forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com
WW1 Aircraft Modeling => Under Construction => Topic started by: Softscience on April 08, 2024, 01:21:25 PM
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I was so excited when I recently learned that Roden is still releasing Great War models, I had to grab one. I know Roden kits require a bit more TLC, and I've had a few end in failure, but I'm happy.to support any manufacturer who caters to this niche. Doubly so for Roden, considering what their employees and their families are enduring now.
So without further ado. The Spad XIIIc.
I will skip over the background spiel and showing sprue photos. You e all seen them. If Roden's decals behave, I'll probably build an AEF Machine. But I'll poke around to see what other options might exist.
I started with the wing. The separate tips were a surprise. They don't fit especially well, but it could be worse. The break is right on a rib, so it should be easier to fill and shape the ridge, rather than if it was someplace in the middle of the trough.
(https://i.postimg.cc/RZfBLj9G/PXL-20240407-200115510.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/FY989CYJ)
(https://i.postimg.cc/3wTHSnxh/PXL-20240407-200121468.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/LJN7hkPQ)
A mess of CA and talc
(https://i.postimg.cc/d3zf7V7F/PXL-20240408-000028434.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/1VrB2Pc7)
And cleaned up. Not so bad.
(https://i.postimg.cc/PfghvXnN/PXL-20240408-000033340.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/9zYsvjMj)
Underside may be slightly trickier. Tamiya putty applied here.
(https://i.postimg.cc/k4S10d1h/PXL-20240408-000046092.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/1n9rFbZp)
To Roden's credit, at least the wing chord and thickness are pretty close.
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Good start, and I'm looking forward to seeing this one built up.
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One of my earliest modeling memories is the Revell 1:28 SPAD XIII that my big brother got for his birthday when I was about five, so I have a special place in my heart for large-scale kits of Société machines. I’ll be following this thread, you’re off to a promising start!
Dutch
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Day two of farting around with wings. The seams are filled but the rib at this location looks notably different. This is after considerable reshaping. I just can't get them to look the same.
I realize some of this is my OCD, but this kind of abrupt difference is visually annoying to me. I should have fettled more before gluing. It I'm also not sure it would have done much good.
(https://i.postimg.cc/L4GCKt0b/PXL-20240409-031431321.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mhNN7H4Y)
(https://i.postimg.cc/6pfYvD6k/PXL-20240409-031444333.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/RWq7rpHd)
(https://i.postimg.cc/GmCX9cRP/PXL-20240409-031454026.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/svTYNCv1)
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quite instructive!
following closely
ciao
edo
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I am obsessive with detail but it's quite hard to see the difference. Unless this was a build to win gold at a prestigious competition, I would be happy with that!
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Is it absolutely perfect? No, but I think it looks fine from here. And this is coming a guy who constantly messes with his kit till he messes it up.
Warren
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this is coming a guy who constantly messes with his kit till he messes it up.
Warren
Hey, that's me! ;D
I have to be thoroughly down the wrong path to be convinced that I'm indeed on it. :D
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Those joints look fine to me: I would leave them well alone and save my time for other parts where the efoort is more necessary. I think that a blind man would like to see them.
Stephen.
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What Stephen said.
Warren
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I think you all are right. The minor irregularities in the wing ribbing isn't as obvious as my initial concern implied. Tonight was exciting because I actually began to glue pieces together.
I got the metal parts of the cockpit together. Some wood parts were glued together as well, but aren't pictured.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Qt10h51c/PXL-20240412-014333061.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/bDYQRZ6v)
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It's great when things start to come together!Keep going, this is good progress.
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I agree with Nigel- you are making excellent progress. A first class model is in the making.
Stephen.
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Looking great!
Warren
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Thanks for the encouragement, guys
Here we go with a major update on the Spad. The cockpit is about 50% finished. Next I'll add the seat and upper decking, then the top fuselage. I'll need some spreader bars in between the sides to match the outline of the top, but it shouldn't be too much of an issue.
(https://i.postimg.cc/yxNsjXY4/PXL-20240413-144459713.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/7GjFYz2m)
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upper decking, then the top fuselage. I'll need some spreader bars in between the sides to match the outline of the top, but it shouldn't be too much of an issue.
Good thinking. I failed to check the fit on my VII and as a result became very discouraged with the result, and all the filling and sanding I did to try and rectify the issue. I'm so pleased you realised there would be an issue and have a fix to avoid my problem!
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Good progress, and very wise planning ahead. Looking forward to seeing more here.
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Upper deck of the cockpit is on and nearly ready for the top of the fuselage. Note the spreader bar I put in back. It's just a piece of sprue from the kit.
(https://i.postimg.cc/C53mTJpq/PXL-20240415-173909193.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/YLx1Q69r)
Just a test fit to see how much I can see inside. Not much at all.
(https://i.postimg.cc/kMLmgmnx/PXL-20240415-173931871.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Bt5ymRP6)
Also.at about the same level of completion is Eduard's truly sunlime
SE5A. I misplaced the PE instrument panel. It's got to be here so :)mewhere.
