60 FineScale Modeler September 2019A
rmed with fore- and aft-firing
machine guns and a plethora of
grenades and other droppable
weaponry, the Halberstadt
CL.II was a nasty opponent. A two-seat
combat aircraft, the CL.II performed what
we would today call battlefield interdiction
and escort duty for other two-seaters.
Wingnut Wings’ latest 1/32 scale
release, the Halberstadt CL.II (Late) pro-
vides modelers with optional engines,
weapons, radio, and generator positions.
The kit includes five paint schemes, all of
which use pre-sized lozenge decals for the
upper and lower wings. Four of the five
options require the modeler to apply stip-
pled paint over the final camouflage colors
— a technique explained in the Hints sec-
tion of the Wingnut Wings website.
In true Wingnut fashion, the interior
comes fully detailed, including optional
photo-etched (PE) cooling jackets for the
machine guns. Two engine options are pro-
vided along with multiple propeller choices;all include decal details. Pay close attention
to the comprehensive instruction booklet,
because there is a lot of information about
parts and options.
Check fits and decide assembly
sequences; some parts may seem to float in
midair, but they all land somewhere later in
the build. If you deviate from the build
sequence, make sure you can still reach
attachment points to install parts later. The
cockpit includes some fragile framework —
be careful removing parts from the sprues.
This is especially true for the aileron link-
ages (G2).
Having built 20 Wingnut kits, I knew
the fit would be tight enough to not require
glue for fitting the interior into the fuse-
lage. I also left out the engine until I’d fin-
ished painting and decaling the fuselage.
There’s a lot happening up front on the
CL.II, so be careful with alignments and
make sure all attachments are fully engaged.
Trim all slots square and make sure all
holes are fully opened after painting. There
is a small step or gap where the lower fuse-
lage plate attaches, but don’t worry, it’s
invisible behind the wings.
After attaching the fin and stabilizer —
but not the fragile rudder — I painted the
wing center section and fuselage in a ran-
dom pattern of the five colors mentioned in
the instructions, mixing colors as directed.
This was then covered with a “cloudy yel-
low” stipple effect by diluting the paint to a
consistency appropriate for airbrushing and
dialing the pressure back (about 5 psi) to
achieve a consistent spatter pattern. The tail
surfaces were masked and painted white.
After an undercoat of gloss black, I
applied the lozenge decals to the wings
using a hair dryer to shrink them to the
underlying details. All other decals also
went down well and wrapped details with a
touch of setting solution.The struts and wings attached easily. Be
warned: the center struts require some care-
ful manipulation. Luckily, the outer inter-
plane struts are flexible enough to handle
some bending during assembly.
I rigged the plane with E-Z Line fol-
lowing the included rigging plan. I waited
until the rigging was almost complete
before installing the completed landing
gear. Once the glue was dry, I attached the
last of the rigging. The rear gun, prop,
exhaust, and other fragile details were
added last, so I didn’t accidentally knock
them off.
The easy rigging plan, comprehensive
instructions, one-piece lozenge decals, and
quality of engineering make this kit a pos-
sible first step into the world of Wingnut
Wings. The most worrisome part for me
was the unique stippled camouflage, and
that turned out to be simple by following
Wingnut Wings instructions.
I spent just under 45 hours on the
CL.II, less than I expected. I’ve added an
interesting airplane to my shelf with a
unique paint job, and that’s saying some-
thing for a World War I aircraft!- Chuck Davis
Wingnut Wings
Halberstadt CL.II
Kit: No. 32062 Scale: 1/32
Mfr.: Wingnut Wings, wingnutwings.com
Price: $129 Comments: Injection-
molded, 201 parts (9 PE), decals
Pros: Great fits; complete instructions;
clear rigging plan Cons: Fuel tank vent
seen in photos is missingWORKBENCH REVIEWS