Roden 1/72 scale Felixstowe F.2A

Kit: No. Ro 014
Scale: 1/72
Manufacturer: Roden, available from Squadron Mail Order, 1115 Crowley Drive, Carrollton, TX 75011-5010, 979-242-8663, www.squadron.com
Price: $28.98
Comments: Injection-molded, 257 parts, decals
Pros: Interesting subject, crisp surface scribing and delicate details, excellent rigging instructions
Cons: Some flash, no dihedral instructions, lower wing sections butt joints are weak

The Felixstowe F.2A was based on a flying boat design by Glenn Curtiss. With wingspans close to 100 feet, they were used widely in 1917 and 1918 against German submarines and zeppelins, as well as on reconnaissance and patrol missions. The aircraft saw service with the Royal Flying Corps and the U.S. Navy (designated H-16). More than 170 were built.

Roden's moldings show crisp detail with a little flash, and there are lots of parts - each engine has 32 pieces! The ribbing and fabric is properly muted, especially on the wing undersurfaces. The comprehensive 12-page, 24-step pictogram instructions and box-top drawings help clarify the mystery of the complicated rigging. Four pages are devoted to paint and marking diagrams, and the decals include three flying boats of the RFC, and one in Chilean markings. Paint colors are named and coded to Humbrol paint numbers.

Before starting this model, I studied the instructions and references (Windsock Datafile No. 82, Felixstowe F.2A), and drilled holes for the rigging with a No. 80 bit. I built the wings first and decided to reinforce each three-piece, butt-jointed wing with wire pins in drilled holes. I also constructed a crude jig to set the subtle one-degree dihedral of both wings' outer panels. Each joint was glued with plastic cement and further reinforced with super glue.

This was a good time to paint and decal the wings. Optional ailerons are provided, and you have to decide which ones go with the proper decals. The decals in my sample kit fell apart, so I applied Microscale Liquid Decal Film to rescue the remaining markings. I applied each to a puddle of Future floor polish, which helped them stick and snuggle down.

Painting subassemblies is the way to go with complicated biplanes, so I built the fuselage hull and painted the blue and white crazy-quilt scheme and then painted all the struts.

The engines are kits in themselves. Fit is crucial, and you have to be careful as there are no locating pins. Be careful, too, when removing the tiny parts from the sprues as they are easily damaged and lost.

Installing the wing struts is obviously complicated, but what is not mentioned in the instructions is that both wings have a four-degree angle of incidence and no stagger. I built another simple jig to hold the proper wing attitude, resting the trailing edges on the work surface. I glued the struts to the lower wing, then attached the rigging to the upper wing and let everything set. I used colored one-pound-test monofilament. The box art shows double wires running from the tops of the engine braces to the bottom of the center struts, but they should be single wires.

Four V struts hold the bearing braces for each engine. I first glued the engines to the braces, then the lower V struts on the wing. Next, I placed the engine assembly on the V struts. When that was set, I carefully put the upper V struts in place. I delayed installing the inside engine support struts until after the wing and hull were joined and rigged. There are more fore and aft wires to connect under each engine to the lower struts than shown in the instructions.

Before attaching the hull, I removed the top and added the interior details. The copilot's seat does not have a back or arms as it should.

Some adjustment was necessary to make the horizontal tailplane struts fit properly. Rigging the tailplane control wires was tricky as all six cables split and branched out.

Now for the big test: Step 22 ... could the wing assembly be installed square with the hull? I positioned the wing, checked that it was square, glued it in place, then added the upper deck and the two central struts. Switch them around: 18D should go forward, 15D to the rear. In the end, the wing fit as it should ... and I could wipe the sweat from my brow. The final details were adding propellers, guns, and windscreens.

I used several brands of enamels to paint the model - what I had on hand.

I spent more than 50 hours on my Felixstowe, and the result was a fine model. The small parts, complicated assembly, alignment challenges, and complex rigging place Roden's flying boat squarely in the "for experienced modelers" category.

- Ross Whitaker