Spad XIII c1 by Grandpaphil - FINISHED - Roden - 1/32 - Plastic

[GrandpaPhil]

I’m building a second Eddie Rickenbacker diorama for another friend of mine.

 

This time I am building Captain Rickenbacker’s Spad XIII, with which he got the majority of his kills.

A few notes about the kit.

 

This one has been a completely different experience than the Nieuport.

 

That one went together relatively well, except for the top wing.

This model, on the other hand, has been a stark lesson in adapt and overcome.

 

I am over 40 hours into this one and have just finished assembling/building the subassemblies, and priming the majority of the model black.

I painted the interior but ended up cutting most of the engine out to fit the top piece of the fuselage on the model:

I had the same problems that Modeller Masa did with parts fitting.

 

I actually deliberately broke the top piece of the fuselage to make it fit and then glued it together in place, after unwarping it failed.

 

The axles and some of the piping is made of wire and straight pins because the original plastic pieces were too short or made wrong.

 

When I get to the plastic struts, they will have steel pins put in them to attach the top wing to the bottom wing (lesson from the Nieuport).

 

However, the hard part is done now.  
 

It is time to paint the model after everything dries black overnight.

[Canute]

Roden is hit or miss for their kits. Popeye/Denis has built some and he has had similar issues. Unfortunately for us builders, they make some interesting subjects.

[GrandpaPhil]

One very roughed out base coated six color Western Front camouflage scheme:

The next time I work on it I’ll touch everything up and do all the detail painting.

 

Then everything’s getting sealed and decals are getting added.

 

Then everything gets sealed again before I add the struts and the windscreen.

 

After that I’ll add that top wing and rig the model!

 

[GrandpaPhil]

The model is painted and sealed:

 

The base is also made.

 

It is time to add the decals and paint the figure.

 

Then I’ll seal the model again and figure out how I’m attaching the upper wing, lol.

[GrandpaPhil]

Decals/markings are added:

The figure is started:

And here’s the base:

Time to finish prepping for rigging and add the top wing!

[GrandpaPhil]

The upper wing is on and the figure is base coated.

 

 

It’s about time to finish the models for the diorama and assemble all of them.

 

I already stripped the rest of the sprues and added the remaining extra parts to my bits box and extra bag o’ decals.

 

Edited December 15, 2024 by GrandpaPhil

[Jsk]

One of my favorite WWI aircraft. And Rickenbacker is such an interesting character. I read his autobiography and 'Seven Came Through' while I was in high school. He's stuck with me ever since. Years ago when I lived in Columbus, Ohio, where Rickenbacker grew up, there was an effort to conserve his boyhood home. I always found it interesting that at Mott's Military Museum, not far from Columbus, they had built a reproduction of the home rather than move the original structure. I suppose it was cheaper and less bureaucratically restricted to build the repro.

[Old Collingwood]

Excellent work there  Phil,   looking  mighty fine.

 

OC.

[GrandpaPhil]

Thank you both very much!

 

Mott’s Military Museum is a very neat place.

 

I like it quite a lot and have been through there a few times.

Captain Rickenbacker was a very interesting character.

 

This one took me about 80 hours to build and is now done:

 

I’ll deliver it to its new home this week.

 

Thank you all for watching and following along!

 

Have a very Merry Christmas!

 

And it is now paper ship o’clock!

[Landlubber Mike]

Another beauty!  Well done!

[king derelict]

Beautiful work. The paint scheme is excellent 

alan