For those of you who may have not noticed, Revell recently, finally, re-released their venerated 1/28th scale SPAD XIII, and at a very nice price (under $20.00)! I just got mine at my local hobby store [:D]
The kit comes with a nice new set of decals for two versions, which somewhat offsets Revell-Germany’s usual cryptic painting color guide, which according to photos I can find on the net, frankly was not as well researched as HobbyCraft’s. My only comment, besides the clarity of details not being as crisp and not having as detailed as cockpit as the more recent 1/32 HobbyCraft release, in their rush to make money in production quantities, they banged the wings out of the mold too fast (which was not the case when I bought it in the '60’s), and so they now have a distinct varying dihedral ending with a cute little curl in the wingtips, which I have yet to figure how to best approach to fix (Heat-and-beat to fit and file to suit?).
On the other hand, it has a fairly well detailed engine which I probably will decide to have assembled on one side, since installing it forces the front rocker-cover fairings to “float”, leaving distinct gaps, which Revell covered up by photographing the kit with the propeller positioned to block viewing their odd-fit on the box cover sides.
It still lacks the plumbing to the upper wing start-up/reserve tanks, although the holes they put in the upper wing are still there. At least Hobbycraft gives you a faired fuel line down-pipe.
I dunno-somebody should build one and share it here!
I am kind of working between the two, holding up the HobbyCraft kit before I finally got the Revell one.
Now I gotta decide which one to make Rickenbacker’s if I decide to do his at all for these. It seems that although the painting guide is more accurate for the HobbyCraft kit, the markings provided by Revell are better.
You see, there was also a SPAD XIII varient made for the RFC that had an upper Lewis that I am looking into, since I have a spare from an Academy Nieuport 17. The main problem is scrounging British roundels, etc., for that scale.
Here’s the net photo showing the camoflage pattern I was referring to:
Also, as you can see in this photo, as is typically overlooked with all kits is that fact that the main wing cross-cables are much heavier then the rest of the plane’s bracing wires. What are normally thought to be interplane struts were simply meant to be the interplane main cable braces.
Also the bands on the interplane struts are given a white color per Revel’s decals, whereas this photo shows them to be a darker color (perhaps trimmed in red and blue?).
Rickenbacker’s old #1 was Kellner built S.4523. Each manufacturer of the Spad XIII had its own version of the French 5 colour Camouflage. Google, Kellner you might get lucky.
I can’t find a picture of this plane on the net to post, it is very colorful, so I will try to describe it:
This plane, with the regular French camoflage scheme, has a thin black stripe that goes from the nose to the tail, as well as for the upper wing, bordered by two thin yellow stripes for contrast.
Also, there is a red/white/blue banner that goes diagonally down from the cockpit (similar to Georges Guynemer), with stars on it for victory scores I guess.
The decals also provide short black stripes to trim the radiator/cowling with as well as a large dark blue rudder/fin decal with a white number four on it.
I don’t recall any unit markings (if any) but I will keep looking for something similar and post it as I find it.
For national markings, as well as a reverse-order of blue/white/red rudder decal, they give you the chioce of blue dots for the French and blue circles for U.S. markings for the wing roundals.
As a side comment, the HobbyCraft kit has French rudder decals that have the colors reversed for each side, so the order from left-to-right remains the same, although the rudder tip is blue on one side and red on the other.
Yes they still are which makes the distinct warpage more of a challenge.
I am contemplating getting a heat gun at Harbor Tool and clamping it with a reverse dihedral, and slowly heating the upper wing surface to see if that can correct it any.
If any of you have a better idea, it would be appreciated.
Thanks for the detailed response. I appreciate the info.
I keep hoping against hope that someone will do Ray Brooks’ 22nd Aero markings (NASM’s “Smith IV”, or one of his earlier ones) for the 1/28 Spad, but I guess I’ll have to make them up on the computer and run my own. The French markings sound pretty sweet, though.
The challenge is matching the blue fin decal with a paint color for the aelorons and elevators, as well as the stripe’s yellow for the radiator cowling.
If you don’t feel like mix/matching your WWI Aircraft COlors. There is a Line of Acyrlic WWI Aircraft Colors which are very authenic and well researched which have been available in Europe for years and years but pretty well unknown and unavailable here in the US. Their a bit too expensive for sucessfull retail sales but are here through direct mail order so you won’t be able to find them in any local Hobby Stores.
There are a total of 66 WWI ACFT COlors includign all the colors you need for the French 5 Color Camo Scheme.
ALSO if you want PE Vickers and Engine Access Panel Screens and French Instruments or other Decals in 1:28 there made by CopperState ! Even has Hand Carved, Stained and Finished Real Wood PropS for these kits
It was a great kit, the engine/cowling detail well ahead of it’s time, the opening dive brakes, and the control surface features well ahead of anything Trumpter puts out, but the gimicky landing gear arrangement, where you slide the bomb to retract/extend (with its complicated gear drive, all in flexible, flimsy styrene palstic) definately left a lot to be desired.
I thought the lowering of the elevator to extend the dive brakes was real cool, though. I liked how they literally snapped out to open.
Now for the landing gear, if the gave you steel shafts, nylon gears, and metal struts and left the whole mess as optional, that would be a different story. [swg]
