Early aircraft designers were not shy about deviating from convention. But, even among some unique designs, the Gotha G.I has to be considered unusual, looking more like an entry in Wacky Races than a warplane.
Choosing this as its 10th anniversary kit confirms that Wingnut Wings is not shy about releasing kits that are off the beaten path. A quick look at the more than 350 parts confirms the company’s typical detail is included, although strangely there is only one set of photo-etched detail (PE) for the Spandau guns despite calling out options for using two. Also not mentioned in the instruction booklet is PE Part 4, meant to be installed over the hole for the bombsight. This mistake and other corrections can be found at wingnutwings.com, including a reminder to drill a hole for the tail skid.
The instruction booklet includes many pictures and notes with part callouts and decal locations, so pay close attention. There are decals for five Gotha’s with minimal differences between options.
The interior builds in typical Wingnut Wings’ fashion, with everything included. There are some faint ejector-pin marks present that need a quick fill. Be careful removing items from the trees — there are many petite parts. I was a bit concerned about mounting the large centerline support struts before closing up the fuselage, but they fit without needing glue. The seam at the tip of the nose kept opening, even after I filled it with a thin bead of superglue; I will likely place the Gotha decal over the split later, even though that wasn’t called for in my option. Some of the instrument decals cracked, although the major decals applied later were fine.
The wings are multipart affairs with some challenging seams to fill, but the fit is very good, and the trailing edges are razor sharp.
I left the landing gear and the engines off until after assembly and rigging. The engines themselves are small models with plenty of detail and the option of leaving cowl panels off. I used wire to replace the molded push rods. Optional cylinder halves are provided to do this, but are not mentioned in the instructions.
Assembling the upper and lower wing occurs prior to adding the fuselage, and all struts fit nicely after careful cleanup of the ends.
When gluing the forward inboard struts (A17 and A18), watch their depth as the mounting pocket also includes space for the landing gear mount. If you’re not careful, the strut will be glued too deep, making it too short and not allowing room for the gear mount. The instructions have you invert the wing assembly for proper glue drying, which worked well. I left the ailerons off to avoid damage and allow the wing to sit level while it dried.
I clamped the inner support struts’ ends to the attachment points on the upper wings to ensure a good solid bond. I also trimmed the corresponding holes in the fuselage for a trouble-free fit. Mounting the fuselage was simple and everything just clicked into place. Nicely done on what could have been a stressful step Wingnut Wings! The tail surfaces are thin so I left them until last.
Rigging was done using EZ Line elastic thread. I rigged the wings, added the engines and radiators, then the robust landing gear, and finally the tail surfaces.
Straightforward assembly allowed me to add this unique airplane to my collection in a little more than 61 hours despite how complex it appears. The design of this kit is outstanding, making it very buildable.
Note: A version of this review appeared in the January 2020 issue.