Hi from an old newbie

[TH]

Hi Everybody, my name's Tony and I'm an old newb who has recently returned to the hobby after a layoff of several years. I'm currently building a Sopwith Camel kit by Pichler, has anybody else had any experience of building this kit ? It may be that the old brain cells have recently retired but I've had several problems with this kit regarding parts missing, incorrectly cut parts, lack of clear instructions, basically, is it just me or have standards slipped since my younger days. Any comments/help greatly appreciated. Cheers guys.

[JohnP25]

Hi Tony

[Josip Vrandecic -Mes]

Dear Tony , any time to return to this wonderful hobby-sport is good.... so you are welcome

[Bob Cotsford]

Hi Tony. A while ago I built an old Frog Mustfire. Part fits were hit and miss with poor diecutting and some spongy wood, hard wood where soft was needed and vice-verce, cheap accessories and very brief instructions.

I've also built American kits from the 80s. Wonderful comprehensive instructions but the same variable wood quality.

I don't think standards have slipped, I think kits were always of variable quality and that they still are. At least it does exercise the grey matter working out the fixes which can only be a good thing!

[Rick Tee]

It's been a long time since I built a kit but what you describe is exactly as I remember them, wrong wood, don't fit, missing parts, spars of entirely different woods (using them guaranteed a warped wing) etc. Not tried a modern, laser cut kit yet, but the old die cut kits were not great, the main reason I moved on to building from plans and bought a balsa stripper so my spars came off the same piece of wood.

[Daithi O Buitigh]

We used to refer to them as 'die crunched'

True on wood quality - I recall a C/L Graupner FW 190 where the balsa could have substituted for plywood (I actually broke fretsaw blades as if was impossible to cut with a knife) and also Keil Kraft and Veron kits where the quality ranged from cheese to brittle