Well, when I was browsing around the LHS today looking for more Roden and Toko biplanes to add to my stash, I came across some small, plain boxes of WW1 models made by a company called Merlin Models. After also buying a Roden Albatros D.1 and a Toko Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter (The bomber version) I also decided to buy this model. After all, it was only 5 bucks anyways.

When I got home I opened the DH5 up and found a handful of injection molded plastic parts, along with some white metal parts, something I had not expected. After inspecting the kit, it seems that the wings are slightly warped, but that is nothing a little hot water can't fix. The struts are provided as a single piece of plastic strip that looks and feels rather flimzy. There are no locating pins on the fuselage halves, but then this is a limited run kit by a small manufacturer, so that is to be expected.

There is a rather horrifying amount of flash for someone so used to clean modern models, but after reading an online review of another kit by the same maker, it would seem that things look much better when the cleanup is finished. The white metal engine has the pushrods molded onto it, but is of rather crude and messy quality. Once it is cleaned up though it should look ok, given the cowling will be covering up most of it anyways.

The decals are old and yellowed, and if you look at the back you can see that most of the red has bled through the paper backing, and the red dots in the roundels are printed separately. Very unusual, but in a bad way. I will have to get an after market decal set for this.

Instructions are on a single piece of paper, and given as text only. It mentions that you will have to scratch build the control column yourself. While in the three way view the rigging is visible, it doesn't make rigging placement quite as clear as I would have liked, so it will have to be researched.

I think this could make a decent model, given enough TLC in the preparation stage. Being only 5 bucks, I didn't expect the same level of quality seen with the Roden, Eduard and Toko kits, but a search on Google found one more interesting piece of information: It is selling at Old Model Kits for 32 dollars, more than 6 times the cost at my LHS!!! (Mine probably dropped a bit in value after I trimmed the fuselage halfs off the sprue.)

Here is the link to this item on oldmodelkits.com

And here are the pictures:











I originally attempted to submit this as an inbox review but I didn't find a manufacturer category for Merlin Models. Being an English major in college I want to start writing reviews to keep myself sharp, as well as to take a break from writing papers on poets I will forget by the time I graduate...

Greetings Goldstandard;

Merlin models was the offshoot from a former employee of the old Veeday Models. When Veeday owner vagn Espensen ran into to some personal problems that included court issues, a former employee stepped out on his own. Slush modling his pieces in a predominate 1/72 . These were good for their time and were at one time as common in WWI aviaton modeling stables as Eduard is today.

The two worst ever 1/48 scale kits came fom Merlin. An Albatros D. II and a Salmson A.2A. Littlemore than basic shapes in blocks of plastic. I still have a set of the Salmson's decals.

One modeler is quoted as saying, " . . .The Merlin Salmson is quite a different matter however. If you have one in your modeling tool kit I recommend removing the parts from the sprue with a blow torch. . .I notice in the February/March (2002) Windsock that Ray Rimell is awarding a Merlin Salmson for the lead letter in the hints and tips section. Presumably those whose letters are not published will be sent two Merlin Salmsons and told to buck their ideas up . . ."

The further into the Merlin line the better their 1/72 kits became. But intruth they pale compared to the current Roden and Eduard 1/72 efforts.

I heard Merlin's DH10 1/72 was at about the same standard as the mentioned Salmson.

Greetings, Nico

(Who's got one Merlin kit finished on his shelves)