This kit is a bit of a paradox. The instructions are bad, the decals are absolutely useless and the parts don't fit as well as they could. It's difficult to build, quite badly engineered, yet for all that, it's scrubbed up nice and it's a really enjoyable little project. I've been meaning to test my modelling mettle with a biplane for a while, and there's just something about the F2B I find attractive.
I used stretched sprue for the rigging, which is adequate for a model this basic, being that there are no actual contact points for rigging but it still feels a bit of a cop out. All the same, if you can even build this one then it's an accomplishment in itself. That it came out this well is something of a small miracle.
These tend to go for about £23 though it looks like there is a similarly priced one by Revell (a reboxed Eduard) which looks to be a far superior kit with better instructions. I would avoid the Roden if I do another. I feel this aeroplane would be better in 1:32. It's a good size in 1:48 but it's the sort of project you should really be able to go to town on. It will test most of your modelling skills.
I particularly enjoyed mastering the wood effect for the propeller and struts. I painted them an off white/yellow then used burnt umber oil paints, leaving long brush marks to simulate wood grain. I then sealed it with Tamiya orange clear coat. Once cured you can shine it up. Very simple and easy effect but massively rewarding.
This is my first proper attempt at a biplane, but certainly won't be the last. This experiment has opened up a whole new avenue of modelling, and now I'm looking at kits I never would have given a second glance.
Around 5000 F2s were built, and I learned from the IWM website that 52,000 aircraft were built in WW1. I never realised the scale of the WW1 air war, and have now resolved to fill that gap in my knowledge. That made this exercise all the more worthwhile.
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