Jump to content

Revell 1/28 Spad and Camel.....


Big Texan

Recommended Posts

Yep, I went and dun it. Got these as a pair on Ebay cheap. They are the old 60's boxings of them. You remember the white boxes with the photos of the planes on them. I've seen these done nicely out of the box, and I've seen them dressed up with Copper State Models products, and I've seen them with a ton of scratch built detail. So, I decided if I should have these birds and build them. I like them better than the DVII and Triplane offerings, which I've had in the past, and just thought they were not as good as the Spad and Camel.

 

So, any of you fabulous guys who have built these, I'd enjoy your input on them. Your "what to be aware ofs" and "if you do this..." sort of things. I know they are not accurate by today's standards, but they do look the parts when completed. So, please chime in.....

 

:tumble:

 

They were delivered today and it's killing me cause I'm at work. Can't wait to see these!  :)

Edited by Big Texan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

All I can really say, is what you've already said; they serve as the basis for either an attractive OOB model, or can be detailed as much as necessary or desired. What I really like about them, oddly enough, is the odd scale, larger than typical 1:32, so somewhat unique in that regard.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The most glaring problem is the concession to buildability caused by the slots in the wings which allow the paired inter-plane struts to be assembled. Filling and sanding after assembly would make painting practically impossible, and cutting off the spacers between the struts and fairing them into the slots beforehand would make assembly/alignment more difficult. 

In addition, the center-section struts on the Camel are too tall, which makes the top wing bow (it should have zero anhedral/dihedral), and the Spad's wingtips are, in profile, halfway between the early (rounded) and later (squared) styles. 

However, if none of these things bothers you, go for it!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, Tex, I have a set of these as well, and I actually built them when they were first released.

 

I deliberately re-bought them because the parts fit (no warping, gaps, etc.), there were no wing-alignment or rigging issues, and there is great a/m stuff out there for them!

Also, as you may know, the older releases will have sharper details then the later ones from the old very-worn molds, so just add fresh decals,etc., and you are on your way.

 

Also, as far as I know, did you know that Revell's is/was the only large-scale  plastic Camel kit to actually include the assembly detail of the aircraft engine's carburetor and intake manifold pipes mounted inside of the firewall?

 

In respect to observed ostensible issues, I prefer to go by experience proven by my own past and so I went to a couple of websites where the "situations" were no big deal!

 

As for the SPAD XIII, here is the wing-tip fix, along with the application of Copper State Model's stuff:

 

http://www.internetmodeler.com/scalemodels/aviation/Dressing-Up-the-Revell-1-28-Spad-XIII-with-Copper-State-Models-Decals-and-Details.php

 

The only situation that I personally recall dealing with was due to the thickness of it's inside being made solid, was the interference of the separate outer valve cowing cover pieces with the kit's engine itself.

So, depending on whether you use Copper States', or the kit-supplied motor, etc., there you might have to make a decision whether to modify the engine's front rocker-cover's shape or the outer covers themselves.

 

As  for the Camel, I would try this link:

 

https://www.scalemodellingnow.com/hnaircraftkits-revell-sopwith-f1-camel

 

In this case dealing with the pronounced interplane strut connectors are again a "no-biggie". Just like the SPAD's wing-tips, problem-solved. I would try dry-fitting them to see if thinning them before gluing in place would leave them enough thickness to not fold-bend on you or break. I recall sanding to thin them from outside their tops and then pressing them into the wing's contour, clamping them until the glue set, and then later beating-up on myself figuring that was where the extra length for the cabane-struts came from. :(

But, hey, it was and still is easier to shorten then lengthen struts!

 

Next time I think I will rotary-tool the insides to the correct contour, and see if the cabane struts need much trimming.

 

:innocent: Tom

Edited by Gigant
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all the info guys, and special thanks to Tom (Gigant).  I checked the kits dates and they are both from 1965. Yes, they are very sharp in detail, no flash at all. They truly are quite amazing. I love the old boxes which suprised me how thin they are! We're talking about an inch to an inch and a half wide! Boxes are real cardboard and not that flimsy stuff that Revell uses now. 

Yep, plan on getting the Copper State Models PE for these kits. I don't want to over due things, just want to add a little detail to dress them up. They are impressive kits, and like I stated, I think they are better than the DVII kit. Tri-Plane isn't half bad either. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Their Triplane, is a classic treasure, being very accurate and well-designed for ease of assembly and rigging, makes a great basic subject for adding any interior features that you like.

 

In my stash I've got three of them:

 

  1. The older Revell kit, molded in light blue, with Voss' markings-I think I will seek to keep this one this as-is when I build it
  2. A newer one, molded in red, that I have been working on, and...
  3. A HobbyCraft 1/28th scale Revell-copy molded in gray, a great one for a more radical finish.

:innocent: Tom

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Their Triplane, is a classic treasure, being very accurate and well-designed for ease of assembly and rigging, makes a great basic subject for adding any interior features that you like.

 

In my stash I've got three of them:

 

  1. The older Revell kit, molded in light blue, with Voss' markings-I think I will seek to keep this one this as-is when I build it
  2. A newer one, molded in red, that I have been working on, and...
  3. A HobbyCraft 1/28th scale Revell-copy molded in gray, a great one for a more radical finish.

:innocent: Tom

 

What I really like about the Dr.I kit, is that you don't have to fuss over getting oddball scale lozenge decals, like you probably would for the D.VII.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What I really like about the Dr.I kit, is that you don't have to fuss over getting oddball scale lozenge decals, like you probably would for the D.VII.

 

Actually, Kevin, Copper State Models has over 100 sets each lozenge decals for the upper and lower wings for the '28th scale D. VII in stock. If you have the kit, there you are! They got a bunch of a/m goodies for that Fokker! :whistle:

 

It is tempting to buy a couple of decal sets and lozenge-out the HobbyCraft Dr. I kit like those in The Blue Max. :wicked: 

 

:innocent: Tom

Edited by Gigant
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually, Kevin, Copper State Models has over 100 sets each lozenge decals for the upper and lower wings for the '28th scale D. VII in stock. If you have the kit, there you are! They got a bunch of a/m goodies for that Fokker! :whistle:

 

It is tempting to buy a couple of decal sets and lozenge-out the HobbyCraft Dr. I kit like those in The Blue Max. :wicked: 

 

:innocent: Tom

 

I had no idea, so thanks very much. Though I don't currently have one, I'll eventually grab another D.VII, and go to town on it, now that I know so much more than a few years ago when I attempted it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...