Part 2: The Build

In this installment of the "review build" we will focus on some of the subassemblies in the construction process, those subassemblies creating a solid foundation of proper alignment, attention to detail, and precise "fit" that will help the builder to achieve a well built model. If Roden has given the builder a product which takes care of these "little" things then the finished product will surely reflect a high level of quality and precision. One of the most complex of the subassemblies is the step in which the bombs are assembled. The larger bombs consist of 12 parts each. Getting a good fit on the bomb halves is simple if one cleans the attachment point stubs carefully. Each bomb half has a fin molded on it, leaving two fins that must be glued into place once the bomb halves are joined. The only issue I experienced was in regard to the attachment of these two fins. There is a guiding slot into which the fins are placed but there is a reinforcement band which runs across that slot on the bomb's circumference. One must either remove this band where it crosses the fin slot or one must cut a groove into the fin to fit over the band. I chose to remove the band from the fin slot. The possibility exists that I misunderstood the instructions or that I did not fit the fins on the bombs properly. There is also the possibility that Roden designed these parts in this way for purposes not clear to this reviewer. It's not a big issue, but it is a point of curiosity. I chose to avoid this problem by making replacement rods from stretched part runners. There are two "rods" which are attached between two fins, 8 rods per bomb. These rods are provided on one of the part runners but they are rather difficult to remove from the runner and clean up. I stretched some parts runner to the same diameter of the molded rod parts, cut them to length, and attached them to the bombs. It seemed to be a better and faster way of completing the bombs rather than trying to remove the attachment point nubs on each of these small rods. The cockpits consist of simple floorboards upon which control sticks are glued. The gunner/observer's position has a rudder bar and a stool. The pilot's position also has a rudder bar and control stick. The pilot's seat is a separate piece from the cockpit subassembly and will be glued to the right side fuselage half. There is a large fuel tank, complete with filler spout and cap that fits between the flight crew. The rear cockpit is further enhanced with a donut frame that fits into the right-side fuselage half. There are some small fixtures that are attached to the interiors of the fuselage halves, consisting of a part that could be a trim wheel (not sure what it is), along with two parts that appear to be a throttle bracket. The pilot's cockpit is equipped with an instrument panel which includes a handful of raised bezels, and what appears to be a curved "level-bubble". Nicely raised, these gauges can be easily hand painted and detailed with color. The gunner/observer also has an instrument panel which has four raised instrument bezels. Virtually nothing of the power plant is visible on this aircraft. Included are parts to simulate the value covers and lifters on the tops of the cylinders, and, of course, the distinctive and very visible exhaust pipes are provided. You may remember from Part 1 of this review that there are 3 aircraft which can be modeled from this kit. The instructions are very clear as to which set of parts should be used for each variant. The builder should note the Roman numerals, "I", "II", and "III" which denote the three versions one can assemble. The number guides appear in the illustrations on the instruction sheet and indicate which parts are to be assembled for each version. Each version has a different undercarriage arrangement requiring the use of a different set of parts. The cross brace is nicely molded but there are some issues with the struts, and the main issue is the location at which the struts are attached to the part runners. One of the attachment points is in the narrowest portion of the "V" formed by the two strut legs. It is difficult to clean the attachment nub once the piece has been separated from the runner. A round file does the trick but, perhaps, a better point of attachment could have been engineered. Next ...

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