Rowan Broadbent Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Yes, words almost fail........ This is probably the most sparklingly beautiful model of a WWI subject this old git has ever seen! The clarity and detail of the mouldings cannot be appreciated from various web shots - this has to be seen and fondled to be believed. The Hispano Suiza engine is a kit in itself - 24 parts. The cockpit is as complete as any I've seen - no etched parts but the plastic is so good it hardly needs it, although the decals for the instruments are a little out of register - no doubt Eduard or Part of Poland will have something coming shortly. The finesse of the fabric surfaces is excellent - the scalloped wing and tail trailing edges and fuselage stringers being particularly well done. An essential complement is the beautiful (and for something so well produced - cheap - I would have happilly paid twice the price of £17 ish for a hard bound version!) monograph by Tomasz Gronczewski and Seweryn Fleischer from Aviatik Publishing - Motor Books have that in stock. A quick comparison between the kit parts and the sumptuous drawings in the book reveal that Roden must have had this to hand during the design of the kit - sure one or two details are missing - like the oil and fuel filler caps on top of the engine cowling, but almost everything else is faithfully reproduced. The transfers are a bit of a dissapointment - though I'm certain that some aftermarket ones will be along shortly.............but they're OK as far as they go - cockade colours a re a bit suspect - the red is too bright and the blue not grey enough for my taste. Price. Well Hannants are not listing this as in stock at the moment, but they are giving a projected price of £59.95 - quite why is beyond me - I bought mine on ebay for 34 euros (inc 19%VAT) from a source in Germany. P&P was 9 euros and it arrived within a week - so roughly twice as fast as H's normal delivery and not far off half the ruinous price that they are proposing. The Ukrainian currency is faring at least as badly as the battered pound, so it's not a currency issue. We must draw our own conclusions. This is an enormous shame, particularly as many UK internet and high street shops rely on Hannants for their stock and will no doubt either be charged in line with the declared retail price or simply not carry the kit. I have avoided 1/32nd scale up till now ( I have so much invested in my 48th "stock") but all that is now going to have to change - it looks as if I shall be building in both scales for the future - particularly as Roden have just announced a DH2 and a Siemens Schuckert DIII in this scale and there is another manufacturer waiting in the wings with, what we are assured in Windsock, will be the most detailed WWI models yet produced. For those of you who have steered clear of modelling this period - I can't think of a better time to dip a toe in the early era waters, and you could do no better than grabbing one of these SPADs as your intro! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andym Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 (edited) I think £59.95 is the price being quoted by Pocketbond in their ads, I noticed this last week. They are importer of Roden so don't blame Hannants, however it think the actual price should be around 42 euros? Maybe someone has cocked up? Andy Edited February 6, 2009 by andym Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowan Broadbent Posted February 6, 2009 Author Share Posted February 6, 2009 I think £59.95 is the price being quoted by Pocketbond in their ads, I noticed this last week. They are importer of Roden so don't blame Hannants, however it think the actual price should be around 42 euros? Maybe someone has cocked up?Andy If the importer is quoting that price then that is obviously the problem and yes, lets hope that someone has cocked up. Easy to say "don't blame Hannants" but my memories of £=$ pricing when the exchange rate was $1.50 to the £ still rankle and lead to the drawing of such conclusions - This thread was intended as a eulogy for the Roden kit and not gratuitous bashing of Hannants - my comment on their pricing was based on the information I had and past experience. Lets leave it there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andym Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 If the importer is quoting that price then that is obviously the problem and yes, lets hope that someone has cocked up. Easy to say "don't blame Hannants" but my memories of £=$ pricing when the exchange rate was $1.50 to the £ still rankle and lead to the drawing of such conclusions - This thread was intended as a eulogy for the Roden kit and not gratuitous bashing of Hannants - my comment on their pricing was based on the information I had and past experience. Lets leave it there. Agree with the £=$ pricing, that really annoyed me too. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobs_Buckles Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Rowan, Roden have indeed raised the bar with the VII. The level of detail is superb and with the use of the windsock datafile one can make a cracking Spad. I just hope they price the DH2 £15 lighter. £60 is daylight rubbery Happy days Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowan Broadbent Posted February 6, 2009 Author Share Posted February 6, 2009 Rowan,Roden have indeed raised the bar with the VII. The level of detail is superb and with the use of the windsock datafile one can make a cracking Spad. I just hope they price the DH2 £15 lighter. £60 is daylight rubbery Happy days Bob happy days, indeed, Bob! On reflection, I'm more inclined to believe that the Pocketbond/Hannants price is a cock-up. I've tried to contact the importers, but only got an answerphone message so far. A look at any continental supplier shows a price in the 35 to 40 euro bracket; the same sort of prices in the US. I know we are accustomed to "rip-off Britain" but in these days of internet shopping, such a massive difference is plainly ridiculous - hence the cock up suggested by Andy seems to be the only reasonable explanation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdave Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Which is this new range referred to in Windsock Rowan, is it the new ones Squadron are doing, like the Albatros D2 or that restoration company in NZ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Kunac-Tabinor Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 You know I may have to test the waters with a WW1 model with this kit. I reckon even I could rig a 1/32nd scale model Always been fond of SPADs too. Lets hope someone comes out with some really good aftemarket decals soon..... Le Vieux Jonners Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowan