Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a by CDW - Squadron Encore - 1:32 Scale - PLASTIC

[CDW]

Okay, this is the 1:32 Squadron Encore Models S.E.5a as flown by England's highest scoring ace of WW1, James McCudden. This particular kit is from somewhere around or about 2009 and is currently out of production. A copy can be found most times listed on Ebay, and sometimes the asking price is a little too much IMHO. I paid roughly $60 for this kit and that's a decent price for it. Basically, the kit is the Roden model with added resin and photo etch pieces, plus a nice resin figure kit of James McCudden.

The plastic parts are a little on the rough side compared to Wingnut Wings kits...you get what you pay for as the old saying goes. Still, I believe this can be built into a pretty decent model. Gonna give it a shot and see what happens. For starters, my kit's fuselage halves are strangely warped. I believe I may be able to straighten these out in the construction process. If not, I have a 2nd Roden kit as a backup which I will rob parts from if I must.

Hang on and I'll post some initial construction photos later tonight. 

 

v

[CDW]

 

[CDW]

This is the S.E.5a engine, the Hispano Suiza 8 cylinder.

Engine is the stock kit pieces with added spark plug wiring from scratch (plastic rod and fine wire).

Engine is painted in Tamiya semi gloss black, dry brushed with Mr. Metal Color iron and aluminum.

The only parts of the engine that will be readily seen once the model is finished are the rocker covers. There's no reason for me to go too wild on engine detail that's going to be hidden.

 

[vossiewulf]

Does it have the spinner McCudden put on his S.E.5A? He stole it from a LVG C.V or something.

[CDW]

13 minutes ago, vossiewulf said:

Does it have the spinner McCudden put on his S.E.5A? He stole it from a LVG C.V or something.

Yes, it certainly does include that spinner...in resin as an add-on choice. Kit comes with three sets of markings, basically an early, mid, and late McCudden aircraft that included the spinner. 

 

For those who are unaware, the S.E.5a was a very durable, stable and well mannered aircraft compared to other highly aerobatic aircraft of that time period such as the Fokkers and the Sopwiths. This was due to the fact the S.E.5a was designed with lots of dihedral in the wings. This resulted in a very stable gun platform, but a slow roll rate. McCudden capitalized on the speed and stablity of the airframe by developing superior tactics and gunnery. Killed in combat at the age of just 23, McCudden made all but five of his fifty-seven aerial combat kills in the S.E.5a. 

[CDW]

Oil pump tubing added to engine.

 

[vossiewulf]

4 hours ago, CDW said:

Yes, it certainly does include that spinner...in resin as an add-on choice. Kit comes with three sets of markings, basically an early, mid, and late McCudden aircraft that included the spinner. 

Of course up to you, but the one with the spinner is the one I'd do, as that might have been the best S.E.5a that ever flew. You know the story of him tuning the engine to death and completely stupefying the Rumpler pilots by diving on them at like 19k?

 

Well, other tempting one would be the mid markings set of No.56 Squadron and do it as it appeared on the day that he and Rhys-Davids and the rest took down my namesake.

[Canute]

Gotta tag along on this one, too. Another interesting aircraft.

[CDW]

Right now, I'm wrestling with cutting out the molded on aileron cable and pulley systems at each of the four corners of the wings, and the two pulleys/cables at the horizontal stabilizers. The kit includes some very nicely detailed pulley/cable systems to replace the lack luster molded on units. Being that the wings are molded in solid pieces rather than upper and lower wing halves, it makes for thick plastic to cut through. Not one of my favorite chores as it's easy to accidentally cut out more plastic than was intended. But the end result will be 100% better than the stock units.

 

I had in mind to do the mid version, modeling the aircraft at the time of the Voss encounter. I do have a second S.E.5a kit to do the latter version with the spinner.

