While there were other 1/48 scale plastic kits of the Spad XIII many of the older kits were comprised of Balsa wood as a medium. Both Hawk and Aurora had overly large details with heavy raised and scribed stringers and ribs with raised engraving for decal locations. These were the hallmarks of kits from this era. Previously the finest example of the 1/48 Spad XIII is the DML / Dragon kit issues. Here I will discuss the Eduard’s premier issue kit #8196, its general build up and details often misrepresented due previously to a lack of information.

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For those of you thinking about the early version S.XIII to be issued out in early 2009.

Hot Plypockets

Here was the first discussion we had about this kit just as it hit the market.
Click Here

I just ordered one. Am glad I did not have to pay for an extra, let's say, Nieuport 17.

Cheers, Nico

Amen Nico! Yea and Verily (means ". . .yes I agree !" ) Hav ing just two builds ( the 1/32 kits to finish) I am starting to prep the Eduard Spad XIII for a build. I am fighting the urge not to drop an engine in it!

I placed my order in at the LHS along with Tom's Model works gun's for this one , hopefully I will get the call soon that's it is in .

Dropping a engine in her hmmmmmmmmmmmm..............................

The prep has begun. Parts washed in antibacterial soap and water. Clipping from the trees tonight. Then we go with prepainting the smaller parts.

Of special note remember that several of the more fragile parts need to be clipped away cautiously. cut the main sprue with a carbide wheel chucked into your motor tool. This allows you to grind the part out of the sprue while avoiding distorting or breaking the fragile tubing or radiator vanes & shutters. Do yourself a favor as a modeler pick up a set of flush cutting snips from one of the Hobby tool manufacturers. I have a set of Testors snips that let me flush cut small parts without damage.

I got this one this week when i visited the London Hannants store...if i waited until i got back to Australia i'd be still waiting to get one in December probably.

It's looks to be to Eduards usual standard, but i'm looking forward to comparing it directly to the Dragon kit that i have at home in the stash. I recall the Dragon kit as being still quite good, only being let down by the decals. Why is it that Dragon never seemed to have re-released their WW1 kits anyway?

Andrew

Received mine yesterday. Indeed the usual Eduard high quality! What I noticed was that the instructions are not the usual colored ones. Sure no problem by any means, it won't stop me from building it. First some other time consuming projects such as Roden's Gotha GIV. Darn,.. this is a difficult one

Cheers, Nico

Hi Nico, Eduard explained the reasoning, in a recent monthly newsletter, for the change to B&W instructions. It's simply to keep costs down. You can still download all their instructions in full colour PDF if you like, from their website. I guess most people have internet connections these days, so they thought the cost saving would be worthwhile.

Andrew

Greetings all!

Here we will continue to show the detailing that Eduard put into its mold. I have takena DML 1/48 Spad XIII down from the shelf and added the Eduard kit pieces for a comparison between the two kits. You can draw your own conclusions.

I think it really does need an engine in it. But it looks like a great kit. I will be building it for the French Campaign.

The comparison for me is pretty straight forward. Through most of the moldings both kits are nearly dead even. Eduard gains a bit with rib and surface details. The short shot of the fuel tank drain I can fix. But the one piece cockpit flooring is the one thing Eduard should not have done. The engine bearers should be continous. (But neither DML or Eduard did this so I can't use it to fault either.) The one area that the Eduard kit does excell in is the scale thickness of the tail surfaces. Yet when you compare the plastic representitive fabric binders on the interplane struts, it is easy to see they are too thick and therefore over scale. I would have to rate the Eduard kit as marginally better than the DML / Dragon kit.

Well I am certainly taking Louis' build into account. Especially at the fuselage union near the nose cowling area.

Greetings all as I finish the 4 @ 1/48 Fokker Dr.I builds I turn to this little gem of a kit. I have been secretly building it by the light of the full moon and have a couple of sub-assemblies ready to dicuss. This comes at a time when the New American Eagles Dual Combo Spad XIII has just been released. Click Here.

More soon.

References for me are;

Aeroplane Monthly, IPC Magazines Ltd. Vol. 19, #8, Aug. 1991.
American Aces of WWI by Franks, Osprey Pub. 2001.
‘To Capture the Rainbow...’ by S. Lawson, Cross & Cockade Int. Vol. 29, #1, 1998.
‘...Before the Colors Fade’ by D. Eubanks, Cross & Cockade USA Vol.19, #1, 1978.
Lafayette Foundation Archives, Denver Colorado USA.
‘Project Butterfly’ by Hardesty, Hastings, and Toelle, Cross & Cockade USA Vol. 9, and 13, 1972.-
-(Most excellent articles on the French 5 color camouflage patterns.)
Report on Spad XIII S.4377 by A. Toelle, unpublished to date 2006.
Report on Spad XIII S.6625 by A. Toelle, unpublished to date 2006.
Report on Spad XIII S.7689 by A. Toelle, unpublished to date 2006.
Report on Spad XIII S.8340 by A. Toelle, unpublished to date 2006.
Report on Spad XIII S.15295 by A. Toelle, unpublished to date 2006.
Report on Spad XIII S.16594 by A. Toelle, unpublished to date 2006.
SPAD XIII C.1 by C.F.Andrews, Profile #17, 1965.
SPAD XIII C.1 by J.M.Bruce , Windsock Datafile #32, Albatros Pub. 1992.
Spad XII / XIII Aces of WWI by Jon Guttman. #47 in the Osprey Aircraft of the Aces series.
‘The Charge of the Yellow Ram ( the138th Aero Sqdn)’by S. Lawson, Cross & Cockade Int. Vol.25, #4, 1994.
Windsock , Albatros Pub. Vol. 6, #4, July/Aug. 1990.
Windsock, Albatros Pub. Vol. 6, #5, Sept/Oct. 1990.
Windsock, Albatros Pub. Vol. 8, #1, Jan./Feb. 1992.
Windsock, Albatros Pub. Vol. 9, #4, July/Aug. 1993.

For my 1/48 DML / Dragon build click here.

For an Eduard build effort By "Louis" Click here.

I have to give it to Eduard on this paint scheme. They really have managed to capture the feel of this profile.

Whoever built this kit for them deserves to be kept on the payroll.

Stephen,

What I want to know is what method would be used for rigging the middle interplane struts, specifically the top and bottom cross rigging? I liked the method Dragon used and I must admit that this is the major road block to undertaking the construction of this beauty.

Dwayne

Greetings Dwayne! Glad to see you active. I will use fine wire from Detail Masters found in their package #3503.

I will start to add images this weekend. Other things have kept me busy til now.

Here are some early stages in the build.


WARNING!! Eduard's instructions show how to install the radiator upside down. The short ends must have the slanting shutter at the bottom to accomidate the up sweep of the radiator cowling / shell.


Here in the image below the kit at the top is a DML build and at the bottom the Eduard kit flooring.

Here are some basic components with basic colouring.

Coming along very nicely Stephen !

Did you break a wing strut by the way ?