*(1126) GOTHA G.V (1972)
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K&B KIT NO.1126-1-97-GOTHA G.V.
MODEST overhaul of Aurora's original 1958 126-1-98, the K&B reissue formed part of their 'Collectors Series' which typically featured new decals and a box-filling vacformed ground base of dubious value all packed within large attractive boxes showcasing stunning artwork by John Amendola. The Gotha contains 66 deep blue parts with 51 'accessories' on black runners-the original kit's five figures are also included but not the groundbase with its chocks. Despite the opprobrium heaped upon the original kit since first release, it became the holy grail of kit collecting in the 1960s prompting a private enthusiast to collaborate with Aurora issuing 1000 'replica' kits at bargain prices. The following year Aurora relaunched the kit themselves with some minor revisions. Comparing the kit's major components with latter-day scale plans shows them to be tolerably accurate in scale and outline providing a sound platform to build on whilst refining chunkier aspects. Inaccurate bombs and incorrectly- shaped engine 'power eggs' are the main failings, the latter proving a challenge of re-modelling. Our kit includes 1:48 scale drawings of the nacelles for adventurous modellers wishing to make their own... Decals provide both styles of national insignia with only the eiserne kreuze matching embossed wing and rudder positions...
THE original Aurora Gotha Bomber released in 1958 with catalogue number 126-198 (latter digits denote the retail price of One Dollar, 98 Cents) proved highly collectible amongst enthusiastic WWI modellers due to its glamour and perceived scarcity. As a result the kit's value increased substantially and soon began changing hands at ever-increasing prices until October 1971 when enterprising kit collector Ross Abare approached Aurora with a novel proposition. He persuaded them to run off a 1000 or so kits under licence allowing him to retail them as low-priced $5.00 originals:the enterprise was scuppered by financial and contractual disputes which spelt the end for private venture Gothas. The very next year,Aurora reissued the kit themselves,along with eleven-mostly WWI-classics for the short-lived Collector's Series under their subsidiary K&B label and it's examples of these on offer here. As regards revisions to the moulds this was limited to removal of all fuselage markings apart from weights' tables either side.The source of reference for Aurora pattern makers may have been Bill Wylam's detailed Gotha drawings in the February 1958 edition of Model Airplane News.These were flawed in several areas but Aurora made a few errors of their own. Against Ian Stair's 1:48 scale set in Peter Grosz's GOTHA! the kit's main components are actually not that far out and though there are anomalies these are relatively easy to address with two notable exceptions...Fuselage halves are acceptable and include a rather basic rear gun tunnel that will require a suitably-formed thin plastic sheet insert to round it off. Both tailplane units are quite close to the drawings requiring minimal reshaping. All four wing panels feature exaggerated rib stations on their uppersurfaces-the undersides are plain. Forward wing tips require some refinement as will the wire trailing edge scallops and aileron balances need a trim. Undercarriage legs, wheels,propellers,guns and most other black detail parts will benefit from refinement but all 18 wing struts are surprisingly thin in section yet sufficiently sturdy to support the heavy wing cellule. Experience building these kits back in the day found functional rigging offered some necessary support.Aurora's old Gotha is by no means the lost cause that previous reviewers have attested and in the hands of an experienced modeller can be worked up to more acceptable levels.
PuW bombs:there are eight of these which fail to truly represent the 100kg originals but superb versions have been produced by Mirage Hobbies of Poland in recent years and we include a selection of them with our kits.
The engine nacelles are the kit's only real stumbling blocks.Surface detail is confused,engine cut-outs too short and the units are parallel-sided from above whereas they should be wider and adopt streamlined form. Altering the parts would be awkward and vac-forming a pair would be most purist's recourse and you only need to produce one master. We provide 1:48 scale multi-aspect drawings of G.V nacelles in the kits for those who want to follow this route.
Decals provide a full set of eiserne kreuze but only six balkenkreuze, none of which accord with the embossed wings and rudder markings which would need removal in any case. Weights' tables appear alongside a genuine serial: Go. G.V 672/16 serving with Kaghol 3 and believed to have been finished in multi-colour painted polygons.
GOTHA GEN: Our own GOTHA! written by P M Grosz with multiple 1:48 scale drawings by Ian Stair contained over 85 photos, a 1918 technical capture report with many detail sketches and four pages of accurate colour profiles. Published in 1984 it is now scarce. *See also The Gotha G.I-G.V, Profile Publications No.115,1966, another Peter Grosz study with concise narrative, good selection of photos and colour profiles currently available on this site in very limited numbers. Please see link below.
