Roden's Zeppelin-Staaken kit

JohnMacG · 22 July 2006, 05:35 AM

Does anyone know if Roden have any plans to bring out any other versions of the Zep-Staaken series other than the R.VI currently available?
TIA

Tom L. · 22 July 2006, 10:24 AM

In the instructions booklet, there are "parts not for use" that tend to make me guess that an R 39 is in the offing, owing to the Maybach engines, different radiators, center fin, 1000kg bomb.
The only parts for that option in the current kit are the Maybachs and radiators, the places for the other parts on the sprues were banked off in molding, apparently.

There also appears to be an upcoming R 30, with the fuselage mounted engine driving a supercharger, and there's also modified windscreen and forward fuslage parts for something, so I'd say with reasonable certainty that there are more R-plane kits on the way...sometime.

jRatz · 26 July 2006, 04:32 PM

I agree that R.30 is a possible release, given the over wing gun positions, etc.

I'm not sure about R.39, but do think that R.52 is the other release, given the cockpit glass, etc that suggest the fully enclosed cockpit ...

I'm unsure why Roden is releasing several versions -- just how many do they think we have in us ?? I wish R.30 had been first ...

John, plodding along with his ...

ChrisSavaglio · 27 July 2006, 02:23 PM

You know how we are...

I can just see it 5 or 6 years from now. "Well, the Roden kit's great, but since they only came out with the R27 version, I back/updated it to _____ version."

Everyone wants something different. Same reason everyone's releasing all the different versions of the D.VII...to try to increase sales without drastically increasing cost.

I think it's nice to see different boxings of models. A nice variety of schemes and versions.

But then, I think one Staaken is more than enough for me in one lifetime. Mine's sitting in the stash and makes me cringe when I look at it.

Chris

duncan-k · 4 August 2006, 07:14 AM

I am going to attempt to modify the kit to R52 standard.I dont believe that it should be to hard given the extras on the sprues. That said it is quite hard to find references,I have the Datafile but does anyone else have any ideas as to where to find details?

Cheers

jRatz · 4 August 2006, 09:35 PM

Not all the variant parts are actually included with the sprues -- they show greyed out on the parts laydowns in the instruction booklet, but many times there are just empty spaces on the sprues.

FRor R52, you'll not have the revised nose decking or the correct props, for two things I remember off the top of my head.

If you have the Datafile, then the other reference to have is "The German Giants The German R-Planes 1914-1918" by Haddow & Grosz, noting of course that Grosz was an author of both, with the Datafile being more up-to-date.

John

duncan-k · 5 August 2006, 02:00 AM

Thanks John

Perhaps I had better put it on the bottom of the pending pile and see what Roden come up with.