Scale Plastic & Rail

1/32 Jasta 5 Albatros D.V Rumey's Devil Decal set (Limited Edition)

1/32 Jasta 5 Albatros D.V Rumey's Devil Decal set (Limited Edition)

Catalogue number 32010L

Pheon Models UK Price: £20.00

Just under a year ago, Wingnut Wings released their excellent 1/32 Albatros D.V and D.Va kits, the former of which was well received HERE. Since then, a slow trickle of aftermarket decal options have appeared, filling the space formed by the delayed release of Wingnut Wings' own decals.

Pheon Models are a small manufacturer based in France who produce high quality, well-researched decals and resin extras for First World war aviation subjects in a variety of scales. My own previous experience of their efforts has been limited to their 1/32 Bristol F.2B fighter aces decal set (32004) from which was modelled top twin-seater ace Andrew McKeever's aircraft using the superlative Wingnut Wings kit. The decals were top class and extremely well presented and researched.

My favoured subject for an Albatros D.V would have to be Fritz Rumey's so-called "Devil Fighter" from mid-1917, resplendent with its red nose, green tail and boldly marked African head, not to mention the large number of green squares covering its grey fuselage and upper wings. I doubted anyone would release this in 1/32 scale, not only as another of Rumey's mounts features in one of the Wingnut Wings kits but because of the major undertaking it would present to produce all of the markings on a single sheet. That is, until Pheon announced this limited edition sheet!

The set, produced as only 100 copies, contains as well as instructions and decals, three laminated colour printed profile sheets showing the aircraft from all important angles (above and below), of high enough quality to frame should it be wished.

The large decal sheet (below) is festooned with all the appropriate markings required. All are in perfect register and the colours appear spot on according to my own references. The aircraft can be modelled at 2 different stages of its career, carrying a greater or lesser number of green squares. An extra "African head" is provided for use away from the model, as are alternative colour mouths for the heads (I have always believed the mouth to be black, since I thought Jasta 5 standing instructions for marking aircraft stated that red could not be used in any emblem, only as part of striping, as well as the standard use on the nose and tail).

The accompanying 8 page instruction booklet is very well laid out and covers the operational history of Jasta 5, Rumey's operational record and plenty of detail on the aircraft featured in the decals (below).

The instructions miss out on a couple of points: I was surprised in view of the excellent colour suggestions that no indication was given as to the lower blue colour for the wing undersurfaces; also, I have seen it noted by a couple of authors that Rumey's Devil carried a non-standard cockpit coaming for part of its life, probably a double or triple thickness of leather - this was probably at Rumey's instructions since he had dislocated both shoulders in a riding accident in 1916 and was trying to protect these old injuries which still gave him pain. This is not mentioned by Pheon.

Apart from these 2 small points, this is as good a decal set as you could hope for to produce a well-researched WW1 fighter; at £20.00 it certainly is not cheap, but the amount of work to replicate this scheme otherwise is enormous. I suggest Albatros modellers get one whilst they are still available!

So what do we think?

An expensive decal set that will produce an outstanding model of a wonderfully marked aircraft.

Overall: 9/10

My thanks to Rowan at Pheon Models for the review sample

Robin Jenkins