Etrich Taube

	This is a scratch - built 1:72 model of the Dove. Of course, Pegasus have now released their kit of the aircraft, but in 1998, when this was built, there was no kit in this scale.
	I built the model from styrene sheet, making the wings by scanning in a three - view diagram into the computer and scaling the printout to 1:72 scale. I used the printouts as templates to transfer wing and tail outlines to styrene sheet, marking the position of ribs on the leading and trailing edges.
I then scored along the rib lines using a straight edge and the point of a sharp rat - tail file. The characteristic wing shape - including the prominent washout at the tips was introduced to the wings by gently bending the plastic in hot water.
Lots of stretched sprue was made and laid into the grooves with liquid poly cement. Once set, the sprue 'ribs' helped the wing to maintain its undercambered shape.The fuselage outline was drawn onto plastic sheet, cut out and with formers in place a simple box shape was made. Curved decking from thin sheet and a nose sanded from laminations completed the main fuselage. Internal detail was limited to a simple dashboard and a couple of 'push-formed' seats.	A simple representation of the engine was made from bits of plastic rod and stretched sprue. Undercarriage was made up from rod, wheels from etched - brass 'spokes' and circular discs cut from plastic sheet with a pair of dividers.

The wings slotted into grooves I'd cut into the fuselage sides; the tailplane, made the same way as the wings, was simply butt-joined with liquid poly. The prop came from the spares box.

Various bracing poles were added to wings and fuselage, decals cut from black decal sheet, and rigging applied from elastic thread. I built this as per usual, as a 'Type' for my collection. Every photo I could find of a Taube was different - each aircraft pictured looked unique. I believe different manufacturers would chop and change the design to suit their own techniques - take a look at the 'Steel Taube' in Janes 'Fighting Aircraft of WW1' for example!

I had a lot of fun building this one. It seems to have been slightly damaged during my recent house move - one of the wing poles looks bent - and maybe I'll build the Pegasus kit as a replacement. Or maybe not.