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Seeking info on 1/32 decals for WW1 Roland D.VIb + general question about Roden kits


EpicPlastic

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Hey everyone,

 

One of the kits i currently have in my little stash is the Wingnut Wings Roland D.VIb.

I plan to start on this model soon, when i've finished my current built of the WNW Fokker E.II.

I'm slowly starting to gather aftermarket products for this model and one of the things i'm looking for for this kit are alternative decals / markings.

I've been searching the web for a while now, but haven't been able to find any suitable 1/32 scale decals for the Roland D.VIb so far.

Does anyone of you happen to know if these even exist?

 

Also, i've been looking at several 1/32 scale WWI aircraft models of Roden. I've never actually owned one of their kits, but since they do have some very interesting models, i was wondering how the quality of these kits compare to Wingnut Wings. Are they even comparable? If any of you could share your experiences, that would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks very much indeed!

 

Dolf

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I'm a great fan of the Roden WW1 kits...but they're nowhere close to WNW quality. They tend to be quite good basic shapes and generally cleanly-molded, but simplified in design and features, and tending toward softly-molded surface detail.

 

That said, they're great basic kits which can easily be 'detailed up' to suit the builder's preference.

 

Also note that others have commonly reported problems with their decals. I've never had much problem myself over a half-dozen or so kits...but I've also taken to coating any kit decals used with Micro Decal film, just to be safe.

 

--edit--

BTW, the Part company from Poland makes a pretty complete line of etch sets specifically for the Roden kits. They tend to be somewhat 'over-engineered'--for instance, having you laminate 6 etch layers for a part easily made from a single bit of styrene sheet (if you've got it)--but they provide a very nice range of interior parts with some engine detail and things like control linkages and turnbuckles. As an example, here are links to two of my Roden builds using Part etch sets:

Se5A 'Viper'

Nieuport 28

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Then if you google Roland D.VIb by Fly in 1:72th scale, they have some (at least to me) interesting post-war Czech versions. You'd need to find someone to upscale their decals, like Melius Manu, perhaps.

As for me, I'll buildmy WnW's Roland D.VIb in the livery of the post-war US-test plane at Cook Airfield.

Edited by RHWinter
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Thank you very much indeed for your replies & info!

 

I think i'll just have to buy a Roden kit one of these days to give it a try. I really like the Pfalz D.III / IIIa for it's design, so i'll probably give that one a try and compare it with the WNW kit i have of this airplane. I was a bit reluctant to purchase any of Roden's kits as i read so many negative comments about them, but as you say @Thorfinn, if they are good basic kits, i can upgrade them with some aftermarket stuff (i'll never reach the level of your builds though, i just looked at your Se5a and Nieuport => wow, excellent work!)

 

@RHWinter: thanks for the tips, i appreciate it. I did indeed find the Roland D.VIb decals made by Aviattic, but i've never heard of Melius Many before. That's a great lead and i've put them in my favourits for now. Never know if i might need them one day. Someone also pointed me towards Pheon Decals, which i had also never heard of before. No Roland D.VI decals there either, but they had some great Pfalz D.IIIa decals i purchased!

Edited by EpicPlastic
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In a way, they're bound to loose out in any comparison to WNW because they're essentially a limited run product, whereas WNW is much closer to mainstream manufacturers, and ahead of them in some ways. The most recent Roden WWI aircraft kits are still fairly old, so if you like them or not depends on how you cope with limited run. When the first 1/32nd kits first came out the only competition was Battleaxe's Albatrosses, which were blown away by Roden's offerings by whatever criteria you choose . Other 1/32nd kits like Hobbycraft's Spad XIII  were of subjects Roden left alone. They were also a lot cheaper. When WNW appeared, Roden prices climbed to match. I don't know if that was them or third parties, because it wasn't long before Roden withdrew from that particular part of the market, just as Eduard offerings led them to abandone 1/72nd and 1/32nd, and change their focus to more modern stuff and WWI ground vehicles where the competition was mostly very expensive resins kits.

 

BTW, my perception of the pricing is based on what was available from 1992 until 2012, when I lived in the Netherlands and LHS (now Aviation Megastore) was my main non mail-order source of kits. Also, my take on why Roden largely left WWI aviation kittage is just that, my guess - perhaps they simply got bored with it, or had a change of boss, I don't know. Anyway, as others above have already said, they're basically sound kits, just be prepared for a lot more fettling and less hand-holding than WNW offer, and also be prepared for trouble with the decal sheet. They really are very variable, although sometimes you get lucky and they can work okay. At least for most of their range there are many alternatives from Aviattic, Pheon, PrintScale and others. I also second the Part sets for fine details, although you need to check what they offer for any particular subject and see if it floats your boat.  Personally I find things like wire wheels and internal framing a bit of a waste, but there's usually enough other useable bits to justify the modest extra outlay.

 

Paul.

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I like Roden kits,they have the odd fit issue but none of those I've built have been particularly challenging and have all turned out well-and it's not like WNW kits just fall together in every case.I source them from

Modelsua,great prices and service.As well as PART, Eduard make WW1 seatbelts,and of course Master guns are terrific. Airscale instrument decals also make quite a difference.  

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The Roland D.VI is very much a late war, minority-use type like the Pfalz D.XII and both were considered inferior to the 'first choice' Fokker D.VII.  So, not widely used and consequently difficult to find 'exciting' colour schemes. The same, few aircraft get

illustrated in books and magazine articles so almost no scope for aftermarket alternative decals. 

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Excellent & very helpful feedback all, thanks very much.

 

It did and does indeed surprises me a bit that the information of the Roland is so limited to a few well known airplanes, but at the same time, as it was developed late war, it is logical that there is less reference material. 

Oh well, i'll see if i can acquire some good books about this type and get inspired by the photo's i'll see in them!

 

As for the Roden kits: very interesting links @tomcervo ! i hadn't found these and they make an excellent comparison. Thanks!

@Paul Thompson: The Aviation Megastore is my place to go to for all aviation related modeling necessities too! I'ts such a huge store, i can spend hours and hours there every time i visit them. I actually visited  earlier this week and held a 1/32 scale Roden kit in my hands, doubting whether or not i should purchase it. But i decided otherwise and ended up with some Albion Alloy tubes and some paint instead. Finish my current project first before acquiring new models!

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  • 2 weeks later...

The Roden WWI kits I have completed were not short run kits.  Probably not the same level as WNW Kit but I thought the were very good. Fit is good overall and nice level of detail.  Very comparable to Eduard 1/48 WWI kits except I did have the occasional decal issue but nothing that can not be worked through.  Just a thought if you are looking at other 1/32 scale WWI kits, think about the new one out for Copper State.  I think this would be comparable to WNW.

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