RAF SE5a WWI Bi-plane model airplane complete vintage model rubber-powered balsa wood aircraft plane kit that really flies!

I bought a model kit to restart a hobby I gave up over forty years ago, and this kit in particular, because it is similar to the last model I built and flew when I was fifteen or sixteen.Now I know that time can play tricks on an old memory, but there appear to be quite a few differences between now and then, some good, some not so good.The worst thing about this kit is the quality of the balsa, but I'm told that this modern spongy, insubstantial stuff is now industry standard, so I can't really down grade it for this reason!The best bits form a bit of a list, and left me very impressed, and eager to try another one soon.Firstly, the laser cutting of the component parts is spot-on, very precise, and very easy to remove from the blank, even the small parts.Next the plan, at my first glance, it looked a little overcrowded, as if the manufacturer was trying to save on paper! but when I started to lay some pieces out, I found it very accurate, and set out in such a way that one can see how each section fits relative to another, very clearly. I also liked the two-part plan, as this saves on the size of pin board needed, and means that one can build this model even if your work space is a bit limited.The print is nice and dark also, and shows up well under a sheet of ordinary grease-proof paper, so no need to buy the expensive drafting stuff. Each piece of balsa is clearly labelled on the plan, and so it is very easy to identify your parts as you begin to build, no ambiguous little diagrams or arrows that we've become accustomed to thanks to IKEA!A clear and detailed instruction book is also included, and it is well worth reading this through before you start, especially if you are new to the hobby.A plastic propeller is included, which is well molded, and will require only a little prep to be airworthy, and an ample supply of covering tissue is included, in two colours ( there is enough to allow for a mistake or two ) This is also of top quality, strong enough to work with when wet, and dries evenly after doping.Inside the strong, simple brown cardboard box you will also find a tube of PVA glue, there is more than enough to build the kit should you choose to use it, although personally, I much prefer to use a balsa cement rather than PVA, as I find it much easier to use, and produces far stronger joints, again in my opinion.To sum up, this is a lovely model kit, and with a little care will produce an accurate facsimile of the real thing, more importantly, its good fun to build and well worth the money, although I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner. Oh, and by the way, it really does fly!

Obviously a lot of careful thought has gone into this replica of the famous SE5A. It can fly, but it looks equally attractive as a static display model. Well done!

I haven’t built one of these for 50 years - I was recovering from an operation and ordered not to lift anything heavy and this seemed to fit the bill. The quality was excellent, the parts clearly labelled and perfectly laser cut and the instructions clear and precise.

Great but very difficult to assemble. The instruction is very unclear. I gave up after 6 hours of gluing.

Great plans and step by step instructions. You need to have basic model understanding before attempting a bi-plane but this is a great intermediate model to attempt.

Very nice kit, the balsa is beautifully laser cut. If I would criticise then the pieces aren't labelled, relying on you identifying them from the instructions. No bigee. And although it says it has everything necessary there's no dope in the kit.Having said that I would recommend this kit, it's very good value for money and good quality.

Bought this for my husband who loves Diecast models and I loved the the idea that this particular plane used natural materials of the plane itself. However, it was removed from the box and put back as it is overly fiddly and some of the pieces were too fragile for handling and fixing. Mind you, this is just my husbands view as I did buy it after reading positive reviews.

Bit fun. Looks great