Airfix 1/72 R.A.F. Re.8

AIRFIX 1:72 ROYAL AIRCRAFT FACTORY RE.8

Reviewer: Richard Stracey (rec.models.scale)
Kit Review submitted: 13 December 2003 (#89)

Kit Details:

AIRFIX #01076 1/72 -- RE 8

Aircraft History:

The “Harry Tate” was developed from the RE5 and RE7 as a recon. platform. It’s served from early 1917 to the end of the war, 4077 being built, serving in Italy, Palestine and the Western front with 22 going to Belgium. It was powered by a RAF (Royal Aircraft Factory) 150HP 4a V12 engine and had a span of 42’ 7” and a length of 27’ 10 1/2'”. The RE8 carried two 112lb bombs and was protected by a fixed Lewis and one and sometimes two Vickers guns on a Scarf ring mounted over the rear observer’s cockpit.

The Kit:

This 1957 Airfix kit consists of 33 parts (not 29 as claimed on the box). This includes two crew and in earlier offerings, a stand. Originally packed in a plastic bag with a header card, it now comes in a box with decals for one machine.

Construction:

Don’t be put off by the fact that this kit is nearly fifty years old. I must admit that this is one of my favourite Airfix kits having first made one while in primary school! Certain things must be done to produce an acceptable model. The two ‘aliens” can be scraped and the tabs for them to perch on removed. Aeroclub WW1 pilot seats (VO54) can be added along with a simple scratch built dashboard.

Aeroclub also make an RAF 4a cylinders and exhausts (E028) but I don’t think that they are necessary. They also make a suitable propeller (PO40) but with a little work the kit item can be improved adequately. Dump the guns and the apology for a Scarf ring (7,8 and 22) and replace them with an Aeroclub VO52 Scarf ring and Lewis gun and G001 Vickers. They, or replacements from the spares box really make a difference.

I can claim to be pretty experienced in making bi planes but this one caused me problems in fitting the top wing. I can only put it down to the wear on the dies that resulted in the parts not fitting too well. Anyway, I finally got it on and squared up. I replaced the aileron push rods (14 and 19) with something that didn’t resemble a couple of telegraph poles. To achieve the correct stagger I fitted the forward carbane struts to the fuselage in the vertical position as viewed from the side. This then dictated the position of all the other struts.

The rear carbane struts (21 and 23) need trimming otherwise the wings will not be parallel. Airfix have made no attempt to depict the inverted vee fittings on the top wing. Even with today’s technology I doubt if they could be reproduced successfully in plastic. It is an easy matter to drill four holes and bend a couple of lengths of wire to fit. As with most bi planes rigging is essential and the RE8 is no exception. I haven’t depicted all the rigging as I simply couldn’t figure out the location of some, but I got most of it using hemming nylon and superglue. I wrapped a couple of bits of fine wire around the tops of the exhausts stacks to represent the supports. Even on the box art it shows various “lumps and bumps” under the cowling were as the kit is flat. It was no problem to find suitable bits in my spares box to glue in place. Airfix show the propeller to be varnished wood but many had doped fabric covers painted grey. This was to stop the blades splitting if hit by bullets.

Colour Schemes:

Airfix recommend Humbrol 29 Dark Earth over 74 Linen with a Sea Grey 27 forward fuselage. I preferred to depict PC10 in this case as Humbrol 98 Chocolate and the undersides in my usual method of depicting clear doped linen. First I painted the surface with Humbrol 148 or Testors 1709 Radome Tan then, when dry, powdered brown chalk is rubbed into the surface. This results in a natural uneven ‘straw colour’. The decals are for a 3 Sqn. machine of the Royal Australian Air Corps that captured a Halberstadt that is now on view in Canberra. The decals are fine although I thought that roundels only had a white edge when on a dark (PC10) or (PC12) surface. On silver, linen or light grey, they were plain. Airfix supply all roundels with white outlines. I use them as they may be correct as the Camel hanging in the Imperial War Museum in London has white outlines on it’s linen under surfaces.

Conclusion:

Profile #85 is, as usual, useful and has a five way drawing that is in combination with the large photo in Aeroplane Monthly of March 1982 helps to decipher the web of rigging. Partly to the ungainly look and partly due to pure nostalgia I am really fond of the old “Harry Tate”.

RHS/89

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