Recommendation for a newbie

[Lifeline]

Hi,

Ever since re-watching the Lord of The Rings trilogy, I started to feel the urge to build WWI fighter plane (yeah...weird, huh?).

And being mostly build 1/72 Aircraft and occasionally 1/700 modern ships this thought scares me a lot..

 

Yet, after watching 1917 and Tolkiens, I start searching for kits, and came up with several options for my first WWI build, but got confused to which one I should pick between the below list;

 

Eduard 1/48 Sopwith Camel f1 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/eduard-8056-sopwith-f1-camel--115317

Actually my top options, but reading the review, it got problems with the instructions, and failure to identify this will guarantee a half built camel flying into the wall fueled by anger  

And the scheme on those albatrosses just beautiful isn't it?

 

Eduard 1/48 Albatros D.III

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/eduard-8097-albatros-diii--100984

Beautiful schemes! And I really want to try to simulate those wood grain. there's a review said something about wheel struts being too short (without explaining how long it should be  ).

slightly more expensive than the others here in Indonesia.

 

Eduard 1/48 Albatros D.Va

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/eduard-8111-albatros-d-va--667464

Same case like the D.III

 

Eduard 1/48 Nieuport Ni-17 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/eduard-8033-nieuport-ni-17--179249 

Not on my top list, but I've read this kit is "easier" than other Eduard offerings, this particular kit doesn't come with "stork" marking though

 

Any suggestion on which one should I pick?

 

Cheers,

Mario

 

[RODH2]

Perhaps the Eduard Fokker DR-1  (you know, the red one! 😄) should be on that list....a straightforward build, and minimal rigging, if that is an issue!

[dnl42]

I built the Albatros D.III OEF 253 Weekend boxing. I didn't have any construction issues with it. I also didn't use the markings, instead creating markings for Stefan Śtec's aircraft, 253.08.

 

The D.VII and D.VIII are both light on rigging.

 

In case you didn't know, instructions are available on Eduard's website. Here are the links: 8056, 8097, 8111, and 8033.

 

 

[Lifeline]

4 hours ago, RODH2 said:

Perhaps the Eduard Fokker DR-1  (you know, the red one! 😄) should be on that list....a straightforward build, and minimal rigging, if that is an issue!

Sadly, no local seller has the Fokker DR-1 (although having one would be interesting since Anthony Fokker was born in the same region my wife family came from 🤔). And although it's challenging, rigging is not my main concern yet... The alignment is worst fear 😓 

 

3 hours ago, dnl42 said:

I built the Albatros D.III OEF 253 Weekend boxing. I didn't have any construction issues with it. I also didn't use the markings, instead creating markings for Stefan Śtec's aircraft, 253.08.

 

The D.VII and D.VIII are both light on rigging.

 

In case you didn't know, instructions are available on Eduard's website. Here are the links: 8056, 8097, 8111, and 8033.

 

 

Thanks for the link... And yes, most review says the construction is actually fun. The only complaints is about the wheel struts which is shorter than it should be (But honestly, I can't see the difference though). How was it on your build @dnl42? Did you make any change in your's?

 

Cheers,

Mario

Edited February 5, 2020 by Lifeline

[Paul Thompson]

Nieuport 17. All the various boxings of this kit and related types are well moulded and the fit is good. Also, usually fairly cheap. Tons of colourful markings. The only thing to be wary of, if you find the earliest boxings, sometimes the fuselage plastic had turned inwards a bit at the lower front, which was easy enough to straighten.

 

If it bothers you, be aware that the undercarriage on the Albatros kits is too small. Various people have produced replacements over the years, but probably not available any more. I forget offhand how much the legs should be extended, but I've done it, and am not the most dextrous guy in the world. IIRC the wheels are also a tad undersized.

One other thing with the Albatros kits, the engines are noticeably too small, to allow for the plastic thickness. Probably best not to look too closely, because once seen, you can't unsee it. I've made a few of them and used to replace the kit engines with Aeroclub or HiTech substitutes, but the carving out of the kit fuselage reducedthe pleasure, so I don't do it any more (and aftermarket engines are harder to find now anyway).

 

Paul.

[Seawinder]

There are a number of Eduard DR.1s listed on eBay for pretty decent prices. If you're worried about alignment in general, you needn't be with this kit except perhaps for the undercarriage, which tends to be flimsy and fiddly in every Eduard biplane kit I've encountered.

[Smithy]

I second the recommendation for a Fokker Dr.I/F.I as a kit to cut your teeth on in WWI. It has minimal rigging but some and none of it overly problematic so also a good example to try rigging for the first time.

 

1/48 is a good scale for WWI and is my preferred scale for it although I do do some 1/72 and am working on a 1/72 Fokker at the moment. 1/48 is big enough to not be horrifically fiddly but not demanding the detailing which I find 1/32 kits require without looking sparse.

 

One thing I would recommend is not to make any Camel your first WWI experience. The rigging is quite involved and the cross bracing in front of the cockpit would be particularly tricky for a rigging novice.

 

If you're keen on one of the Albatri models, I'd leave that as a second build after a Dreidecker as it's a little more involved.

 

One final word of advice, whatever you do choose, for your first build stick with a well engineered injection kit such as an Eduard. Once you've got your multi-wing and rigging skills down pat then you can move onto those kits which require more work, but for your first one, you'll have enough new skills to pick up without having to wrestle with a problematic kit.

 

Short answer? An Eduard 1/48 Fokker Dr.I would be perfect for a first WWI kit.

 

HTH,

 

Tim

Edited February 5, 2020 by Smithy
Typo

[dnl42]

15 hours ago, Lifeline said:

The only complaints is about the wheel struts which is shorter than it should be (But honestly, I can't see the difference though). How was it on your build @dnl42? Did you make any change in your's?

I wasn't aware of the problem. Looking at the model, I'm not bothered by it.

[Lifeline]

Thanks you all for the comments, Gents.   

 

Really happy to see more insight for these kits, and it's all helpful.

I saw the review of the Fokker Dr.I, and I can see why many recommend it, If there's any available locally here I'm surely would've buy one now!

But, I can't find one, while sourcing it from international sites such as eBay is a no-go for me at this moments due to extra cost it took

(New tax custom tax now stated any item valued $3 and above, and the shipping cost also will be subjected to tax, which means it will cost me double or even triple the original price).  

 

The list I made above is the only I found in the local marketplaces.  

 

 

Cheers,

Mario

  

[Harold55]

I have built all of these kits and can say they are all fun builds.  Eduard does a great job with these kits, a low parts count with one piece wings is a huge plus in getting the kit to look right.  Very good detail too.  Most of the ones I did were weekend editions as the price was good and in most cases the photoetch would not have added much to my enjoyment, only my frustration.  I do use photo etch on larger kits but in this case I am not convinced as the plastic is excellent.  My suggestion is start with the Fokker Dr.I or Nieuport 17 simply because of no or minimal rigging.  The Eduard Fokker E.V is also a great choice as a start as it is a monoplane (again no significant rigging).  These are all a great start into WWI planes.  

And Have Fun!

[Harold55]

The seatbelts are the only really nice photo etch add that is worth doing but Eduard has WWI seatbelt sets sold seperately that will provide enough seatbelts for several builds.  They have them for German, French and English and at one point the combined the three in one set, probably could build 20 to 30 planes with what you get.

[ProfSparks]

From your list of what is available to you, both the D.III and D.Va come with schemes that don't require exposed fuselage wood and have simple rigging. I presume at this stage you're not looking for ultimate accuracy? They're straight forward builds, and even decent enough without the photo etch. 

 

Cheers

Steve