Is there a "better" company for WWI aircraft?

Craig, Roden is a great choice. Inexpensive, well crafted kits with a great array of choices of aircraft and markings. I think they set the standard for 1/72 WWI. Squadron has most of their line in stock. I still have a bunch of the old Revell Collector's Choice kits squirreled away, and they are a real chore after you get used to Roden's quality. If anything, they are so well cast that the more delicate components (interplane struts, for example) are easy to break coming off the sprue. The old ESCI kits are okay as well (if you can find them), but even they are kind of thick in the detail compared to Roden.

Chris

It depends to some extent on the scale you have in mind. For 1/72nd scale, I think Roden are probably your best bet. Eduard also do some very nice kits in this scale. A few ex-Toko kits now marketed by Eastern Express are also worth having.

I can't comment from first hand knowledge on 1/48 scale but Eduard and Roden are often favourably reviewed and Roden has started to produce models in

Have a look at the Roden site here:

Gordon McLaughlin

thx all. Should add that I'm trying to avoid photo etch. Hoping that there is not too much of it in WWI aircraft.

I'll check out your suggestions. have always enjoyed the lines of the Albatros. Were there ever any without the lozenge camo? Yikes!

Craig

I find the Roden stuff to be over-engineered while Eduard is more simple to put together. early eduard is difficult while later eduard is very well designed and ready to go.

Also pre-WWI aircraft is not all WWI... the between wars aircraft were very colorful and exciting. If you do 1/48, try the Hobbycraft P-26, P-35 etc; you'll have a lot of fun.

--- Tontoni

Sure. The lozenge fabric wasn't even introduced until well into the D.V production run and even then on something of a hit or miss basis.

Lozenge is absent on the D.IIIs and an appreciable portion of the D.Vs.

But applying lozenge decals isn't hard, just tedious. Getting the effect of the wooden fuselage on the Albatros scouts is tougher. I usually ended up selecting a paint scheme where the fuselage had been overpainted with one or more solid colors.

Cheers,

I suggest you to try

vincent

"Stephen Tontoni" a écrit dans le message de news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.dca.giganews.com...

"Bill Shatzer"wrote

This isn't entirely true. OAW built D.III's were built after the D.V went into production and after the introduction of loz. IIRC there are at least a few with loz covering.

Though, for the OP this doesn't matter - there are also many D.III's without loz - his preference.

This is quite true. Some advice from a WW1 specialist will quickly reduce it to an easy and relaxing chore.

Another one where some advice will quickly remove the problems for most moderately experienced modellers

I suggest that the original poster have a look at

....and if he's really interested after that, subscribes to the mailing list and asks his questions. The listees are *always* willing to go over what is old ground to most for the pleasure of passing their knowledge on to a newcomer .

OR.....he can email me off of this forum at bristolf2b (AT) hotmail.com and I'll happily answer them offline!

Shane Weier