I had the opportunity today to get a reasonably close look at the new
1/48 Corgi RAF SE. 5a in a local hobby store at the
price of approx. US$110/NZ$140
.
First impressions are that it looks
a lot better than the pre-pro (pre-pro picture available at
Corgi Aviation Archive). There are a number of positive features about the model and also some less than flattering aspects.
- Packaging good
- Rigging appears excellent
- Overall fit and finish appear good although a little 'toy-like' - it is a WW1 aircraft after all and paintwork is likely to be 'garish'
- Pilot 'okay' but not of the same standard as the Swordfish crew
- Propeller looks 'plastic' and not particularly realistic
Overall, I would say that this is a good model of an important historic aircraft. That said,
it is not (in my opinion) even remotely close to the Corgi 1/72 Swordfish or any of Carousel 1's excellent WW1 1/48 aircraft. (This particular model is more likely to be competition for the
Model Power range than anything from
Carousel 1.)
I will most likely purchase the
Red Baron Albatross D.V sometime in future once it's released - or then again, perhaps not ...