Gloster VI
Schneider Trophy Racer 1929

Wiener Modellbau, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Brett Green

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The Gloster VI was designed to compete in the Schneider Trophy race of 1929. The two aircraft were built to British Air Ministry Specification 9/28 and delivered to the RAF's High Speed Flight in 1929.

Ironically, the planes were withdrawn before the race due to engine complications but one of the Glosters, N249, went on to set a new World Absolute Air Speed Record of 336.3 mph the day after the 1929 race.

However, the Gloster VI's glory was short lived as the record was broken again by the famous Supermarine S6 only a few hours later.

Although the Gloster VI was overshadowed at the time and throughout history by its better known Supermarine counterpart, it undoubtedly remains a beautifully graceful design. Its striking colour schemes only enhanced its appeal.

Wiener Modellbau has turned its attention to the Gloster VI with their first aircraft kit. The model is robustly packaged in a stout black cardboard box, and the contents are separately packed.

Wiener Modellbau's 1/48 scale Gloster VI comprises 19 parts in cream coloured resin, three photo-etched brass sheets; four parts in cast brass; printed acetate sheet and markings for both aircraft.

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Thumbnail panels:

The wings are cast onto a wide block along the entire span of the leading edge. This looks a little daunting at first, but I removed this block in around a minute by scoring along the join, then cllipping through the two thicker sections with a sprue cutter. The block will then almost fall off the wing leading edge.

The fuselage is supplied in one piece with cockpit sidewall detail cast in place. The only preparation required here is the removal of a plug cast to the front of the nose. A razor saw will make short work of this.

All control surfaces are supplied separately. The hinge lines are recessed on the flying surfaces, making it very easy to position the rudder, ailerons and elevators according to your own preference. The "bottomless" cockpit floor is well depicted with a resin frame beneath the pilot's seat, but no harness straps are included.

The float struts are provided in cast brass. This should offer some margin for error, with the soft brass capable of being adjusted to align the floats perfectly.

Three photo-etched brass frets are also included. The bulk of the largest sheet is taken up by the brass evaporative surface radiators which almost cover the upper and lower surfaces of the wings.

The instrument panel is another of the photo-etched brass pieces. This is supplemented with a printed sheet of clear acetate for the dial details.

The other two photo-etched frets contain the flat bracing wires - a very nice touch. By the way, the resin fuselage and wings have crisply defined holes to locate the ends of the bracing wires. The wires on the floats will be attached to small photo-etched plates.

Kit engineering is very straightforward. The one-piece fuselage simply sits on the "saddle" of the full span wing. You can see in the photo below that I have already prepared the major parts and test fitted the fuselage to the wings. The fit is almost gap free.

Markings of these graceful aircraft were quite simple. Markings are supplied for the rudder and serials, plus the small number of stencils.

The decals are well printed and in perfect register.

If you are looking for a first all-resin kit project; or if you are just feeling a bit jaded with run-of-the-mill subjects, Wiener Modellbau's Gloster VI might just be for you. Of course, if you are a fan of between-the-wars racers, this kit will be a compulsory addition to your collection.

Wiener Modellbau's 1/48 scale Gloster VI is perfectly cast, well detailed and the bright finish adds even more interest to the sleek lines of this beautiful aircraft.

As a genuine multimedia kit, some experience will be helpful. Even so, the relatively small number of parts, minimal requirement for preparation and good fit will place this model in the realm of most modellers with just a few kits under their belts.

This is a luxurious package that has been lovingly hand-crafted. The box and its contents exude quality. You'll need to be quick though, as only 500 will be produced.

I am very impressed with this Wiener Modellbau's 1/48 scale Gloster VI.

Thanks to Wiener Modellbau for the sample

Review Text Copyright © 2008 by Brett Green
Page Created 10 November, 2008
Last updated 10 November, 2008

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