Felixstowe F.2A “Late” 

Roden 1/72

Reviewed by Robert Baumgartner

 Roden's 1/72 scale Felixstowe F.2A is available online from Squadron.com

Every now and then, a manufacturer comes out with a product that raises the bar to new heights. With the release of this kit, Roden have done just that.  

When viewing the contents, it is obvious that the maker has eliminated the problems that have marred similar offerings in the past. My example showed no surface imperfections or sink marks. The only blemish is a very slight impression on the top of the fuselage decking caused by the ejection pin pushing a little too hard on the sprue. This is easily fixed with a couple of scraps from a scalpel. 

There are 11 sprues, one of which is clear, that hold 229 plastic parts. 

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

Four aircraft are represented on a well-printed decal sheet. Roden have chosen these schemes wisely as they are all very different in nature. 

Using the Albatros Productions Datafile on the subject, comparison was made with the major components. It was found that these items matched Ian Stair’s drawings very well. As ever, take care when making direct comparisons, as the plans are not always printed in the stated scale.  

As this is the “late” variant of the Felixstowe F.2A, the clear sprue only contains the two individual windscreens. A future release by Roden will provide the “early “ version with the semi enclosed cockpit canopy. 

The Felixstowe’s Rolls Royce Eagle engines are very prominent so it is fitting that Roden have made these items a kit in themselves. Including the piping, there are thirty parts involved and the finished products will look superb in their exposed position between the wings.

Despite the complexity of the assembly, no problems were encountered during this stage. 

Armament consists of eight 0.303 in. Lewis machine guns and two 230lb bombs. A nice touch is the supply of spare Lewis drums for the gunners’ positions. 

The cockpit is made up of the usual seats, control columns with steering wheels, floor, rudder pedals and interior rib detail which is found inside the fuselage halves 

One area that is truly outstanding is the wings. Roden have set themselves new standards as these items have some of the sharpest trailing edges ever to have been done in plastic. The surface detail is commendably subtle and none of these parts were warped in any way. This praise also extends to the ailerons, where both balanced and unbalanced versions are provided.

The top wing is supplied as three parts with the panel lines located as per the original. I butt joined mine using very thin liquid cement and squeezed the parts together to allow the melted plastic to fill any gaps. After drying and sanding smooth, the join line was reinstated with an Olfa cutter. Others may prefer to pin these parts for added strength but I didn’t find this necessary.  

Roden have engineered the kit so that the completed wing cellule slides into slots cut into the lower fuselage structure. This is quite an interesting idea and shows that Roden are willing to try new ways of solving old problems.

Part way during the assembly I decided to deviate from this suggestion. Only the lower wing was placed into the grooves as this made access to cleaning up any joins on the top deck much easier to reach. It also eased the task of painting the fuselage. 

Roden thoughtfully provide a 17 part beaching trolley so the model can be displayed without the aid of water.  

The instruction sheet is easy enough to follow although the rigging diagram could have been better. Although simplified to cater for the skills of the average modeler, the placement of these wires are still a little tough to figure out. Not even the referred to box top helps. A three-dimensional representation of a couple of the “hidden” areas would not have gone amiss. 

Markings

As expected with this subject matter, the colour schemes are quite striking. There are 4 options on the decal sheet, these consisting of both “standard” and “dazzle camouflaged” aircraft. The latter scheme was used for easy identification in the air among their fellow pilots. It also made “downed” aircraft more obvious to spot for rescue craft. 

(i)                  Felixstowe F.2A, N4465 based at Killingholme 1918 (“basic” colour scheme)

(ii)                Felixstowe F.2A, N4567 given to the Chilean government after the war (“basic” scheme with Chilean insignia)

(iii)               Felixstowe F.2A, possibly based at Great Yarmouth 1918 (blue/white “dazzle” colour scheme)

(iv)              Felixstowe F.2A (sic), N4251 possibly based at Felixstowe 1918 (red/white “dazzle” colour scheme). Sadly this striking scheme actually belongs to an F3. 

The decal sheet is still matt, which in the past has meant they have a propensity to crack when flexed or placed over any curved surface.

Later kit subjects have had this addressed with decals of a different makeup. These have been shown to be a vast improvement. 

The standard shown here clearly demonstrates the commitment that Roden have in producing quality kits of challenging subjects.

The prominent engines receive treatment usually only seen in larger scales and the flying surfaces have to be seen to be believed.

Out of the box, this kit will be a showstopper and deserves to sell well. 

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Squadron.com for the review sample.

Review and Images Copyright © 2003 by Robert Baumgartner
Page Created 27 August, 2003
Last updated 27 August, 2003

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