 

Generally speaking, the Squadron Encore kits of any variety are bargains to be on the lookout for. They include detail parts such as resin and photo etch, sometimes historical pilot figures, and decal sheets that make them a bargain compared to their stripped down cousins on which the Encore kits are based. The Roden kits that are the basis for this Encore kit are what i would call 'limited run' kits. It's rather evident looking at the molded parts that the molds are just not up to the high quality standards of more modern, high production molds. These type of molds will only produce a very limited number of copies before they must be discarded. In other words, when the kits are gone, they are pretty much gone for good.

[popeye the sailor]

tagg'in along as well    I had the pleasure of building Werner Voss's triplane {1:28 scale} when I was younger....got these two from a fellow in England several years ago.......

laughed my butt off as to how small they were.........darn description on E-Bay     they are old....been with me for a couple moves    been wanting to do a couple brit planes....but my budget has been put on hold since my last purchase    {only temporary   } 

[Old Collingwood]

Very nice work mate  - you do make these engines look so life like.

 

OC.

[CDW]

Earlier (yesterday) I described the aileron control cables and pulley systems molded in the wings and horizontal stabilizer.

Here is a picture of how the stock wings look at the control system location, the triangle-shaped units. Plain vanilla.

 

The idea is to cut out these triangles with an xacto knife or similar tool

 

These are the after market resin replacement units included in the Encore kit. It captures the look of the detailed control cable and pulley systems.

 

They will look something like this when installed. Of course, a little filler and sanding will be needed around the edges. A much better look...something you might expect to see already molded in to a Wingnut Wings kit, thus my previous "you get what you pay for" statement. 

 

[Old Collingwood]

Where they on a "Push-Pull" system mate?

 

OC.

[CDW]

43 minutes ago, Old Collingwood said:

Where they on a "Push-Pull" system mate?

 

OC.

A pull-pull system with the pair of ailerons on each side linked together.

[Old Collingwood]

2 hours ago, CDW said:

A pull-pull system with the pair of ailerons on each side linked together.

Its a good addition  - will certainly add to the realism.

 

OC.

[CDW]

Just now, Old Collingwood said:

Its a good addition  - will certainly add to the realism.

 

OC.

The kit provides clear acetate triangle shaped windows to cover the resin pieces but still allow the inner parts to show through. 

I'm scratching my head and wondering if this is just a feature added to the model to show off the detail, or was the actual aircraft fitted with glass over the pulley and cable for a quick visual inspection? Unfortunately, I don't have much reference for the S.E.5a that might tell me the answer to that question.

[Old Collingwood]

5 minutes ago, CDW said:

The kit provides clear acetate triangle shaped windows to cover the resin pieces but still allow the inner parts to show through. 

I'm scratching my head and wondering if this is just a feature added to the model to show off the detail, or was the actual aircraft fitted with glass over the pulley and cable for a quick visual inspection? Unfortunately, I don't have much reference for the S.E.5a that might tell me the answer to that question.

I will see what I can dig up - as there are a few full size ones over here.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

I have found these  - http://storage.mfa.free.fr/se5photo7uk.html

 

They seeem to show the windows underneath the top wings  possibly covered.

 

OC.

[CDW]

Those are quite nice construction photos of the S.E.5a, OC. Thanks for the link.

I'm thinking the clear covers are simply a feature of the model to show off the pulley and cables. The real thing being a simple access cover, opaque.

[Old Collingwood]

5 minutes ago, CDW said:

Those are quite nice construction photos of the S.E.5a, OC. Thanks for the link.

I'm thinking the clear covers are simply a feature of the model to show off the pulley and cables. The real thing being a simple access cover, opaque.

You might be right, and with it being underneath it would be more protected from the weather.

 

OC.

[CDW]

I think I'll save myself some work and only cut out/replace just the one cover for show. Can't see much point in doing them all that way as I can quite easily paint in and shade an opaque cover on the remainder of the locations.

