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What does everyone think of the old 1/72 esci Albatross?


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I wouldn't buy one. The Eduard kit is vastly superior, and can be purchased, bagged, for under $5. (if you're lucky, under $3). If you're looking to GET an Albatros, absolutely no contest.

Is it worth *finishing* the Esci kit? Depends. Depends how far you are into it, what you want out of your build, how much modelling time you have (and how you like to spend it), how much you value "old school modelling skill" vs. "latest and greatest, Tamigawa shake'n'bake assembly" (or however you want to look at it), etc. etc. The Esci kit is less detailed and less accurate than the Eduard kit, but that doesn't mean you should automatically bin it. If you want to build a "classic" kit of a "classic" subject and aren't worried about having the ultimate Alby, it could be a fun project. If you expect maximum productivity for your modelling time and don't want to "waste" it on a "fluff" build, then you may be better off with Eduard.

Really, it's up to you.

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Hi MoFo

Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated. Yes I am more of a casual WW1 builder and I have not graduated to even stringing them up. I have only built 2 other WW1 planes, the Esci Camel and the Airfix Pup.

If there arent any glaring errors with the kit (again a very subjective thing i guess) i might just finish it up.

As i am in Australia, getting an Eduard kit under US5.00 is virtually impossible! Oh how lucky you guys are over there!

i gather that the Eduard Alby is the bees knees, i'll eventually get round to building one someday.

Again, thanks for the response!

cheers

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  • 2 weeks later...

aaargh i just bought an eduard Alby DIII and a Fokker EIII through ebay. I think it comes to about AUD30.00 including postage.

MOFO, Anything to look out for when building them? i may just start rigging them with these kits.

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If you're talking 1/72nd, Eduard never did the D.III. However, if it's 1/48th then yes, these Eduard kits are great, from what I've seen. Eduard does the E.III/IV in 1/72nd and the E.II/E.III in 1/48th.

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Hi Joe,

I don't have the E.III, but I do have the Albatros. It looks perfect to my untrained eye. When you get it, do a comparison with the ESCI kit, you'll be impressed by the difference.

By the way, don't trash the ESCI Albatros, you can still use it as a testbed for rigging. I still built mine when I realized that I need some practice stringing biplanes together.

Have fun with those!

Cheers

Milo

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Hi Joe,

I don't have the E.III, but I do have the Albatros. It looks perfect to my untrained eye. When you get it, do a comparison with the ESCI kit, you'll be impressed by the difference.

By the way, don't trash the ESCI Albatros, you can still use it as a testbed for rigging. I still built mine when I realized that I need some practice stringing biplanes together.

Have fun with those!

Cheers

Milo

Thanks Milo!

I just got my Albatross and Eindecker in the mail today! woohoo!!! they are BEAUTIFUL...! i am in lurve with them! The E.III is the profipack with PE... i am not very good with PE but am going to give it a shot!

The Albatross has such good molding, now i know what a good WW1 kit looks like! No i wont trash the Esci kit just yet, will follow ur advice and use it for rigging practice!

I am so impressed with these kits, i'll have to get more in the future!

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Olemanjoe,

These are beautiful kits, and I have several multiple boxings in my stash. The only problem that I know of with the Eduard Albatros is that the wheels are undersized, supposedly. Not much you can do about that, or even want to, aside from scratch-building new ones. This was a problem with all of Eduards early moldings of Albatri.

Do get more of them, and treat yourself to their Fokker Tripe. It is far from perfect, but is still a good kit IMHO. (The new Revell Tripe being supposedly better, but it has its issues too.)

Oh! You have to get a few of Eduard's Nie.17's. Right now you can get a bagged kit for $4.00 US or thereabouts. (It comes with Czech decals, but you can rob some from somewhere else. :monkeydance:

Warren

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Olemanjoe,

These are beautiful kits, and I have several multiple boxings in my stash. The only problem that I know of with the Eduard Albatros is that the wheels are undersized, supposedly. Not much you can do about that, or even want to, aside from scratch-building new ones. This was a problem with all of Eduards early moldings of Albatri.

Do get more of them, and treat yourself to their Fokker Tripe. It is far from perfect, but is still a good kit IMHO. (The new Revell Tripe being supposedly better, but it has its issues too.)

Oh! You have to get a few of Eduard's Nie.17's. Right now you can get a bagged kit for $4.00 US or thereabouts. (It comes with Czech decals, but you can rob some from somewhere else. :whistle:

Warren

Hey Warren

4 bucks for an Eduard Nie17?? wow any chance i could get you to send me a couple??? i am gonna turn into a bird the way i am going, "cheap, cheap, cheap!!"

Ol

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