Gotha G.V Roden 1/72 Erika

[Skyhook]

Hello!

I did some archeology at the boxes in the cellar, which include some of my old, unfinished projects. As I said in the description of my G.II project, I had begun a Roden Gotha in the days when the kits were released, but was frustrated with the problems and left it unfinished. It surprised me that I had forgotten that I had begun also a G.V, apart from a G.IV. Actually it had even the upper wing attached. With Roden lozenges and all.

So I was now inspired enough to take it further and finished it just recently. It was quite hard work, mainly because I had used the actual kit struts. They can keep the wings in the correct position and angles, but they are slightly bending as the plane is handled, so very careful handling is needed. There was actually just two points where I could hold the model when detailing. So a lot of concentration was needed with every step. The rigging is heat stretched black sprue and actually provides even some minor additional support, as there is a lot of it. But time will tell if the wings will stay true over time.

I added quite a bit of scratchbuilding here and there, some inner details, thinner additional landing gear tubing, the outer bombsight, bomb racks, MG supports, shutters for radiators, mesh guards for the rear gunner, etc. I also added washes that toned down the lozenge decals.

There was a guite good collection of photos of the Gotha G.V 904/16, flown by Lt. Petersen and Unteroffiziers Renner and van Treek in Gotha! Windsock datafile, so it was a natural subject for the kit, featured in the kit decals as well.

As I said this model was rather hard and slow work, but now it is ready! It is not perfect, but I think it nicely sums up the teutonic menace of a night bomber Gotha. In the near future I will tackle my another unfinished Gotha, a G.IV ?K? from Kagohl 3. Fortunately it has not the upper wing attached yet, so I will replace most kit struts with bamboo and that will make the kit way more stable and easier to handle while building?.

Cheers, Skyhook

IMG_0239

IMG_0259

IMG_0271

IMG_0270

IMG_0245

IMG_0246

[Will Levesley]

That?s a lot of lozenge!  Looks really good in those colours.  Good job with all that stretched sprue rigging as well.

[Dirigible-Al]

Magnificent job, a fully lozenged Gotha!
Alan.

[DaddyO]

Made a great job of this one Skyhook. It's one of the best Gotha schemes IMO and yours looks very tidy. 
I'm very tempted to have a go at one as well . . .
Paul

[enathan]

I've received this kit yesterday... I don't know when I will build it but yours is an inspiration and will be of help when I do.
Great work all around Skyhook, I really like the toned down lozenge camo.

[ScottJ]

You're probably seeing Gotha's in your sleep by now... this one also turned out looking very nice.  Good to sometimes go through those old neglected boxes, you would have had to have been fairly close to completing it when you ran across it again?  It looks great so you've got to be happy to add it to your collection.  You got the Roden decals looking excellent, no mean feat!  And rigging two Gotha's one after the other... isn't there some kind of award for that???
I really like the way this kit turned out...

Scott...

[NigelR]

That is a fantastic job on a challenging kit. Excellent finishing all round and the extra detailing has really paid off. I agree, nice job on the rigging. I always used stretched sprue on my 1/72 kits but would be wary of doing it on a large subject like this, so well done for a very convincing result.

[PrzemoL]

Gorgeous. And what a monster even in 72nd scale. Congratulations on bringing this hard project home.

[lone modeller]

Superb model, especially the lozenge which has toned down really well. I do like the extra details too - adds a more realistic touch to the model.

I have a GVa started in the roof, but I am not tempted to complete it as it is a kit....!

Stephen.

[Flamingo]

Superb model of this Gotha! Great finish and rigging. Always like the "Stossfahrgestell".

Btw, many years ago the president of the Luebeck modelling club displayed his WWI models at our exhibition, when a non modelling visitor told him his grandfather was a flyer in the great war.

You guess it - do you still have photographs? Yes, you want to see them?

And a while later: over in England a guy is preparing a booklet, do you mind if I send copies to him....

This way Dr. Petersen got happy with a Windsock Gotha! and everybody else got "Erika" !

Greetings Joachim

[Richtrad]

That's some impressive work! I know I wouldn't have the stamina or tenacity to attempt something like this.

Warren Q

[Skyhook]

Thanks all for the nice comments!

Yes, the G.V model was the upper wing attached and motor gondolas in place. Actualy some of the struts had snapped or had come loose. I of course remembered it all too well, when I opened the gotha box and there was this G.V apart from the more unfinished G.IV. I think I used liquid glue to make the thick lozenge decals to work somehow, especially at the trailing and leading edges. The contact between the decals and the plastic was not too good even after that; many times the parts I glued to the decal surfaces, came off taking a part of the decal wth them! But I persevered....  now looking at the photos I think I will make a better gun ring to the front. The one that is there now, I scratchbuilt from plastic and it took quite a bit of damage as it was one of the places where I held the model when detailing and rigging. The other addition I think I will do is to make better shutters for the radiators.

But anyway, I am now in a Gotha frenzy and apart from the G.IV, (which is coming together nicely, much easier than the G.V), I found myself checking out the kit parts of G.Va/b yesterday!

cheers, Skyhook

btw. Joachim, thanks for the excellent story regarding the Erika photos and info, great stuff.... small world etc.

[Rip Van Winkle]

  Glad to see that you finished this project.  It was worth the effort !

[gedmundson]

Gorgeous looking Gotha - well done. Love the lozenge scheme, and the subtle weathering.
Cheers,
Gary