Hello, all- I’m thinking about purchasing a Roden models kit. I want to build one of their 1:72 scale WW 1 offerings. Is their product any good? Any imput is appreciated!![:)]- Craig
From what I’ve heard they are. I don’t do WWI, so I have no first hand experience.
Yes, their kits are very good and a great value. I have one of the Fokker D.7 kits and the Bristo F2.b kit, both in 1/72 scale. The parts look fantastic in the box and I can’t wait to build the two kits.
There’s some flash on the parts, but nothing too bad. There’s also some reports that their decal quality can be spotty. Many people overcoat their decals with a liquic decal film before using them. Micro Sol and Solvaset apparently work on the decause pretty well.
Lastly, there are some fit issues, so do a lot of dry fitting before you glue. That’s good advice for all kits, though.
Regards,
Craig,
I’ve built a couple of their 1/72 WW1 birds. They sure were lots of fun because they were a nice break from the everyday 1/48 WW2 U.S. planes I build. The engine details were very nice. The cockpits were a little sparse with no painting info regarding the sidewalls. I know the seats were not very accurate but at that small of a scale and with everything being pretty well encased in the small fuselage, who’s going to tell?
If I were you, however, I’d seriously forget the kit decals and get some aftermarket sets. Of course don’t forget that I’m only speaking from my own experineces. The kit decals were something reminiscent of the rigid brown outter skin found on most yellow onions. It was brittle. They didn’t break on me but they were not pliable and no amount of microsol made them any less flexible. Not only did they not adhere to any of the curves but they just just didn’t stick either! That was okay with me though only because there are so many aftermarket decals available out there.
I just recently discovered that one of my local hobby shops (one that I hadn’t gone into in years because they cater more to the train fans) is now carrying STACKS of Roden kits! I can’t wait to go in there and stock up on tons of those fun little WW1 kits! I’ll just have to make sure to pick up some aftermarket decal sheets while I’m at it.
Hope this has helped,
Eric
I’ll echo lufbery and echolmberg -best to replace the kit decals with AM ones, the roden
decals shear very easily and as the case with the dr VII, they don’t provide the rib strips
(unless you cut them) or the interior reverse losenge shape.
Otherwise they are great and fun kits - just test fit alot.