If Roden resume production of new WW1 kits, what subjects would you buy?

[Monty]

Thanks, Andreas, you have just granted my wish! How could I forget about the Roden 1/48th DH4?? There may even be one in my collection! I could blame old age, the odd virus infection or even the wine.... Well, one more to build! But a 1/32 one, then we're talking! Regards, Marc

[Pup7309]

Hi
Forgot one I wish to add: Sopwith F1/3 ‘Comic’

[coyotemagic]

Hi
Forgot one I wish to add: Sopwith F1/3 ‘Comic’

Oh, yeah!  Camel Comic, for sure!
Cheers,
Bud

[Monty]

Quite right, Pup7309, the Comic night fighters are really worthy subjects for new models, both Camels and One-and-a-half Strutters - busy on the Roden 1/48th!! But lots of scope in other scales....

[Captain Slower]

Great news Dave, I am looking forward to the possibility of more attention being paid to the smaller scales

If people want to have an idea about Roden's current production quality, have a look at their recent releases, i.e. their 1/32 Stearman:

http://www.hyperscale.com/2020/reviews/kits/rodenrd631reviewjm_1.htm

The quality and details look very nice, indicative of a gradual but steady improvement in the production techniques from the releases of the early 2000's. I think a modern Roden release of a WW1 subject would also be of a similar high quality.

Cheers,

BC

Wow, that is nicely done surface detail on the Stearman.

[Pup7309]

Yes thanks Brad,
The suggestions above for new SPAD/ Dr1/ Alb D111 in 1/32, and other kits in other scales is that the quality has improved in the last 10-20 years and it would be great for modellers and I feel a big seller to update these kits. D

[Pup7309]

Quite right, Pup7309, the Comic night fighters are really worthy subjects for new models, both Camels and One-and-a-half Strutters - busy on the Roden 1/48th!! But lots of scope in other scales....

Yes the Sopwith’s are nice aircraft. To my eye the Comic looks less nose heavy than the Camel. Fingers crossed!
Daz

[Vickers]

is it possible to order directly from Roden?

I've had positive experiences with both of these eBay stores- which both carry Roden- and they can be searched by brand on the left margin. One in the Ukraine, the other in California:

https://www.ebay.com/str/scalemodelkits/BY-BRAND/_i.html?_storecat=7271111015

https://www.ebay.com/str/scottsmodelworkshop

[Dekenba1]

The demise of WNW has led me to reassess my approach to kits, and I think I've become too obsessed with perfection. Roden kits are very, very good kits, and are a fraction of WNW prices.

Whereas I would happily pay 2-3 times what a Roden kit cost in order to get the WNW version, I now have to ask myself why?

It's a hobby, after all. Nobody critiques my builds but me, and the time spent building & painting is the whole point of the project. So why buy 1 perfect kit, when for the same money I could get 2-3 "good enough" kits?

I bought 4 Roden SE.5a's last month, £100 for the lot.

In future, I'm aiming to get kits that are "good enough" (assuming my illness allows me), rather than aim for the holy grail.

Am I alone in this approach?

[smperry]

Not at all. If you enjoy building...build. The Holy Grail of models, whatever that is, is surrounded by muddy roads to bog down on. Avoid the mess and have fun building to your own standards
sp

[Pup7309]

Well I guess a Dr1 is now off my list, but wait and see...

[mgunns]

Glad to see Roden showing some interest in returning to the WWI aircraft modeling scene.  Hopefully the modeling community will be much nicer to them than in the past.

I would like to see them produce the following:

1/32nd Breguet 14

1/32nd Dehaviland DH.4

1/32nd Hanriot

Hopefully something will come of this.

[GazzaS]

There is one fault of Roden kits that I absolutely hate.  It's the ends of the struts.  A dinky, tiny surface that can barely hold on to the model.  In some cases the area is so small that I can barely pin it.  If they could make the anchors of their struts the way that WNW does, I'd praise them to the heavens.

Maybe they'll read this...

[Ringleheim]

There is one fault of Roden kits that I absolutely hate.  It's the ends of the struts.  A dinky, tiny surface that can barely hold on to the model.  In some cases the area is so small that I can barely pin it.  If they could make the anchors of their struts the way that WNW does, I'd praise them to the heavens.

Maybe they'll read this...

Poorly engineered kits (like what you are describing) drive me crazy.  I see it all the time from many different manufacturers and subject matters. 

It's the sort of thing that will go together just fine *on paper* and in the hypothetical realm.

But in reality and dealing with small, physical things, there's no chance it's going to work as planned. 

"Bend this tiny piece of P/E and then take the end portion with almost zero contact area and glue it to this other piece of bent P/E and then use this assembly to hold up this large, heavy piece of plastic putting weight/force on the entire thing, and then..."

I see this sort of thing and wonder who thought that was going to work in reality.

[pepperman42]

Any single engine flying boat or float plane in 1/32.

Steve