Roden 1/72 scale Gotha G.II, G.III

Manufacturer: Roden, available from Squadron Mail Order, 1115 Crowley Drive, Carrollton, TX 75011-5010, 972-242-8663 www.squadron.com
Kit: No. 002
Scale: 1/72
Price: $29.98
Comments: Injection-molded, 132 parts, decals
Pros: Great subject, good details, overall accurate shapes
Cons: Considerable flash, brittle plastic, poor fit, translucent decals

From late 1916 to the end of World War I in November of 1918, the name "Gotha" struck fear into the hearts of soldiers and civilians alike. The droning sound of the German Gotha's twin engines filled the air from England to the mountains of Serbia.


Ukrainian model manufacturer Roden (formerly Toko), now offers a 1/72 scale Gotha G.II/III. Roden has molded good detail, but there is considerable flash. This becomes a problem when cleaning up the small parts because the plastic is brittle.


The 20-step instructions are thorough, with paint numbers, special modification notes, and part placement arrows. A trio of three-view drawings show color and decal placement.


As I began assembly, I noticed the fit of the parts was not good - all surfaces needed to be sanded for a flush fit. I had to open up all the strut location holes.


The engine assemblies are good representations, but they won't be seen once enclosed in the nacelles. The nacelles wouldn't close around the engines, so I had to chop off the positioning tabs, grind away plastic from inside the nacelle halves, and make new tabs to hold the engines. After cleaning up the nacelles I realized I had spent 10 hours on just that part of the project.


In step 17, Roden shows you must induce three degrees of dihedral to the top wing, but doesn't mention you need to do the same with the lower wing. I found that out when it came time to add the interplane struts - they are all the same length! I made the correction to the bottom wing and fashioned a jig to hold both wings while I installed the struts. The struts that go on the engine nacelles wouldn't fit. I shaved plastic from the back of the center bottom wing section (part No. 3D), to make the nacelles lean back slightly.


I painted and decaled the model as I went along because trying to do this after the wings and struts were installed would have been nearly impossible. I drilled holes for the complex rigging before assembly, too. I anchored one-pound monofilament with super glue for the rigging.


The decals are nice, but translucent; I had to paint white fields underneath the crosses. The decals like to stay put, so a little saliva helps them to move into position.


Roden's Gotha looks accurate once finished, but the top wing measures about 1/4" too long. Albatros Publications' Gotha Datafile was indispensable in building this kit. I spent 75 hours on my model, most of it on sanding, fitting parts, and all that rigging!


Roden's Gotha will challenge even experienced modelers, but with careful planning and patience, it can be an impressive model. Now I'm ready for a Zeppelin Staaken! How about it, Roden?