Post by ZacYates on Dec 12, 2021 8:14:56 GMT 12
Hi all,
I won an example of the Roden 1/32 SPAD XIII c.1 (early) in a recent competition on the WW1AircraftModels forum. Having worked mostly with 1/72 kits in recent times I felt this kit had to wait a moment before reaching The Bench as I looked over the sprues. There are several in-box reviews and analyses of this kit on that forum where you can see full sprue photos. In terms of detail it's between the other two large-scale WW1 aircraft builds I've had - the Revell 1/28 Fokker Dr.I and (much closer to) the Wingnut Wings 1/32 Sopwith Pup, which I have yet to finish for reasons I forget.
So yesterday I finally got out my Tamiya XF-60 Dark Yellow and based all the wooden interior parts! I also did the first coats of XF-1 Flat Black for Black and XF-16 Flat Aluminium for Roden's generic Steel. Since childhood I've been a believer in painting parts on the sprue where practical and this is no different.
Roden 1/32 SPAD XIII c.1 (early) by Zac Yates, on Flickr
This morning I'm gathering reference photos from the beautifully restored airworthy SPAD XIII of the Memorial Flight in France and I can already see I'll be using some different colours than just those called out by Roden.
I'm leaning toward assembling the engine and leaving it out to display alongside as it doesn't seem like there are any panels which I can leave off and give any decent look at it. While painting engine components I noticed 13D
Roden 1/32 SPAD XIII c.1 (early) by Zac Yates, on Flickr
does not look as advertised in my copy:
Roden 1/32 SPAD XIII c.1 (early) by Zac Yates, on Flickr
If you look closely at the right-hand "arm" it looks bent. That's because I found that piece in the box and superglued it back on. I'll have to improvise the missing centre part. There is also a pipe piece which was almost broken off but I similarly saved that from oblivion.
From the get-go my plan has been to build B6732, the Royal Flying Corps machine, as I learned one of its pilots was New Zealander Lt J D Hewett:
Source: National Library of New Zealand
The key point that swung this for me was that Hewett - who shot down a German two-seater in this machine on February 19 1918 - went to Wanganui Collegiate School. A Wanganui connection? I'd be silly not to, right? SPAD B6732 has some notoriety as one week after Hewett's victory Hauptmann Adolf Ritter von Tutschek of JG II in Fokker Dr.I 404/17 forced it down and pilot 2Lt. David Colquhoun Doyle was captured with a bullet injury to one toe. As a result of this there are several contemporary German photographs of this aircraft online and it has been fodder for profile artists and kitmakers in the century since. There have been drawings with the triangle, A and serial in white, one with all three outlined in red, and a few - including the road taken by Eduard and Roden - with just the serial outlined in red. That seems right because of this photo:
tumblr_pnfkg7lClp1rq1jaa_1280 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
However. As mentioned in the reviews linked above the decals are less than ideal in several respects and initially I and a friend thought I'd been given a misprinted sheet! Imagine my surprise to see the same register and streaking issues on the other kits posted there. The biggest issue for me is the serial. You can clearly see a very fine outline in the above photo but this is what Roden supplies:
Roden 1/32 SPAD XIII c.1 (early) by Zac Yates, on Flickr
Even if they were in register the outline is too thick. Luckily I have a whole kit to build before this becomes a problem!
I won an example of the Roden 1/32 SPAD XIII c.1 (early) in a recent competition on the WW1AircraftModels forum. Having worked mostly with 1/72 kits in recent times I felt this kit had to wait a moment before reaching The Bench as I looked over the sprues. There are several in-box reviews and analyses of this kit on that forum where you can see full sprue photos. In terms of detail it's between the other two large-scale WW1 aircraft builds I've had - the Revell 1/28 Fokker Dr.I and (much closer to) the Wingnut Wings 1/32 Sopwith Pup, which I have yet to finish for reasons I forget.
