It never rains but it pours!
While I'm deep into building Roden's 1/32 kit of the "standard" Sopwith LCT 1½ Strutter along comes the next release - the "Comic" night fighter version of same.
Firstly all credit to Jadlam in the UK who took my order two months ago at a pre-order price of 41.95GBP (with a 2 pound credit applied). Since then the price has risen, as with the previous LCT, to 59.95GBP. True to their word, Jadlam have now taken 39.95 from my card, so here's to a good honest dealer.
The kit is very much the same as release 635 with an alternative H sprue containing two upper fuselage deckings for the two subjects offered with the decals They differ in windscreens and having one, or two, overwing lewis guns. (Which also explains some of the strange trellis-like pieces seen on the earlier kit.
I think 635 is a pretty good kit, so have no doubt 637 will be too. The cowling is a bit of a clumsy two-part moulding, but is fairly easily fixed, or the Aviattic AM can be (expensively) chosen. The strut attachments are a huge improvement over Roden kits of the past, so they have listened to us, not only for wanted subjects, but for areas to work on. Again the decals look OK to me, except for the rudder stripes. (I know on 635 they apply and conform well with good colour density.) I particularly like that the upper roundels for both subjects have white outer rings, so will stand out well against the dark wings. The register is good with perhaps just a faint millimetric whisper of eccentricity on these outer rings but when applied in harmony with the wing camber will not be noticeable.
I think most people will make B762 with it's twin lewis guns and chequered fuselage band, rather than A6906 with the crazy vickers too far away from the pilot to ever fix any jams!
Thank you, Mr Roden. I'm looking forward to this one (and any more 1/32 subjects (Avro 504K
) in the pipeline.
Sandy
