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Airco DH.2 - 1:48 Eduard 'Profipack'


Viking

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Airco DH.2
1:48 Eduard 'Profipack'

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Designed by Geoffrey De Havilland, the prototype DH.2 first flew in July 1915 and was sent to France for evaluation in the same month. Attached to 5 squadron, it was unfortunately lost on the German side of the lines in August. Development and production continued with the first examples being issued to 24 squadron RFC in January 1916, and their deployment to France in February. The DH.2 quickly proved itself to be a capable combat machine and was able to put an end to the 'Fokker scourge' of the monoplane Fokker Eindecker with its synchronised machine gun firing through the propeller. Despite it's fragile looks, it was a sturdy machine and remained the RFC's best fighter aircraft throughout most of 1916.

The basic layout of a pod with the engine at there rear and twin booms to hold the tailplane was a popular one, particularly with British and French designers. It's great advantage was that it gave an unrestricted field of fire forward as well as an excellent view, which are both great assets in a fighting aeroplane. The Vickers Gunbus was the first such British machine to reach the Western Front, and was followed by the DH.2, FE.2b, FE.8, while the French used the Voisin 3 and various Caudrons and Maurice-Farmans. Virtually all of these were referred to as 'Vickers' by the German pilots, as their layout was so similar.

The 'pusher' layout became obsolete by the end of 1916 when the new Albatros D.1 and D.II biplanes appeared at the front, with their conventional 'tractor' layout with synchronised twin machine guns firing through the propeller. By 1917 the allies had developed reliable synchronisation gear, and machines such as the Sopwith Pup consigned the single seat 'pusher' fighters to history, although the 2 seat FE.2 carried on to the end of the war as a night bomber.

The kit.
First released in 2005, Eduards DH.2 set new standards in moulding and beautifully engineered parts with precision fit. I bought one and built it at the time, and it still resides in my display cabinet.

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In recent years it has become hard to find, but happily Eduard have now re-released it in Profipack form.
The kit is packaged in Eduard's familiar orange stripe box, and consists of three sprues of plastic parts, one small acetate sheet of windscreens, a set of kabuki masks, a sheet of decals and a generously sized fret of etched brass.

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Construction begins, as usual, with the cockpit and Eduard supply some really beautiful detail here, using plastic, etch, and decal where appropriate. The wicker seat is provided as an etched item and you also have the option of the injection moulded version. A choice of three different instrument panels is offered, depending upon which version you choose.

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All the instruments are provided as decals with fine etched brass bezels to fit over them. (A tip here is not to glue the bezels, but just use Johnsons Kleer or gloss varnish to secure them) Some helpful cutaway side profiles are drawn on the instructions to make it clear how the panels fit. Rudder pedals, trim lever, ammo drums, and seat belts all go in to make a wonderfully detailed cockpit. Much of it will be visible on the finished model as being an open cockpit, and right out in front, for once all your hard work will remain on view.

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The little Gnome engine comes next, with each of the 9 cylinders requiring fitment of an etched brass valve and bracket. 12 sets of these are thoughtfully provided, in case the carpet monster get hungry when you come to fit them on. (Another tip - I put the upturned box lid on my work bench for this sort of job. Then when I drop a tiny etched part it is simple to find again). Later on, the engine will be fitted with either a 2 or 4 bladed propeller, again depending on which option you have chosen.

Next up is fitment of the top wing and all those struts. It may look daunting, but can actually be made quite easy to do. I use a strip of clear plasticard taped to the underside of the top wing, and make a hole with a compass point where every strut location is. Remove the the plasticard, and drill each hole out with a 0.7mm drill, leaving you with template of all strut locations. When all the struts are glued into the bottom wing, use the template to line them all up while the glue sets. A few coins help to weight it down a little. It is much easier to explain with pictures, which I did a few years back on my build of Eduards Bristol Fighter

Once the top wing is on and rigged, the tail booms and tailplanes go on. Having previously built one, I can verify that the whole wing structure along with the booms and tailplane are all precisely engineered and go together beautifully. Yes, this is not one for the beginner, but with due care anyone who has built a few biplanes should find this one well within their capabilities. The upper and lower wings are the same as many other biplane models, the only difference here is a pair of booms to hold the tailplane.
Rigging diagrams are provided step by step, rather than just 1 single cluttered drawing showing it all at once, which makes it easier to follow. Fitting the Lewis gun and a choice of three different external ammo drum panniers completes the model.

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Masks
The Kabuki tape masks provide items for the wheel hubs and the propeller hub. Both the 2 and 4 blade props had brass sheathed tips with a sort of shallow 'S' edge where they fitted across its chord. A full set of 8 individual masks are provided to make sure you get them all exact and equal. An addition since the 2005 release that I built is a section of mask for the underside of the cockpit nacelle. The side panels of PC8 (or PC10) coloured fabric were trimmed to alternate triangle shapes and folded over the underside and doped, giving a distinctive saw tooth pattern. This is now helpfully supplied as a mask and should make painting the pattern very simple.


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Etched Brass.
This has also been revised for this re-release and contains a whole host of detailed item. Several are options depending upon which version you choose, so as well as providing enhanced detail, many items can go into your spares box. The set is very comprehensive and covers the seat, ammo panniers, nacelle straps, control horns, ammo drums, gun sights, windshield bracket, control wire guide pulleys, plus others. Thoughtfully many of the tiny items are provided with spares, in case you lose any.

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Film.
A small film provides the 2 optional windscreens that fit on a neat etched bracket on the Lewis gun.

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Decals
Four options are provided.
A. 6011, 24 Squadron RFC, 1916
B. 7851, 32 Squadron RFC, 1916
C. 5998, Captain John Oliver Andrews, 24 Squadron RFC, 1916
D. 5967, Robert H. M. S. Saundby, 24 Squadron RFC, 1916

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The roundels and rudder stripes are common to all versions, with individual markings for each option. All the instrument faces are provided, 44 tiny strut logos, and 'Palmer Aero Cord' lettering for the tyres. The colours look very good, printing and register are very sharp, and the carrier film is minimal. The decals themselves look to be very thin, so should go on very nicely.

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Conclusion.
This is a very well produced package with everything you could wish for to produce an outstanding model. Beautiful injection moulded parts, etched brass, kabuki masks, and excellent decals within Eduards orange stripe 'Profipack' box offer the most complete and rewarding modelling experience.

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The DH.2 is a subject best suited to modellers with a medium to higher level of skill, due to the complexity of the struts and rigging. However, its design and fit are excellent, so it should be well within the capabilities of anyone with a moderate level of skill. I really enjoyed my build of the first release of this kit, it produces an absolute little gem of a model, which has had a permanent place in my display cabinet since it was completed several years ago.

Highly recommended.

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Review sample courtesy of
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