esarmstrong

Holding my breath on this one, but not getting my hopes up either. If it is nothing more than a glorified repop of the Spad VII, complete with Hispano Suiza engine that doesn't fit in the cowl, it will be a letdown for me. Really has been puzzling (and mildly disconcerting) to me how very little promotion Roden has done on this one. Practically nothing about it on their webside, no CAD images, nothing but the box art and these decal mock ups. I guess we will see in a few days...

Can you build it with the engine on the air frame partially or fully buttoned up?

The only other in-line engine that I have seen with the degree of detail seen here was the Rolls Royce Merlin engines on the now-defunct WNW Lancaster kit. Those engines were in the test-shot phase and were loaded with all kinds of exquisite detail in the from of tubing and pipes.

Are they going to make it so that the engine can be built on the airframe and it can be covered with external panels?

Same here. I have never cared much one way or the other about the early P-40's, but damn! This is so nice looking, you can't' help but be enticed. Very impressive detail, especially with the hoses in and around the engine.

Maybe the aftermarket will come through.

If the CAD images portend anything, this should be a fantastic model. Really do hope it is a smashing success and they are encouraged to go further in 1/32 scale.

The Lancaster sure did look like it had a lot of work still to do on it when I saw it in Chattanooga back in 2019. They were still trying to get the oil-can effect just right on it and there were no panel lines or rivets on the surface, yet. As for the "Bloody Paralyzer", it looked like it was on the verge of being ready for release. It would be nice to see these some day get released.

As I read Radu's posts, I consider his conclusions about what is going on at WNW to be reasonably drawn based upon his considerable experience in the industry and worthy of respect.

And WNW will be selling kits at the show. The advertisement also suggests that more kits (likely from New Zealand stocks) will be offered for sale beyond this air show.

I don't think the guns are supplied with the ICM kit. If they were, the top pair would be just behind the instrument panel on either side and the two bottom ones would be below the top pair just outside of the metal-tube interior cockpit bracing. IIRC, the guns do come with the Silver Wings offering that is now OOP.

Here's to hoping Roden have indeed "upped their game" with the molds and with decals, too. Time will tell.

Some one who knows more about these things can chime in and I will defer. My understanding is that Germany would paint export aircraft oftentimes in different schemes than the ones that went to the Luftwaffe. For example, Hungarian Stuka's and Bf 109F's were often painted in three-color schemes using early RLM colors like RLM 62, 63 and 64. Bf 109E's exported to the Swiss, Romania, Yugoslavia and others were painted in overall RLM 71 on top. It wouldn't be without precedent if the exported Hs. 129's were painted overall RLM 70 or 71. I would bet on overall RLM 71 since this was how they p

Don't really understand why ZM didn't release this model with both clear and regular fuselage and wings. I specifically stayed away from it for this reason.

Don't care for whirly birds, but if it sells and makes ICM some bucks, that's fine by me.