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Modelers Lounge => Latest Acquisition to your collection => Topic started by: enathan on July 04, 2020, 10:18:07 AM

Title: 1/72 Classic Plane R.E.8 Conversion
Post by: enathan on July 04, 2020, 10:18:07 AM

I'm always looking for rare and unusual WWI kits in 1/72 scale, and this latest acquisition is of an aircraft I didn't know existed.
In 1917 some 22 RAF R.E.8's were supplied to Belgium, and in some of them the original 150HP RAF 4A engines were replaced by 180HP Hispano Suiza 8A2's. The engines were totally covered with SPAD-like cowlings.
The conversion is based on the old Airfix kit which is supplied, with new resin fuselage halves, engine cowling, radiators, a 2 blade propeller, a pilot seat, instrument panel and decals. It's a very nice conversion of a little known aircraft.   

Title: Re: 1/72 Classic Plane R.E.8 Conversion
Post by: Dave Brewer on July 04, 2020, 07:16:51 PM

Now that's different,that will be a very interesting model.

Title: Re: 1/72 Classic Plane R.E.8 Conversion
Post by: enathan on July 04, 2020, 08:50:37 PM

The R.E.8 in the Brussels Air Museum.
Having built an Airfix R.E.8 kit in the past, it's better to use the Choroszy resin kit for this conversion. 

Title: Re: 1/72 Classic Plane R.E.8 Conversion
Post by: IanB on July 06, 2020, 12:25:12 AM

If you have new complete fuselage halves then most of the Airfix kit errors will be taken care of. Just make sure you think the wings (a lot!) And you should be good!

Ian

Title: Re: 1/72 Classic Plane R.E.8 Conversion
Post by: enathan on July 06, 2020, 02:25:42 AM

Thanks Ian.
The resin fuselage seems to be a copy of the Airfix one...and it's not only the wings on the Airfix kit that need thinning, the kit is crude even in their old standards. Anyway, I have the Choroszy R.E.8 and it's much better in every aspect.