REVELL 1:72 ROYAL AIRCRAFT FACTORY S.E.5a

 

Reviewer: Richard Stracey  (rec.models.scale)
Kit Review submitted:  19 August 2001

Revell Kit H633 - 1/72 Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a

The H P Foland designed SE (Scout Experimental) 5 first flew at Farnborough on the 22nd. Nov. 1916. It was built around the new Hispano Suiza V8 engine & was armed with a fixed Vickers gun on the port side of the cowling & a Lewis and a Foster mount above the top wing. Many of the allied aces flew the SE5a including Capt. Ball (who was killed in one) Lt. Billy Bishop, Maj. Mick Mannock & Maj. J B McCudden amongst others. It was considered a tough & good gun platform & was probably the state of the art fighter when the war finished in Nov. 1918. Post war it was given as an Imperial Gift to Australia, Canada & South Africa & was Poland’s first fighter & was used by many airforces from Chile to USA, Russia to Japan. The SE5a was also sold on the civil market, used mainly for racing, films & skywriting. It had a span of 26’ 7” & a length of 20’ 11”.

The SE5a has been portrayed in 1/72 by Renwall, Fuji, ESCI & Revell & in 1/48 by Merit/Smer. The Revell offering being the best. Revell (GB) issued a whole series of WW1 fighters that are “gems” especially their Sopwith Triplane & SE5a. I last heard of them in (Revell) Mexico & Brazil.

The kit consists of 27 crisp olive green (just about PC10 colour) parts that includes a stand & pilot. Construction is no problem & straight foreward. The strut bar fits into its wing slot very well with a dry run & a bit of trimming. I don’t normally like this method although it does make fitting the top wing much easier. In this case it works very well. The struts need thinning down & the Lewis gun & Foster mount are just about as good as  the Aeroclub alternative (GO26). As it was I didn’t require either. There is no cockpit detail & even with the “driver” in place it needs a dashboard & simple stick. As it was I left him out & used an Aeroclub seat (VO54) but not the Sopwith style stick. The exhausts are moulded onto the fuselage & don’t look very convincing so I removed them & replaced them  with Contrail tubeing. The only items that need to be added are a simple windscreen, pitot tube on the starboard strut & a gun sight. I rigged the machine using fine fuse wire & white glue. One point to note is the extra flying wires running from the lower wing root to approx. one third span.

The decals, although elderly, were probably useable (with a bit of bleaching in the sun) & were for a 41Sqn. Aircraft in 1918. The colours being PC10 Green over Clear doped linen.

I chose a 1921 South African Airforce aircraft (No. 309) in Aluminium with Black struts & trim & very unusual roundles of (from the centre) Green, Red, Yellow & Blue. The decals are from Blue Rider (BR302) & are based on an article in Windsock of March/April of 1992 by Marc Cilliers which I havn’t seen. The decals are fine but the instructions have errors. Scale Aircraft Modelling of June ’98 has a picture of 309 (& 320) which shows hoop type wing skids which I presume was a SAAF modification as I don’t think that I have seen them in any other SE5a picture. It also shows that the wing roundels are outboard & not inboard as shown in the instructions & the “hubcaps” to be coloured not aluminium. As I havn’t, as yet,  (&may never) find out what colour, I left them in Aluminium. SAM has a side view drawing of 320 which depicts “320” as being black but the photo shows “320” to be coloured with a black outline. Again’ I don’t know what colour.

Good plans & modelling tips can be found in Scale Models of Jan. ’74. Scale Aircraft Modelling of June ’98 features the SE5a (the only WW1 feature in over twenty years!). The pictures & side view colour drawings are of use but the history is probably better left to Aeroplane Monthly, which they do very well from May to Nov.'’77 & then there is always the trusty old Profiles, in this case No.1.

In conclusion, a very nice kit that can be made straight from the box by just about anyone. Come on Revell, it’s about time that you re released these WW1 classics.


Photo Credit: Richard Stracey
Dick's image of his completed SE.5A in South African colours

 

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