S.E.5a - Idle thoughts..

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.

Reply to
Jim
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my lindberg kit has wire for the rigging and a seperate sheet with 2 color schemes and a rigging guide.

2 of my lindberg gladiators have that also, and 2 don't. jfyi.
Reply to
e

If that ground crewman with his dolly is the same one as was in my Lindberg Curtiss JN-4D, check out the detailing on it, including a wrench in a pocket and a clean-up rag. Made the figures that came with the Aurora kits look like blobs. Unfortunately the pilot figures in the Jenny all seemed to have massive sinks in their chest regions. I used the Jenny as basis for four different models, each on those figures was affected the same way.

-- John The history of things that didn't happen has never been written. . - - - Henry Kissinger

Reply to
The Old Timer

******* Neat. None of my 'yellow plastic' Lindberg kits have rigging or rigging guides........ Oh well. :-)

Cheers. Jim.

Reply to
Jim

******* You're bang on! Nice little wrench in the left back pocket. The rag just gives it that added touch.
******* This guy doesn't have the massive sink mark in the chest, although it is obvious he's no Charles Atlas. It's his seat area that makes me wonder if he should have gone to the latrine before getting into the aircraft......... I'll never know.

Good stuff. Thanks. cheers - Jim.

Reply to
Jim

there seem to be at least 4 boxings of the glad, plus the life-like. i think your yellow was the first. was it a shoebox or the longer, lower box's? the wire is kind of a joke, much to thick and also too short for a whole kit. i use e strings or monofil.

Reply to
e

****** The longer lower box. Same for the PT-17, Jenny and Goshawk, althought the Goshawk is moulded in white....

The Life-like and Inpact are moulded in silver.

****** Sounds like something I'd try to use........ :-)

Cheers and thanks. Jim.

Reply to
Jim

i saw your box on ebay. also saw my glad box. the wire is pretty useless.

Reply to
e

I have a couple of the old Monogram 1/48 kits down in the basement workroom somewhere. I can't remember and it's been a while since I've been able to lay my hands on them; are they a kit of the 5 or 5a?

-- -- -- -- -- "We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm." George Orwell

My Home Page:

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Reply to
Bill Woodier

****** According to the box top as well as the design of the radiator they are the S.E.5a. Unless Monogram also produced a S.E.5, which I doubt.

Later. cheers - Jim.

Reply to
Jim

It was originally the old Aurora kit but cleaned up. To my best knowledge that was a 5a. I also once had a Lindberg SE.5a but it had trouble staying assembled. I preferred the Aurora because it was a little more robust which is not necessarily a good thing for a WWI craft.

Bill Banaszak, MFE

Reply to
Mad-Modeller

The "a" was the only version produced until Copper State did the S.E.5; look here:

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now out of production. (two different wings!) hth

The Keeper (of too much crap!)

Reply to
Keeper

Are you going to try to rerurn iit in another auction? If not and you would consider a direct sale, is the price you posted on the eBay auction your "final" price?

Cheers........Bill Woodier

-- -- -- -- -- "We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm." George Orwell

My Home Page:

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Reply to
Bill Woodier

Direct sale is fine plus appropriate postage; probably $3.95 to your location. Send me your zip and I'll check. Remove "edy" to reply.

The Keeper (of too much crap!)

Reply to
Keeper

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