Eduard 1/48 Spad XIII Weekend Edition Kit First Look
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | September 2015 | Manufacturer | Eduard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Spad XIII Weekend Edition | Scale | 1/48 |
| Kit Number | 8425 | Primary Media | Styrene |
| Pros | Beautiful kit, simple build | Cons | Nothing noted |
| Skill Level | Experienced | MSRP (USD) | $34.95 |
First Look
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The Spad XIII was ultimate fighter to reign supreme in the skies of WWI Europe. Developed as a second attempt to improve on the earlier successful Spad VII, the Spad XIII had the right mix of power, speed, armament and maneuverability that eluded the Spad XII. With over 8,470 examples produced, the Spad XIII was the mount of the aces including Georges Guynemer and "Eddie" Rickenbacker. Entering service in May 1917, the Spad XIII served in the air forces of France, Italy, Belgium, and the United States. These aircraft would soldier on into the 1920s. Powered by a 235 horsepower Hispano-Suiza engine, the Spad XIII was armed with two synchronized Vickers machine guns firing through the prop arc.
Eduard first released their 1/48 Spad XIII kit over six years ago and remains a popular offering in their catalog. This release is a reissue of their 'Weekend' edition which is the same kit without the multimedia parts. In the original Weekend release in 2009, the kit only had one decal subject, this reissue doubles the number of subjects.
Molded in light gray styrene, this kit is presented on three parts trees plus a tiny tree of clear parts. If you want the super-detailed parts, these are available separately, but this kit will go together nicely out of the box. The skill level remains 'experienced' simply because of the number of tiny parts plus rigging the airframe as well.
Among the features and options in the box:
- Detailed cockpit
- Positionable elevators
- Choice of gun sights
- Choice of wind screens
- Choice of propellers
I'd recommend a jig for holding the wings while the glue for the interplane struts is drying. This will eliminate many frustruations with one of the wings going out of alignment and also be useful for future biplane projects as well.
This release, as mentioned above, comes with your choice of two decal subjects:
- Spad XIII, Escadrille SPA.103 (GC.13), 1918, as flown by Captaine Rene Fonck
- Spad XIII, 26th Aero Sqn, 1918, as flown by Frank Luke
This is a nice kit which makes it nice to see back on store shelves, even if Eduard only releases these periodically.
My sincere thanks to Eduard for this review sample!