Sopwith Camel F.1 VII 1/48 Scale Model by NewRay (New Version)

This Classic Planes Collection from NewRay consists of 4 WWI fighter planes:

-          Fokker DR.1 (German triplane in red)

-          Fokker D.VII (German biplane in blue)

-          Spad S. VII (British biplane in yellow)

-          Sopwith Camel F.1 (British biplane in dark green)

This collection is made in the 1/48 scale which translates to approximate sizes, depending on model, of  7 inches in length with a wingspan of about 9 inches. Like other NewRay building kit, they are not your typical building kit where one needs to cut pieces out of runners/trees and glue them together, but instead they come as disassembled toys where one needs to attach the engines to the front of the fuselage and then the wings to the fuselage and connecting rods. All the screws, connecting rods and little screw driver are included in the box.

No gluing or painting is needed as they are snap fit models. Markings and different color trims are present in some models and accurately done. This collection in particular is very nice looking because of the bright colors. From the photos (and more in person) one can appreciate that the paint is thik and the finish is glossy. The Sopwith Camel F.1 is the only model that comes in its “natural” color, meaning the plastic is made in the model’s color. The other models are coated with colored paint which is why they look so good. One has to handle the models in order to confirm that they are indeed made of plastic and not metal. However, this nice finish and coloring comes with a small disadvantage, which is that the paint can crack and flake if pieces are forced together or screwed improperly.

Other nice details are the different and accurate machine guns, exhaust ports, engines, free rolling wheels, colored hubs and smooth spinning propellers (which can turn/rotate if you blow on them). Also the models are constructed in a way that the vertical stabilizer (tail) is movable and pivots side to side.

These models look fine out of the box; however they can still be weathered/detailed to make them look even better. A stand is included where the plane can be mounted. Whether you want to display them or play with them, they will be enjoyable either way.

The Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter introduced on the Western Front in 1917. Manufactured by Sopwith Aviation Company, it had a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine, and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns. Though difficult to handle, to an experienced pilot it provided unmatched manoeuvrability. A superlative fighter, the Camel was credited with shooting down 1,294 enemy aircraft, more than any other Allied fighter of the war. It also served as a ground-attack aircraft, especially near the end of the conflict, when it was outclassed in the air-to-air role by newer German fighters.

The box measures 10 inches by 7 inches by 1.5 inches.