Hey, Graf,

On the OAW-type step in the nose of the plane, just get rid of it if possible! The Johannisthal DIIIs didn't have anything there (there were exceptions, of course, such as Wolff's plane). BTW, most people call that an engine access hatch but I believe now that it was just a footstep. Nothing to access on the engine at that area, and how annoying would it be to have a spring-loaded door close on your hand and arm as you tried to reach in for the engine? Just put a rounded access hatch there, like they used elsewhere for engine access. Those stayed open.

About to send you an email and link to download a bunch of Alb stuff. Stand by.

I found another factory fresh Johanninsthal example with that OAW style forward footstep...
AFAIK no serial...






According to P M Grosz it was photographed on the Fokker airfield in Goerries-Schwerin?
With question mark and no further details given.

Wolff's plane was from the first of the two last production batches, of 50 planes each,
of Johanninsthal made D.III. (Feb.Mar. '17).
Could this footstep had became standard in those two last batches?

Wolff's plane D.632/17 had that OAW style footstep.
Allmenroeder's D.629/17 seems to lack it!
I'm close to something, JFM ?

Hey, Elephant,

That DIII at Schwerin is the only other Johannisthal DIII that comes to mind that has the OAW nose step. I haven't many photos of the 600-series machines but looking over 629/17 (Allmenroeder's machine) I see no such step. In photos of the 700-series machines I've seen no similar steps, either. I'm going through the archives now to see what I can roust and I have a feeler out to German researchers with deeper archives than mine.

Here's a little better version of one of those scans:

Oops, you posted before I did Elephant so I just now saw your Allmenroeder attachments.

Yes, no nose step on his machine. Unfortunately, most of my 600-series photos show the tails or fuselages, not many noses. I'll keep looking.

Since Graf is busy, I took the liberty and tried to get rid of the frontal footstep myself, to see how it works.
You see, I'm using the skins in my new RoF Campaign and wanted them as accurate as possible!
I edited the skin as well as the bump map, but I guess that footstep is modelled in 3d and from certain angles it makes it's appearance...
Waiting for the Master, to see if he could do anything more about this...

I don't know about you guys but I think the Alb. is just a beautiful bird. It looks like it should have been 50 mph faster than any of the other A/C!!!! The lines of the aircraft are so smooth-heck, it just looks like art in motion.

I agree, Copter. Albs are my favorite.

Much better, Elephant! 777 won't make the classic Johannisthal Alb DIII but by God you guys are getting us close!

Next step, as I told Graf, is get rid of the overframed control surfaces. The ailerons, rudder and elevator were very smooth without any or very, very little frame visible. Every flight sim and just about every profile overdoes the frames on these areas.

Here's my MvR DII skin, for an example. I didn't get them off the rudder so well but I had success with the ailerons and elevator:

Wow, Nice skin there!
I don't know about the overdone frames...
If it's only a bump mapping issue it could be solved... if it's a 3D model issue though, it might be difficult even impossible to mask...
The colors are your own estimations?
I had a conversation with BLOWHARD on that matter, over at Simmers Paintshop and Graf is using BH's RGB values now, for the three tone camo.
BTW, have you seen this thread at The Aerodrome?

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/camouflage-markings/52567-hey-grahamb-resene-colour-matching.html

I think I shall re-title this thread, "The Albatros D.III for Dummies."

I love that skin JFM. Perhaps the pale green is a tad too light for me but the colors are extravagant.

I'll take a look at the nose footsteps on the D.III and see what I can do. I know the cockpit footstep has an issue where you can still see a reflection of the corner of the square metal but not a show killer. I've finished my plate for the day...don't think I've been away from my pc skinning for more than two hours since 6am yesterday. Head beginning to hurt.

Gonna take a break and work on my yard...be back at it in a few hours.