Author Topic: Eduard 1/48th scale Sopwith F.1 Camel (BR.1) Profipack Edition  (Read 1465 times)

Offline Dave W

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Eduard 1/48th scale Sopwith F.1 Camel (BR.1) Profipack Edition



REVIEWED BY David Wilson

Scale: 1/48th
Item #:82171
Price: $US 39.95 from Eduard Store direct; £21.20 from Hannants of UK; $A57.99 in Australia.
Stockist: Available from Eduard Store at: https://www.eduard.com/ and through quality hobby retailers worldwide.


Contents: Br.1 engined ProfiPack variant of Sopwith Camel kit in grey plastic on 3 frames plus clear parts sprue; Decals for 5 marking options; colour photo etch set, painting masks.



Comment:
The Sopwith Camel is arguably the most famous British fighter aircraft of WW1 with almost 5500 machines built and in RFC/ RAF service from 1917 through to the end of the war.
The Camel has been a staple of many model manufacturers’ catalogues back to the 1950s and is now represented in all of the major scales.
It’s been described as the Spitfire of WW1 and its fame has been boosted by featuring in popular culture – such as the famous Biggles books of Captain W. E. Johns from the 1930s.
The rotary-engined Camel saw extensive use in RFC/ RAF squadrons, along with the Australian Flying Corps and many Allied air forces including Canada, Belgium and America, among others. For many, it defines the image of a WW1 fighter aircraft.

Eduard’s new Br.1 Camel
Let’s be clear from the get-go. This is not the Eduard Camel from some years ago or its many subsequent iterations.
What we have here is Eduard’s exquisite- all new tool 2021 Sopwith Camel which re-defines 1/48 scale WW1 modelling and puts Eduard back on top as a premier 1/48 scale WW1 model manufacturer.
Inevitably Eduard want to maximise their new tooling for the Sopwith Camel so this Br.1 engined variant follows the initial 2021 release of the new tool Camel Combo. It’s essentially the same plastic but with new marking options specific to the Bentley Rotary (BR.1) engine.
Other Camels are also on the release schedule. The Clerget-engined version has been released ( stay tuned for our review soon) and Eduard are tantalising us with promises of a Sopwith Comic night fighter version this year- a must have for many Camel fans!
In addition to the full kits Eduard have delivered an outstanding array of aftermarket sets to enhance the new kit. A review of those new items will also feature on the Forum soon.
But before then we have the Br.1 engined version which as the title suggests, focuses on the Bentley Rotary engine machine. In its life the Camel was also powered by Clerget, Le Rhone and Gnome Monosoupape rotary engines.






In reality the three frames in the box offer multiple engine and other options so there’s some nice spares here for other projects. Most tantalising are the upper wing Lewis guns intended for the Comic night fighter.



Overall, Czech manufacturer Eduard have produced a state of the art, 21st Century quality 1/48 Camel, which supersedes their own earlier Camel kit issued in 2003.
That kit was good but this wholly new tool model instantly becomes the industry standard for 1/48th Camels. Eduard are known for their state of the art design and tooling quality and the Camel confirms that reputation.
Model kits of the Sopwith Camel date back almost to the dawn of plastic modelling, certainly in 1/48th scale the type was among Aurora’s pioneering line in the 1950s and it’s been a staple of various catalogues in the popular scales ever since.
Eduard’s decision to produce a wholly new tool 1/48th Sopwith Camel  to replace its own 2003 version should be warmly welcomed and  encouraged with sales.
Eduard was founded on its pioneering range of WW1 subjects in the early 1990s, but in recent years has embraced other eras and only recently returned to new tool WW1 tooling.
As well as the first Camel in 2003 we have more recently had the new tooling Siemens Schuckert D.III and SE5a.
So the renewed focus on the Sopwith Camel is really a confirmation by Eduard that they are still a major force in WW1 kit manufacturing.
Inevitably the comments here will reflect our views of the Camel & Co. release, it being the same plastic.

