Halberstadt C1.IV by Karaya
1/48 scale
Kit No. 1002
Cost: $36.00
Decals: Two versions
Comments: Limited run injection molded plastic kit with photo etch and resin detail parts; decals do not include lozenge markings
History
The Halberstadt CL.IV was one of the most effective ground attack aircraft of the First World War. It appeared on the Western Front towards the end of the German offensives in 1918. Flights of four to six aircraft flew close support missions, attacking at treetop level and suppressing enemy infantry and artillery fire just ahead of the advancing German troops. After these late German offensives stalled, Halberstadt CL.IVs were used to disrupt advancing Allied offensives by striking at enemy troop assembly points.
Karl Thies, chief designer of the Halberstadter Flugzeug-Werke, G.m.b.H., designed the CL.IV as a replacement for the Halberstadt CL.II. The CL.II had been developed in mid-1917 to meet the new CL (light C-type) specification for a maneuverable, two-seater to serve as an escort for C-type reconnaissance and photographic patrol aircraft. Powered by a 160-horsepower Mercedes D.III engine, the CL.II was tested in May 1918 at Adlershof, and found to be aerodynamically sound with fine performance. The design also provided excellent visibility for pilots and easy crew communication because the pilot and the observer/gunner shared a common cockpit. Approximately 900 CL.IIs were built. Production continued though the summer of 1918.
The ground attack capabilities of the Halberstadt CL.II were proven late in 1917 when it was deployed with great success in coordinated attacks against British forces during the Battle of Cambrai. The low-flying Halberstadt CL.IIs were an effective support weapon and a tremendous morale booster for counterattacking German troops. With this successful adaptation of the CL.II, design work began on an improved version, specifically intended for the ground attack role.
Designated the CL.IV, the new airplane had a strengthened and shortened fuselage, with a horizontal tail surface of greater span and higher aspect ratio than the CL.II. These changes, along with a one-piece, horn-balanced elevator, gave the CL.IV much greater maneuverability than its predecessor. Like the CL.II, its fuselage was plywood-skinned and still incorporated the shared cockpit. The CL.IV retained the 160-horsepower Mercedes D.III engine of the earlier model, although the spinner was omitted in favor of rounded cowls that enclosed the engine completely, giving the airplane a more aggressive look.
Two fixed, forward-firing, Spandau machine guns could be mounted on the CL.IV, but typically only one was fitted. The observer/gunner had a Parabellum machine gun on an elevated, movable mount. Anti-personnel grenades in boxes were carried on the fuselage sides (as they had been on the CL.II), and rows of cartridges for a Very pistol were often strapped across the rear fuselage decking. After tests were completed of the Halberstadt CL.IV prototype in April 1918, at least 450 were ordered from Halberstadt, and an additional 250 aircraft from a subcontractor, L.F.G. (Roland).
The Halberstadt CL.IV was arguably Germany’s most refined ground attack aircraft of the First World War. It performed well in combat as a low-level attack aircraft in support of ground troops, relying on its maneuverability to avoid anti-aircraft fire. When not tasked with close support or ground attack missions, it was used as a standard two-seat fighter for escort work. Towards the end of the war, on bright, moonlit nights, CL.IV squadrons attempted to intercept and destroy Allied bombers as they returned from their missions. Night sorties against Allied airfields were also made with the CL.IV. One of only three known restored CL.IV’s in existence is on display at the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C. The other two are held by museums in Europe.
The Kit
Karaya’s Halberstadt Cl.IV is injection molded in blue-grey plastic of a quality reminiscent of Blue Max kits, and consists of 53 plastic parts on two sprues, a small zip lock bag with 19 additional resin parts, and a second zip lock bag containing a photo etch fret. The resin parts provide a Mercedes D.III engine, perhaps the most detailed in 1/48 scale this modeler has ever seen, along with a fuel tank, flare pistol and flares, breeches for two machine guns, one with a rear stock attached, four drum magazines, storage bins for two of the drums, and a forward bulkhead for the cockpit. The photo-etch parts include seat belts, an instrument panel face, two perforated barrel jackets for the air-cooled machine guns, an ammunition belt, and a host of other detail parts.
This kit appears to be for advanced modelers only — a comment you will rarely see on this website — based on the instruction sheet, which is hardly worthy of the name. For anyone familiar with Williams Brothers kits, Karaya’s approach to the instruction sheet is similar to theirs in that there are a series of photos of the plane at various stages of construction. Unlike Williams Brothers, there is no accompanying narrative to compensate for the lack of visual step-by-step guidance. This is particularly concerning given the number of photo-etch parts. There is, however, occasional guidance on painting. My only advice is to study the photos provided with great care.
There are two fuselages provided, which appear nearly identical but for their length. The size of the single crew bay is the same, as is the distance from the nose to the bay. The key difference between the two is that one has an elongated, more tapered tail. No explanation is provided, but the instructions explicitly reference Windsock Datefile 43 (which deals with this aircraft), a publication called Schlachtflieger! by Schiffer, and a website, www.theaerodrome.com, but the last reference is of no help because it contains no information on this particular version of the Halberstadt, not even a photo.
The full title of the book referred to is Schlachtflieger! Germany and the Origins of Air/Ground Support 1916-1918, by Rick Duiven and San-San Abbott, Copyright 2006 by Schiffer Publishing. If you can find it, you may pay anywhere from $75.00 to $120.00 or more. The Windsock Datafile, to the degree it can be found, is much more affordable at less than $30.00. The challenge is that both are out of print, and aftermarket sources can dictate their own price.
Markings
The kit also features two beautifully illustrated four-view color plates of the two aircraft for which decals are provided, one of which is only identified as a machine serving with Schlasta “Y” in October 1918. The other Halberstadt was the mount of Oberleutnant Jurgen Ludecke, serving with Schlasta 6, also during October 1918. Both machines have an identical paint scheme on the fuselage and an identical lozenge pattern on the upper and lower wings. The fuselage is painted in a series of broad diagonal bands consisting of Mauve, Ochre (there are multiple hues of Ochre, this one is of a shade very similar to Olive Drab), Dark Green and Prussian Blue.
The interesting thing about this scheme is that the sequence of colors from front to back on the left side of the fuselage is the opposite of the sequence on the right side. The right side has Mauve on the nose, then Ochre, Dark Green, and Prussian Blue on the tail section. The left side begins with Prussian Blue on the nose, etc. on back to Mauve on the tail section. The vertical tail itself is painted all white on the Schlasta 6 aircraft, and the rudder only is painted white on the Schlasta Y machine. The German crosses on the tail, tail numbers and ancillary fuselage markings are also different. The lozenge pattern on the wings is broken up by bright Mauve ribbing tape running front to back at regular intervals — this can be duplicated with paper strips or actual tape, and painted appropriately.
Lethal payload for an air support sortie: A ground crewman hands the rear observer/gunner a pair of steilhandgranate multi-headed grenades, a deadly weapon for use against hardened targets such as enemy tanks or fortified positions, as the pilot looks on.
Source: National Air and Space Museum
Conclusion
With effort and perseverance, this will build up into a first class kit, but given the nature of the kit instructions and their lack of guidance compared to most other kits, I would not even attempt building it without a Windsock Datafile close at hand. With that caveat, this kit is highly recommended for its historical value.
Reference
- National Air and Space Museum