I have already written a history and description of the kit that can be found on this site at reviews/ww1/laskodidr1.htm. I can’t add anything new so I won’t bore the reader with a rehash of those segments of the review.

The first order of business was to correct the few inaccuracies that are present in the kit. Since I firmly believe that the "A" in AMS should stand for advanced (as opposed to other words that start with "A"), I only tackled those errors that significantly impact the "look" of the model. I started by filling with putty the "trenches" on the undersides of the wings, and after sanding the surface smooth, I replaced the rib detail by masking off with thin tape and filling with Gunze-Sangyo Mr. Surfacer. The other change was that the middle wing sits too high on the fuselage causing a distinct step between the wing and the engine cowl. I fixed this by filing the underside of the wing where it mounts to the fuselage. After all the major sanding/filing work was done, all parts were given a quick bath in warm soapy water, given a good rinse, and patted dry. I then pre-painted all the parts as indicated in the instructions.

Assembly of the fuselage components was accomplished using super-thin superglue. Assembly proceeded as described in the instructions, with no major problems. A tip is to anneal (heat in a flame until red-hot) the photo-etch parts that require bending prior to painting. I then closed up the fuselage with liquid cement. Next, I glued with liquid cement the tail fin, the horizontal stabilizer, and lower wing to the fuselage. All joins were then sanded smooth. Fit was very good and no putty was needed. Next stop was the paint shop after stuffing the cockpit opening with tissue paper to prevent overspray.

The model was painted, decaled, and weathered as described in the following subsections and then final assembly took place.

Now it was time to work on the machine guns. Assemble the guns as shown in the instructions. I painted the machine guns in Testors Metalizer Gun Metal and dry brushed with Floquil Gun Metal. Do not install the gun sight (A19), as Raben’s plane did not carry it. Check photo references for your particular model; most Dr.I’s did not use it.

I then glued the interplane struts in place on lower wing into place using super-thin superglue. The middle wing was then installed using the lower wing and interplane struts as a guide. Dry fit the interplane struts before gluing in order to align them correctly between the three wings. I had to file them slightly to place them in the correct positions. The cabane struts were glued to the fuselage body in correct spacing for the upper wing using a caliper to exactly set the distance and the remaining interplane struts were glued to the middle wing.

I placed the upper wing on the workbench and turned the fuselage upside down to mount it. First set the interplane struts into place in their correct holes, then flex the cabane struts into their respective holes and bingo, the wing is in place. I used small rubber bands to help hold both wings in place and then checked alignment of the top to middle wing. When all was to my liking, I superglued the struts to wing. A word of caution let the glue cure fully before moving the model and you will be rewarded with a relatively strong top wing join. I do not use an accelerant for the superglue as it discolors and sometimes pits the surface.

I then installed the landing gear and wheels as indicated and the engine assembly, front cowl and propeller. Install all the remaining fiddly bits and the rigging. I used the kit supplied stainless steel wire for the landing gear and cabane rigging.