The level of detail in Eduard’s WW1 toolings is impressive, capturing incredibly subtle fabric detail, rib tapes on the wings, four optional engines and cowlings and comprehensive cockpit items – impressive in this scale.
The Camel has around 89 plastic parts plus quite a few not needed for this edition.




There’s also 15 clear plastic parts, a comprehensive fret of Photo etched pieces, a set of tape masks and decals for five interesting marking schemes.




A great deal of thought has gone into the design of this kit with the wing surfaces featuring a defined stitching and rib tape which on close examination is perhaps a touch over-scale. This can quickly be addressed with a few light swipes of a sanding stick or under a coat of paint.
Struts and optional landing gear are nicely in scale and not overdone. The kit comes with nicely detailed Vickers guns ( subject of an Eduard aftermarket resin upgrade too) and beautifully detailed but unused (for this combo) Lewis guns and upper wing mounting brackets. These hint at a 2F1 Naval Camel in the future and even better, a Sopwith Comic night fighter which is confirmed as in development.
A close look at the contents reveals tiny gems. There are so many options- four different rotary engines and cowls for example and a choice of upper wing and fuselages, four Cooper bombs and brackets. The list goes on.
The photo etch frets contain a wealth of small details which dress up the cockpit and detail areas. A lot of thought has obviously gone into the PE fret which adds a new level of detail with the colour parts including a finely detailed instrument panel and instruments plus seat belts among the many featured items. A self-adhesive, pre-cut  tape masking set is also included.

Instructions:
The 16 page instructions booklet is, as with the Camel & Co special edition release, a well illustrated A4 format on glossy art paper with each step clearly illustrated with exploded view line drawings which also clearly indicate optional parts depending on which version and markings the modeller chooses to make.
The full colour instruction booklet details the build is very clearly illustrated and features useful rigging diagrams too.
Colours are again keyed to the Gunze/ Mission Models range. A wider range of paint brands would be appreciated. Vallejo and Humbrol are my personal preference.





Marking options and Decals
Five decal options are provided and here Eduard have given us an interesting choice of schemes. This is important because the marking options are really the key difference between this kit and other Camel versions.
As the Bentley engined Camels were standardised for RNAS use, the scheme options reflect RNAS squadrons.
The full marking options are:
A. B6420, Flt Cdr Richard Minifie, 1 (N) Squadron, RNAS, France, March 1918
B. B6390, Flt Cdr Raymond Collishaw, Seaplane Defence Squadron, RNAS, December 1917
C. B7270, Capt A. Roy Brown, 209 Squadron, RAF, Bertangles, France, April 1918.
D. B3781 Aubrey Ellwood, 3 (N) Squadron RNAS, France, July 1917
E. B6398, Maj Ernest Foot, No. 1 School of Special Flying, Gosport, England, October 1918.








Decal quality looks excellent and in perfect register and maintains Eduard’s reputation for their decals.
Summary:
As we said of the Camel Combo release,  Eduard’s state of the art Sopwith Camel defines quality. The Br.1 engine variant reconfirms that reputation and is easily the best 1/48th Camel kit on the market. A must-have for WW1 enthusiasts.
Verdict:
Our Highest Recommendation.
(Review kit kindly supplied by Eduard. Please support the businesses that support our Forum.)

« Last Edit: August 21, 2022, 10:49:13 PM by Dave W »
Owner and Administrator of ww1aircraftmodels.com and forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com

Offline KiwiZac

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Re: Eduard 1/48th scale Sopwith F.1 Camel (BR.1) Profipack Edition
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2022, 07:43:07 AM »
Wow, what a fantastic package! Thanks for the review Dave, this is surely another must-have for Camel fans.

And all those unused parts...wonderful fodder for updating other kits (you had me at Gnome Mono  ;)).

Bravo to Eduard's design team. What a beauty! Now how about a Nieuport XI... ;D