"Curtiss-built" SE5a (weathering addendum)

Hi fellow Forumites,
I have been enjoying the weathering thread quite a bit. Thanks to all who posted to it and especially the inimitable Mr Lawson with whom I agree completely on that one. Since a lot of my builds are "what ifs" or aircraft that never saw battle, I tend towards the "none" side of the scale on weathering. This is odd because when I used to build tanks 20 some years ago I would always weather them and do a little terrain around them too. Still it all does come down to personal taste.

Submitted for your perusal: Roden's 1/72 SE5a Woolsely Viper masquerading as a Curtiss/Eberhart built machine. The idea came from a photo on page 549 in Swanborough & Bowers' "U.S. Military Aircraft Since 1908". The squadron insignia is hand-painted.

Brian da Basher

P.S. Lufbery, I haven't forgotten about the pics I need to get to you from my MB-2, but since the model is hanging in my kitchen and I can't get my cheapo cam to save pics when not wired to my PC it's taking some time...

[edmondthieffry]

Hi Brian,

Nice built and an unusual marking. Keep up this good work.

I've to built one or two also. Have you some remarks about this built (difficulties, inaccuracies, ...) ?

Best regards from Belgium

Philippe

Thanks for the kudos, Philippe. I can't speak to any inaccuracies other than perhaps chosing the wrong cockpit coaming and not catching it until it was too late. Attaching the upper wing gave me far less trouble than I thought it would (way to go Roden!) but I had a devil of a time with the landing gear for some reason. As always, doing the rigging was about as much fun as a visit to the dentist but biplanes without the requisite rigging always seem incomplete to me.

Brian da Basher

[Lufbery]

Brian,

The SE5a looks great! So there really were SE5as in American service after the war? That insignia (which looks great, by the way) looks a lot like that of the 20th Aero Squadron. Which squadron is it?

I'm looking forward to seeing your MB-2 photos. I'm just about done with the engines, and I'm about to start painting the fuselage and lower wing on mine. Wish me luck.

Regards,

[silverback]

Being Roden, be prepared fora lot of pieces and minimal attachment points. For the fuselage, some experience with vacu-form kits would be helpful as the plastic is quite soft and easily distorted. Test fit constantly to get the best out of all parts in this kit.
Struts are very close to "in-scale", and are delicate, though a bit flexible. Again, there is not much in the way of fixing points, so be sure to add some pins to the lower ends of the cabanes.
In 1/48, the earliest release had an accuracy issue with the lower wing. Roden, to their credit, retooled the mold to address this. In the instructions, they specify the wrong engine under tray, but both types are included on the sprue (single row of wide slot for the Hisso, double row of D shaped slots for the Viper).
Too bad they didn't include a complete engine (maybe they took too much flack over the fit issues on their Fokker D.VII kits). Many of the U.S. SE.5as were based in hot dusty Texas, and routinely ran without cowl panels.

Overall this is one gem of a kit. Just be aware that it requires a careful build.

I had no idea they operated without cowls and that would be very cool to build. The story is that Curtiss began license-producing the SE5 using British-built airframes but weren't able to get any overseas before the armistice. The 57 completed were used post-war and rebuilt in 1922 by Eberhart Steel Products Co. and then used as advanced trainers. I used the 20th Sqdn. as the model for the insignia but I think theirs had a smaller main star and a bunch of little stars around it which would've been imposible for me to pull off in 1/72.

I think it will look nice escorting my Douglas World Cruiser along with that post-war schemed SPAD...

Brian da Basher

P.S. Lufbery, the SE5 goes up in the kitchen this weekend which will give me a nice opportunity to pull down the MB 2. Any particular shots you'd like to see? Whatever you do don't take any tips on rigging from me. Best of luck on completing your version. I found that kit most "challenging".

[StephenLawson]

Capt. Kit Basher, Nice build sir! Model On!

[StephenLawson]

Hey Silverback; Agreed on the need for a nice engine for the SE 5a. I have ten more of the Roden 1/48 Fokker D. VII types I'm working on and waiting for the thump of the ALB. built version on my door via US mail. Model On!

[edmondthieffry]

Greetings Brian and Silverback,

Many thanks for your answers. I've no problem with rigging even if it's not my preferred task. As for the struts, I'll replace them by news made of bamboo.

Best regards from Belgium

Philippe

Thanks for the compliment Mr Lawson. Coming from you that is encouraging praise indeed. In the interests of accuracy I probably should've omitted the Lewis gun but I just couldn't resist.

Currently considering bashing an Alb. D II into a Verville-Clark Pursuit,
Brian da Basher