So yesterday I finally got out my Tamiya XF-60 Dark Yellow and based all the wooden interior parts! I also did the first coats of XF-1 Flat Black for Black and XF-16 Flat Aluminium for Roden's generic Steel. Since childhood I've been a believer in painting parts on the sprue where practical and this is no different.
Roden 1/32 SPAD XIII c.1 (early) by Zac Yates, on FlickrThis morning I'm gathering reference photos from the beautifully restored airworthy SPAD XIII of the Memorial Flight in France and I can already see I'll be using some different colours than just those called out by Roden.
I'm leaning toward assembling the engine and leaving it out to display alongside as it doesn't seem like there are any panels which I can leave off and give any decent look at it. While painting engine components I noticed 13D
Roden 1/32 SPAD XIII c.1 (early) by Zac Yates, on Flickrdoes not look as advertised in my copy:
Roden 1/32 SPAD XIII c.1 (early) by Zac Yates, on FlickrIf you look closely at the right-hand "arm" it looks bent. That's because I found that piece in the box and superglued it back on. I'll have to improvise the missing centre part. There is also a pipe piece which was almost broken off but I similarly saved that from oblivion.
From the get-go my plan has been to build B6732, the Royal Flying Corps machine, as I learned one of its pilots was New Zealander Lt J D Hewett:
Hewett, James Duff, 1891-1955
World War I pilot. Awarded the French Croix de Guerre with palm in 1918. Established Falcon Airways Ltd, using a De Havilland DH60G Moth, ZK-AAR. In Oct 1931, he made the first powered flight to Great Barrier Island. Pilot for Air Travel (N.Z.) Ltd in 1937. Educated at Wanganui Collegiate School. Apprenticed by Messrs. Holland and Gillett, engineers, of Auckland. Son of Robert Basil and Anna Hewett. Father of James Duff (Peter) Hewett (d 1941). Husband of Lynda Ellen Hewett. Formerly of Auckland, and later of Kilbirnie, Wellington. Died in 1955 aged 64 years
World War I pilot. Awarded the French Croix de Guerre with palm in 1918. Established Falcon Airways Ltd, using a De Havilland DH60G Moth, ZK-AAR. In Oct 1931, he made the first powered flight to Great Barrier Island. Pilot for Air Travel (N.Z.) Ltd in 1937. Educated at Wanganui Collegiate School. Apprenticed by Messrs. Holland and Gillett, engineers, of Auckland. Son of Robert Basil and Anna Hewett. Father of James Duff (Peter) Hewett (d 1941). Husband of Lynda Ellen Hewett. Formerly of Auckland, and later of Kilbirnie, Wellington. Died in 1955 aged 64 years
Source: National Library of New Zealand
The key point that swung this for me was that Hewett - who shot down a German two-seater in this machine on February 19 1918 - went to Wanganui Collegiate School. A Wanganui connection? I'd be silly not to, right? SPAD B6732 has some notoriety as one week after Hewett's victory Hauptmann Adolf Ritter von Tutschek of JG II in Fokker Dr.I 404/17 forced it down and pilot 2Lt. David Colquhoun Doyle was captured with a bullet injury to one toe. As a result of this there are several contemporary German photographs of this aircraft online and it has been fodder for profile artists and kitmakers in the century since. There have been drawings with the triangle, A and serial in white, one with all three outlined in red, and a few - including the road taken by Eduard and Roden - with just the serial outlined in red. That seems right because of this photo:
tumblr_pnfkg7lClp1rq1jaa_1280 by Zac Yates, on FlickrHowever. As mentioned in the reviews linked above the decals are less than ideal in several respects and initially I and a friend thought I'd been given a misprinted sheet! Imagine my surprise to see the same register and streaking issues on the other kits posted there. The biggest issue for me is the serial. You can clearly see a very fine outline in the above photo but this is what Roden supplies:
Roden 1/32 SPAD XIII c.1 (early) by Zac Yates, on FlickrEven if they were in register the outline is too thick. Luckily I have a whole kit to build before this becomes a problem!
