) and required trimming after application, matte coating and touching up. I think painting the tail and then applying just a numerical decal across the top would be better.

I snapped two struts and lost one (let's put the look down to battle damage) which highlighted how imprecise I was when building the models in the first place. My enthusiasm for these models has come and gone a few times during the process but I chipped away until they were done - a labour of love and hate.

I black washed my prop-wash discs to simulate the blur of rotation. These Revell models represent fighters of the 24th and 29th squadrons - the latter being an earlier colour scheme. Well that's that. Whenever I build another WWI aircraft it will be an early war two-seater German observer I should think. Now I'm moving onto my three 1/72 German DFS230A gliders.