Italeri IT1374 RAF SE-5 & Albatros D.III

[Steve Coombs]

Just noticed this on the Hannants website. Are these new kits, or the old ESCI ones with new decals for the twenty-first century market?

[Kuro Nezumi]

It's the older Esci kits, though for £9.99 it's not a bad price.

Edited April 17, 2015 by Kuro Nezumi

[AWFK10]

If they are the kits once sold by Esci, they weren't their own: they were originated by Eldon Match and bore, shall we say, significant similarities to the earlier Revell kits of the same subjects. As I recall, the SE5 is OK but others in the range, notably the SPAD XIII, were poor in comparison to the Revell equivalent. The Revell Albatros is still in the shops for £3.50 or so, and the SE5a has certainly been around recently at the same price.

[Steve Coombs]

Thanks for the info.

It seems then that I already have the kits - I bought the Red Baron Flying Circus box set years ago. Nice for their time, but long since superceded by the likes of Roden and Eduard.

I think Airfix is missing a trick by not updating various WW1 kits for the centenary. Perhaps I will be pleasantly surprised in the next couple of years.

[Hook]

Pics of the decals and sprues for your viewing pleasure here:

http://www.model-making.eu/products/S.E.5a-ALBATROS-D.III.html

(Just don't order from there - I've had bad experiences.)

Cheers,

Andre

[Paul Thompson]

Pics of the decals and sprues for your viewing pleasure here:

http://www.model-making.eu/products/S.E.5a-ALBATROS-D.III.html

(Just don't order from there - I've had bad experiences.)

Cheers,

Andre

I'd go further and say don't order at all. Those are truly appaling kits. Even in their day they weren't much cop, and they've not aged gracefully. If you wan't a cheap retro experience, you can find the Revell originals these were 'based' on, and as a basis for a quick build, for or correction and detailing they're far better. And for those who want an accurate, reasonably detailed kit that is limited run but builds well, then Roden do the both engined versions of the SE5a and both German and Austro-Hungarian versions of the Albatros D.III. As a guide, although not the cheapest folk in the world, the Revell Albatros D.III is currently available at £3.50, and the Roden D.III at £8.99. The SE5a is also £8.99 (you neeed to start the search term with 'RAF' or it doesn't show up). All these kits turn up at shows and on ebay often enough, usually at sensible prices.

Paul.

[Dave Fleming]

The SE isn't too bad, but i wouldn't pay a tenner for just it

[le wombat agile]

They are the old ones and the same of the Flying Circus Box. I suggest you to spend your money with a Roden kit. I've bought bought and they are very much better.

Here the range and the shop on line I used sometimes in the past. The prices are very good.

http://www.roden.eu/HTML/framemodels.htm