Having just arrived home with my new bought 1/48th Roden S.E.5a I just had to lay it out on the desk along with the Monogram [No.5205] and Lindberg [No.532] kits. Please note, this is not a kit review or comparison, just idle thoughts.
A quick look proved that the reviews published in various newsgroups are correct in that the Roden kit is far and away superior to the other two. Of course that is not to say that you can't have fun building any of the kits.
Just laying the top wings next to each other showed that all three are different in size. The Monogram wing being the largest, in span, with Lindberg having the shortest and of course that leaves Roden in the middle of the pack. No measurements were taken to see who had it right.
Comparing the fuselages was a bit of a bust due to the break down of the various parts. Lindberg and Roden built the tail skid section into the fuselage half and Monogram provided it as a separate part. No big deal either way.
Although the rigging can be seen on the box art, only Monogram provided a rigging diagram. I thought Roden would have provided something similar, but I guess that's where research enters the fray.
As to colour call out, I won't comment on the Roden or Monogram kits but the Lindberg colour information brought back memories of simpler modelling days. The Lindberg parts are moulded in a bright yellow plastic and the colour guide tells you to paint the propeller brown and paint the machine gun black. That's it. A lot of glue, a few permanent finger prints, a little paint and there you have it, a bright yellow S.E.5a to hang from your ceiling or put on the provided stand until it's time to zoom around the room. Ah! Modelling times long gone.
One little note on the Lindberg kit is that they provide you with a ground crewman and a simple little dolly for the tail skid. Great for a diorama. It wouldn't be hard to scratch build for the other kits. They also provide wheel chocks. Neat.
Ok, that's it. As I said, just idle thoughts......
Cheers - Jim.