Broadbent Posted February 6, 2009 Author Share Posted February 6, 2009 Which is this new range referred to in Windsock Rowan, is it the new ones Squadron are doing, like the Albatros D2 or that restoration company in NZ? In truth, I don't know, Dave. The Vintage Aviator site has had a note up for sometime that they were going to produce some injected WWI kits and given their comittment to excellence in everything they have done to date, whether its restoration, rebuilds, utterly faithful replica aircraft or, amazingly, a series of new production Oberussel/Le Rhone engines from scratch, what they could do in plastic kit production could be astounding. I do believe that, whoever this new company is, the kits will be in 32nd. I'd dearly love to know, but Ray Rimell is playing it very close and I do know that the next Windsock will be entirely given over to these new kits - not even reviews of anything else (or, I might add, any new advertising)! At the very least that is an indication that we are in for a treat from someone with enough clout/credibility to convince Ray, who's seen it all over the years, that they are going to be giving us something very special! I think Lord of the Rings filmmaker Peter Jackson is the financial power behind The Vintage Aviator, he's well known for his interest in WWI aviation (his production company is not called Wingnut without reason!), and I also believe he's a modeller, so.... You might have noticed that the Karaya elves have been very quiet of late, perhaps they are beavering away in New Zealand? Me? I'm quite happy to sit back and wait for the next two months (and start saving!), there's plenty to be getting on with in the mean time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowan Broadbent Posted February 6, 2009 Author Share Posted February 6, 2009 You know I may have to test the waters with a WW1 model with this kit. I reckon even I could rig a 1/32nd scale model Always been fond of SPADs too. Lets hope someone comes out with some really good aftemarket decals soon..... Le Vieux Jonners You're not wrong about the rigging -it should be soooo much eassier in the big scale, even turnbuckles should not be beyond my reach in 32nd. Soon be finance and facial orifice congruence time, me old fruit-pie! Start sharpening your tomahawk and plucking your eagle! Big Chief Dances-with-Weasels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerausfb Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Sounds good Rowan. I see ebay.de is now ausverkauft of SPADs - did you go back and buy them all? In your estimation could you build this one literally out of the box and not get tied up in fussing over adding and replacing detail? Loved the SPAD since I was a boy as Kenneth McDonoughs painting 'Escadrille de Cigognes' was on the cover of one of my favourite books. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowan Broadbent Posted February 6, 2009 Author Share Posted February 6, 2009 Sounds good Rowan. I see ebay.de is now ausverkauft of SPADs - did you go back and buy them all? In your estimation could you build this one literally out of the box and not get tied up in fussing over adding and replacing detail?Loved the SPAD since I was a boy as Kenneth McDonoughs painting 'Escadrille de Cigognes' was on the cover of one of my favourite books. Andy No, I only grabbed one! Not surprised they're ausverkauft, though... Of all the kits I've seen in recent years, this one could be done oob, without fear of much compromise; perhaps adding some seat belts, but aside from that, it just needs rigging and maybe some decent markings. You'll need to be careful with clean-up and construction, however. Its various parts and the way the fuselage is made up will call for accurate assembly and alignment, particularly as the surface detail is too good to remove due to filling and sanding. But if you take your time it should produce a stunner! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowan Broadbent Posted February 6, 2009 Author Share Posted February 6, 2009 (edited) http://www.hannants.co.uk/search/?FULL=ROD604 Well if it was a cockup, its a filtered-through-cock-up!! I've emailed asking for an explanation (don't hold your breath....) - but seeing as they're also listing the Junkers DI at £29.98 and the 32nd engines at £20, it looks like some sort of Roden/Importer pricing policy peculiar to the UK (the channel is so expensive to cross!) - try here! http://www.moduni.com/product_info.php/cPa...ucts_id/1070604 and that price is with VAT at 19%! or here: http://cgi.ebay.fr/Roden-%23604-1%2F32-SPA...121127001r13927 Edited February 6, 2009 by Rowan Broadbent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowan Broadbent Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 Hannant's response to my query on the price: "This is the correct price according to the delivery note. With the £ falling 25% since November it is probably correct but I will forward your email to the importers so they can check." I have responded with some figures on £/$ (I think Roden will be trading in $ - the Ukranian currency is pretty much shot to pieces) I will let you know if and when I have any more news. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Dragon Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Interestingly the front page at Moduni is saying "Big price reductions with Roden". Phil http://www.hannants.co.uk/search/?FULL=ROD604Well if it was a cockup, its a filtered-through-cock-up!! I've emailed asking for an explanation (don't hold your breath....) - but seeing as they're also listing the Junkers DI at £29.98 and the 32nd engines at £20, it looks like some sort of Roden/Importer pricing policy peculiar to the UK (the channel is so expensive to cross!) - try here! http://www.moduni.com/product_info.php/cPa...ucts_id/1070604 and that price is with VAT at 19%! or here: http://cgi.ebay.fr/Roden-%23604-1%2F32-SPA...121127001r13927 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowan Broadbent Posted February 13, 2009 Author Share Posted February 13, 2009 Just had an email from Hannants: "Pocketbond have checked and now acknowledge that they have made a mistake. It should be £49.98. They can’t understand how anyone can do it cheaper." Hannants deserve our thanks for chasing this up (I have offered mine!) and although that is still a fairly steep price, its a hell fof a lot more reasonable than before, and more in line with the crappy performance of the jolly old quid - so off you go and buy a few!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Aero Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 Perhaps of interest, this is from my original RFC rigging handbook dated 1/18 for the Spad VII. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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