Gotha G-III

Copper State Models Resin Multimedia kit

This is Copper State Models Resin Gotha G-III kit in 1.48^th scale. Currently it is the only Gotha kit available until Hi-Tech releases theirs later this year or early next. Having struggled with trying to correct an old Aurora Gotha (a mishmash of G-III, G-IV and G-V components), I decided to bite the bullet and pay the bucks for CSM’s offering. I was not disappointed. It is beautifully engineered, the resin is superb and cast well, with the exception of my stabilizer and rudder. I am sure if I wrote to Eric and asked for new pieces he would have obliged, but being simple in shape and profile, I found it easier to make new ones out of .030 plastic and re-scribe the rib tapes. The only downfall, if you can call it that, is the use of white metal for many of the kit components. I am not a big fan of white metal to begin with. I realize it’s cheap to make, and if a part is messed up during casting, you simply toss it back in the pot and re-melt it, which is not an option with a bad cast resin part. But the fidelity of detail cannot be captured in white metal like it can with resin, and my take is that this kit is expensive to begin with, a few extra dollars for resin pieces instead of white metal would be justified. The photo etch is world class, some of the best I have seen, and gives you all the little detail bits and pieces to keep the most nit picky detail freak happy. Included in the kit are a German Gauge set, a gorgeous set that really makes the cockpit come alive, 3 Parrabellum Machine Gun kits which are really models in themselves, a German Bomb set, and Decals for 3 machines, printed by Micro Scale. Rather than attempt to make this a full blown review, I included builders notes I took as I constructed the model. I have a total of about 300 hours in it, a lot of that spent making new parts to replace the white metal parts I didn’t use. I recommend this kit highly for advanced builders that have a few resin biplane kits under their belt.

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Bomb Set. White Metal bombs and PE Fins	Decals Printed by Microscale	Resin Fuselage Pieces. Very nicely molded.

Machine-Guns. These are little models in their own right.	White Metal castings. I used very few of these parts.

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Photo Etch Fret. Some of the best I have seen.	Resin Wings. These are BIG. If I was to do it over again I would figure out some kind of spar arrangement to help hold things in alignment.

Construction:

The jig I built to hold everything in alignment as I built it.

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It’s getting there.	Same view after model is finished.

Photo-etched Fuselage Interior bulkheads were replaced with .020 plastic for strength. Additional bulkheads were added to try to help keep the fuselage sides in alignment.  

Stabilizer and Elevator were replaced with scratchbuilt items as the parts that came with mine were thicker on one end than the other.. Rudder was also replaced with a scratchbuilt rudder for the same reason. 

All White Metal Wing Struts were replaced with scratchbuilt basswood and brass wire struts, and reshaped to the correct profile. The quality of the white metal struts was inconsistent. Some were real good, others poorly cast and unusable.

All white metal Cabane Struts were replaced with Contrail Strut material. Wing center Cabane Struts are a combination of Contrail Strut, and soldered brass center spar. Wing Alignment was a major hassle due to weight and length of resin wings.   Stabilizer struts made from Basswood.   White Metal Landing gear Wheels replaced with cast resin from my own master, shock cord detail added that was not included in kit. The Landing Gear struts are one of the few White Metal pieces I used, along with the props.

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Exhaust Manifolds replaced with new manifolds made from sprue and brass tube and solder.

All rigging is structural to help hold the heavy wings from drooping at the tips.  

White metal Tail skid replaced with basswood and brass, and thread for the shock cord.

Mike