Roden vs Eduard 1/48th F.2B?

[PaulR]

Hi all,

while I am normally an RAF WW2 onwards type of modeller, I am increasingly getting interested in WW1 and interwar RAF. The F.2b looks like an interesting build - I thought perhaps an interwar silver job. Checking Hannants shows both Roden and Eduard do 1/48th versions, but which would people recommend? The weekend version of the Eduard kit looks good for a first foray into biplanes, especially its price, but I'd rather have a good build over money considerations - to a point!

Would be grateful for any guidance from those in the know!

Paul

[Rowan Broadbent]

Hi all,

while I am normally an RAF WW2 onwards type of modeller, I am increasingly getting interested in WW1 and interwar RAF. The F.2b looks like an interesting build - I thought perhaps an interwar silver job. Checking Hannants shows both Roden and Eduard do 1/48th versions, but which would people recommend? The weekend version of the Eduard kit looks good for a first foray into biplanes, especially its price, but I'd rather have a good build over money considerations - to a point!

Would be grateful for any guidance from those in the know!

Paul

Hello Paul,

If one compares the Eduard and Roden Bristol Fighters, I'd say that the Eduard one scores on relative ease of construction and fit, but the Roden one has a full RR Eagle engine and some better detailing here and there but that makes for quite a complicated assembly. I said relative ease of construction because the twin bay wings of the Bristol with the additional lower centre section struts and double flying and tail surface control wires makes for quite a tricky build - in fact in the recently released Pheon decals for these kits I've included a building jig plan because of this. I'm not sure I'd recommend it as your first biplane build, though having said that, if you did conquer it, almost anything else would be a relative doddle! If you wanted some post war markings, then Roden released the post war Mk.IV version not so long ago and Model Alliance's Interwar RAF decals are very nice.

Despite its size and cost (still cheap for what you get), the Wingnuts 32nd Bristol is far and away the easiest build of this aeroplane and a complete cracker of a kit to boot. No post war decals for it (yet) but there will be in a couple of months or so....

For your first biplane, I think I'd recommend the Wingnuts Sopwith Pup or SE5a in 32nd. In 48th, probably the Roden SE5a is the easiest of available RFC/RAF subjects. The Eduard Camel is very tricky due to poor strut location.

Hope that helps a bit!

[PaulR]

Cheers for the advice - I shall mull this over! I'll have a dekko at the Wingnuts 1/32nd job, although it's not really 'my' scale. At the risk of pushing my luck, would the Eduard kit make the postwar mkIV? Is it just a case of adding the four balded prop?

Thanks again,

Paul

[Rowan Broadbent]

Cheers for the advice - I shall mull this over! I'll have a dekko at the Wingnuts 1/32nd job, although it's not really 'my' scale. At the risk of pushing my luck, would the Eduard kit make the postwar mkIV? Is it just a case of adding the four balded prop?

Thanks again,

Paul

No, much more than that for a Mk IV - different fin and rudder and slats on the top wing, among numerous details, however the Mk IV was by no means the only variant used post war. Wartime F2Bs were used as well as MkIIs which were little different from the originals, from the exterior. Two and four bladed props were used during the war but I think the majority of post war ones were two-bladed.

Even if 32nd isn't your scale, the Wingnuts kits are worth building anyway, they are just the most brilliantly detailed, accurate and easy to build models available from anyone. Be warned though, once you have built one you'll want them all!