[Old Collingwood]

Also found this  -  

 

http://www.virtualaerodrome.com/image_thread.html?p_aircraft_id=37&p_user_id=1216&offset=720

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

5 minutes ago, CDW said:

I think I'll save myself some work and only cut out/replace just the one cover for show. Can't see much point in doing them all that way as I can quite easily paint in and shade an opaque cover on the remainder of the locations.

We crossed me posting with yours,   found this  it gives some quite fine detailing.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Thinking about where the SE5A would be  -  possibly the eqv  of the Hurricane  - Tiger Moth was  the  (then Spitfire).

 

OC.

[Roger Pellett]

I am no expert but as an engineer, strongly believe that for good engineering design form is driven by function.

 

If these alerion pulleys were not enclosed by some sort of cover fastened to the wing top they could become inoperative from chinks of dirt, sand, etc. kicked up by prop wash during takeoff.  Therefore, an “eisenglass” transparent screen would make sense.

 

I love these old aircraft and built balsa/tissue models of them in my teen aged years.  Many years before I was born my father and mother attempted to supplement their income by manufacturing and selling model airplane kits designed by my father.  Growing up there was a beautiful large scale 1930 era Curtiss P8 Hawk hanging up in my closet, all that was left from my father’s Viking Model Aircraft Company. Unfortunately it did not survive.

 

I am tempted to try to build another one but I know that I cannot duplicate the craftsmanship of the original or that you guys show so I will try to stick to boat models.

 

Somewhere along the way my father obtained an original propeller from a WW I Thomas Morse Scout.  It’s now hanging up in my basement.  I have no idea what I will eventually do with it.

 

Roger

 

 

 

[CDW]

15 minutes ago, Roger Pellett said:

I am no expert but as an engineer, strongly believe that for good engineering design form is driven by function.

 

If these alerion pulleys were not enclosed by some sort of cover fastened to the wing top they could become inoperative from chinks of dirt, sand, etc. kicked up by prop wash during takeoff.  Therefore, an “eisenglass” transparent screen would make sense.

 

I love these old aircraft and built balsa/tissue models of them in my teen aged years.  Many years before I was born my father and mother attempted to supplement their income by manufacturing and selling model airplane kits designed by my father.  Growing up there was a beautiful large scale 1930 era Curtiss P8 Hawk hanging up in my closet, all that was left from my father’s Viking Model Aircraft Company. Unfortunately it did not survive.

 

I am tempted to try to build another one but I know that I cannot duplicate the craftsmanship of the original or that you guys show so I will try to stick to boat models.

 

Somewhere along the way my father obtained an original propeller from a WW I Thomas Morse Scout.  It’s now hanging up in my basement.  I have no idea what I will eventually do with it.

 

Roger

 

 

 

Those are very good observations on the pulleys and cables. I just don't know what type of transparent material besides glass was available back in 1917. I know plastic came along much later, but tell me about eisenglass. Not familiar with it and would like to know more.

I still have a few old scratch built balsa and tissue models I finished. Some of the subjects I liked were not available in kit form, but I found it was easy enough to improvise and build something that was "close" to scale. 

[Roger Pellett]

Eisenglass or Isenglass is  famous from the 1950’s Broadway song “Surrey With the Fringe on Top”- “With Eisenglass curtains you can roll right down in case there’s a change in the weather.”  It is apparently  is a chemical made from fish bladders used to do many things including preservation of “goldbeaters fabric.”  Goldbeaters fabric was made from abdominal membranes of cattle and was used for the gas cells in rigid airships.  It therefore makes sense that before the age of mass produced plastics an Eisenglass treated animal skin covering might have been used.

 

Roger

[Old Collingwood]

Here you go mate  - pic of the actual cover on a genuine SE-5.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

From this site   -   http://thevintageaviator.co.nz/projects/se-5a-reproduction/se5a-walkaround

 

Thought it might be of use for all the  close up pics of structual details.

 

OC.

[CDW]

Wow, OC. You are quite the resourceful one when it comes to searching down aircraft details. Thanks for those....they will get put to use.