Blue Max 1/48 Halberstadt D.II

Background

The Halberstadt D.II was a maneuverable escort fighter that was widely used in 1916 and up until sufficient numbers of Albatros fighters started arriving in 1917.

Powered by a 160 horsepower Mercedes engine, the Halberstadt D.II had a top speed of 175 kph and was armed with a pair of Spandau machine guns.

The Kit

The kit is molded in light gray styrene and white metal. While there aren't that many parts to the project, the modeler is advised to seek out a reference such as the Windsock Datafile of the Halberstadt D.II to help with detailing and appearance as the instructions may be a bit vague for the average modeler.

The engine and exhaust manifold are white metal (pewter) and are nicely detailed, though you won't see much of the engine once it is installed in the airframe.

As this is a limited run kit, you can see in the photos that there is a bit of flash on the styrene parts that will require clean-up prior to assembly. The layout of the kit is very simple, with the toughest part of the assembly cutting out the interplane struts from the kit's templates.

The cockpit interior is quite simple with floor, seat, control yoke, rudder bar, and instrument panel.

Markings are included for two examples:

• Halberstadt D.II, Hannover-built, WrNr D.818/16, 1916
• Halberstadt D.II, Hannover-built, WrNr D.813/16, Jasta 25, Macedonia, 1917

Conclusions

While not oriented toward the novice modeler, Blue Max kits tackle some interesting WW1 era subjects with some nice detail that more seasoned modelers can appreciate. This will look great parked next to your other WW1 era aircraft! You can get this kit from your favorite hobby retailer or directly from Squadron Mail Order.

My sincere thanks to Squadron Mail Order for this review sample!