(https://i.postimg.cc/FFYvvRQr/PXL-20240415-174012567.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/bdfWHqJW)
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That's looking really good, the cockpit is very nice and the top of the fuselage has gone on really well.
I misplaced the PE instrument panel. It's got to be here so :)mewhere.
There appear to be bits of PE hiding evertwhere on your bench...... ;)
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Oh c'mon now. There is only the one. :)
The little circle thingie was actually attached to the buckle, but I dont know its purpose. Old Tom's Modelworks set, with no instructions.
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Great work with the spreader bar - again, I WISH I'd not been in such a rush with my own Roden SPAD and had thought of that as a fix. Excellent!
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Zac, I think you should get a second one and join me on this short run journey :D
And here is another tip for you all.
I began fitting the cowling pieces, and my advice is the following sequence
1. Glue the "belly" and "chin" parts first.
2. Glue the side panels; the cheeks, if we're keeping the body analogy, to the "chin"
3. Glue the top/side pieces with the gun troughs and little teardrop shaped bulges to the sides of the cheeks but NOT TO THE center-top bit
(https://i.postimg.cc/rsB6V1n0/PXL-20240417-021224668.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/q6xDQ3d4)
Leave the center top free-floating so that you can move everything around to properly match the cowling. Plastic shims will need to be installed in the big gaps between the gun troughs and the center-top
(https://i.postimg.cc/Hs0HYKmT/PXL-20240417-021331590.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/2V5gT03t)
I don't know that this is the only way to do this, but it certainly is A way.
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Nice work on those cowls, it looks like the best way to do things. Shimming will be annoying but it looks like the only answer.
These kits can have their challenges but you are doing very nicely with this one.
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Great progress, SS.
I'm itching to start mine and appreciate the valuable service you are doing us here, pre-warning these issues.
Sandy
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Great progress on your Spad, despite the problems with fit. You are cruising!
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Cheers, guys.
I have a nearly completed airframe now. Once I glued the cowling on, I was able.to compress everything and didn't have the gaps I expected. There was just a bit of gap between cowl and the top center piece that needed a bit of shimming. This got a bit of filler (visible below) to level things out.
A more troublesome fit is the tail assembly. The horizontal tail section needs to be sanded a good deal to not have a step over the fuselage, and the elevators are a very tight yet unsatisfying fit. The vertical stabilizer needed some filler along its base after the latter was sanded and reshaped to eliminate the step at the rear fuselage. The rudder didn't fit over the nubs representing the hinges and I cut these off and will make new ones from scrap styrene.
I was letting the forward cabane struts dry before adding the rear. I added one of the two after taking these shots and test fit the upper wing to check alignment. I am happy to say the trio fit the corresponding holes in the top wing perfectly! I expect the fourth one will as well.
(https://i.postimg.cc/yxrstP9b/PXL-20240419-022617166.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/30psD2tX)
(https://i.postimg.cc/448fYJMQ/PXL-20240419-022628389.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/s1hd8R3M)
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Excellent modelling. Roden kits do need work, but with the care you have shown this will be a great build. Very helpful for anyone else building it.
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Great work on the model! Looking mighty fine ;D
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Good work!
/Fredrik
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Great progress! It's coming along very nicely.
Zac, I think you should get a second one and join me on this short run journey :D
I still haven't finished the first!
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A week on and we got paint and stuff.
I'm sad to say that Roden decals are still not great. I used very hot water and they didn't shatter, so they have cleared that bar, but they still don't stick well. I applied them over wet Klear, and the smaller decals turned out okay, but the larger decals got a ton of these micro wrinkles, giving them a weird texture. I tried to work this out in the big "1" but it began to tear.
A second topcoat of Klear lessened the texture somewhat, and the decals now seem to be sticking, but still annoying to have to play all these games.
And of course the American cockades are out of register. Ah well.
(https://i.postimg.cc/j2w2WVSN/PXL-20240430-004631682.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/y3Ks5b9Y)
(https://i.postimg.cc/C16dLMSS/PXL-20240430-004659489.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/tZW9BjsM)
A semi gloss clear coat and some oil paint effects will hopefully "de-toyify" this whole thing.
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Coming along really well, SS, certainly looks the part. Damn shame about the decals though. In the box I thought they looked OKish, but seeing them in situ, they do present problems.
You're getting there though.
Soon be the joy of rigging a SPAD!!!
Looking great so far anyway.
Sandy
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Ah, the trials and tribulations of Roden decals. Mind you, I have had issues with WNW decals as well. Keep going, this is looking really good and I'm hoping you can cover yp those decal issues.
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Your SPAD is looking fantastic. I love the colors you have used on the Camo. Keep up the great work.
RAGIII
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This is distressing news, at least to me. I had hoped that Roden had ironed out their decal woes from 20+ years ago, but I guess not. :'( :'( :'( :'(
Warren
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A forum member was kind enough to provide masks for my Roden SPAD, but I'm worried for my Sopwith One and a Half Strutter...
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A forum member was kind enough to provide masks for my Roden SPAD, but I'm worried for my Sopwith One and a Half Strutter...
Can you obtain some of the Aviattic decals for your Strutter?
Apologies to all for the thread drift.
Warren