Watch this space!!
The first thing to learn is to NEVER go to Rhinebeck Aerodrome
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome on that September weekend when Rhinebeck invites the Mid-Hudson RCers to come down and put on an RC show featuring only vintage airplanes. They open it to anyone who has period-scale vintage airplanes and is usually held on one of the September weekends after Labor Day. Check their site
www.mhrcs.com. The problem is, you come back with too many ideas.
I almost walked away with a Balsa USA Eindecker 90 (Show Special) but got cold feet. My main reason was that I wouldn't be able to get to it till Winter anyway, and Mrs. Santa Clause is always bugging me for hints. So, why spend my money on the kit when she'll buy it for me?? So, I put both the Balsa USA Eindecker 90 and the Taube 90 on my Christmas list and told Mrs. Santa Clause to choose the one that she liked the best. She chose the
1913 Etrich Taube 90 .
I've looked all over the Internet for a Build thread on the Taube 90 but haven't been able to find one. So, after some heckling from the guys on the Balsa USA Brotherhood thread, I was goaded into starting one of my own.
I've never done a build thread before, so no promises. I'll do my best. My friend Bill S. gave me a great reference book to read while I was working up the courage to crack the kit box open. If you would like some history on the venerable Taube and all its different manifestations, you could look on Amazon or eBay to see if you could find a copy of "Taube: Dove Of War" by Col. John A DeVries. Old time RCers will recognize Col. DeVries as a great resource for aircraft history.
As an added historical note, it could be argued that this plane, while intended only for observation, was credited with the first-ever hostile aviation engagement when an Italian pilot dropped a grenade onto enemy positions at an oasis in Libya. You can read more at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etrich_Taube and
Libya 1911: How an Italian pilot began the air war era - BBC News
We'll try to get this thread going in the next few days.