Knights of the Sky (1 Viewer)

Thanks for the photos Moe!! I wasn't planning to buy another SPAD, but I think I have changed my mind (or you changed it). That is a beauty. Your shots really show the great detail that went into this model. Very nice!!!
 
My SPAD arrived this afternoon at my door . . . . . absolutely a beautiful model . . . . IMHO I think its the best WWI bird that John has released to date . . . . . Photos don't do it justice . . .
:smile2: Mike
 
lancer said:
Fantastic review, Moe, and great close-up photos to illustrate the review. Mine should be showing up next week and I can hardly wait for it. The model is simply brilliant looking in detail and I really love the paint job. I haven't even received mine yet and I already have a new, favorite JJD aircraft. ^&grin -- Al
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My Spad is due tomorrow, along with Algy. It is going to be a good day.:wink2: -- Al
 
lancer said:
My Spad is due tomorrow, along with Algy. It is going to be a good day.:wink2: -- Al
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The Guynemer Spad has landed and is now my favorite TS acquisition, ever. Many thanks to Tim Tyler at Troops of Time, for he also included the JJClub figure of 'Algy' Coleman with the Spad. I am extremely grateful for this great kindness. Tim is an outstanding friend and individual. The Spad and Algy are JJD sets number 170 and 171 in my collection, far and away the most numerous manufacturer that I own.
As others have noted, and Moe in his fine review, this is a particularly fine effort by JJD and does indeed appear to be a complete reworking of the Rickenbacker Spad in the finer details. The cockpit is more highly detailed in the Guynemer Spad and close examination reveals fuselage framework picked out deep in the lower reaches of the cockpit, as well as safety belts and more numerous instruments. I really am impressed by the paint job on this model, in both the shade of the overall 'French yellow' and the accuracy of the markings. This model has the black flight leaders pennant painted behind the cockpit, which is a hard detail to confirm, being evident in only a couple of photos, as is the 'X' in the middle of the upper wing. Both great details that speaks well of John's research. Also, the lack of Guynemer's trademark 'Vieux Charles', a name Guynemer painted on most of his aircraft, is accurate to this Spad. Photos also confirm that this moniker was never added.
I could not be happier with the result John achieved with this model. It simply is his best effort to date, IMHO. -- Al
 
Like 6th Wisc, I wasn't sure I was going to get this model. Not enough space left on the aerodrome. :redface2: But Moe's pics and review changed my mind. Those gauges look great along with the rest of the piece. Chris
 
Terp152 said:
Like 6th Wisc, I wasn't sure I was going to get this model. Not enough space left on the aerodrome. :redface2: But Moe's pics and review changed my mind. Those gauges look great along with the rest of the piece. Chris
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First, I want to thank Chris and everyone else for their kind comments about the pics that I posted. What I lack in skill as a photographer, I make up for in sheer exuberance in regard to the subject matter, agreed?:wink2:

I need to post a couple of more pics, though. One is of the nose area of ACE-16 and the other ACE-22:


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While I already mentioned several items underneath the wing, I forgot to mention the guns. Note the additional paint work that Jenkins devoted to the Vickers MG on the Guynemer SPAD. ACE-22 literaly brims with tweaks like this, small and large. While I respect everyone's opinions regarding personal favorites, I honestly believe that this model has more "bang for the buck" than any other replica in the range.:cool: One more pic for the road:



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Hopefully JJD didn't skimp on production of this one. I think that it'll be quite a hit with collectors!:D

-Moe
 
Folks, I'm so pleased with the Guynemer Spad I really don't have the words to express it. It has been a life long dream of mine to have a superior model of my favorite ace's aircraft and now I have it. I've had models that I have built in the past and painted and marked like Guynemer's, like the old Aurora and Hawk kits and even an Airfix kit but, obviously, they were not of the quality that I truly wanted. This JJD version is perfect for my needs and wishes, having the right size (large) and details that can be seen and appreciated by my 63 year old eyes. Moe mentioned the new material that John has used for the bracing wires. Whatever John did to tint the color of these 'wires' sure worked well as they have the appearance of being thinner and metallic. Even the prop looks better than the earlier Spad's version and speaks to the great improvement of the props on John's models over a period of time. Close examination of the Spad's color, tan, if you will, reveals 2 tones of the paint on the fuselage, with the demarcation between the 2 tones just aft of the cockpit. This is the same 2-tone tan that can be seen on the surviving Guynemer Spad on display at the Invalides museum. A nice touch by John. All in all it has been a good February, as this Spad and the Algy Coleman figure made for a wonderful birthday present, almost to the day. And for those who haven't seen it, the Algy Coleman figure is superb. He is very animated, wonderfully detailed, and excellently painted. I love his long white scarf flowing out behind him as he runs to his awaiting aircraft, and the really great detail of his coat belt's ends flapping free as he runs. These are 2 of John's finest creations and have made my year, even if only February.:wink2:^&grin -- Al
 
Rec'd my Guynemer Spad today and like Moe and Al, most plsd with this addition. Both mentioned the improved wiring, more realistic and doesn't look like fishing line anymore. :smile2: The cockpit gauges are much more detailed. A lot of upgrades on the details with this release. Another great JJD model. Chris
 
I actually quite like the Morane-Saulnier N that John did, even though it is one of the lesser known and produced French fighters of the war. I was thinking that another N might be a useful addition, that being MS #398. This is the aircraft that Jean Navaare scored his 3rd aerial victory in, on October 25, 1915. Navarre brought down a n LVG observation aircraft after a brief fight in which he fired only 8 rounds. Of these 8 rounds, 4 struck the engine of the LVG, forcing the German pilot to shut off the engine and land behind French lines. Navaare actually landed nearby to prevent the German crew from setting fire to the LVG. Local police showed up pretty soon after to relieve Navaare of his prisoners. Navaare's N aircraft was similar in appearance to JJD's earlier French N, being of the same natural tan color, but it had a black nose, spinner, and landing gear and the French tri-color fuselage striping was on top of the fuselage, not the sides as the earlier model had. This would be a nice addition to the named aces and their aircraft that John has done in the past and a nice tribute to one of France's earliest heroes of the air. Of course, I hold out hope that John will someday also try the Morane-Saulnier Type L, though this will present a challenge because of it's high wing monoplane design, called a parasol. -- Al
 
ivanmoe said:
Sorry, but there's no telling until it appears in a product release announcement.

Until the pilot and ground-crew sets show up, BGC-23 is a possible stand-in:

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-Moe
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An excellent figure. I have him leaning on the Morane N at this moment as he waits for the overcast to clear. He is also a perfect fit for the Spad.:wink2: -- Al
 
lancer said:
An excellent figure. I have him leaning on the Morane N at this moment as he waits for the overcast to clear. He is also a perfect fit for the Spad.:wink2: -- Al
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Mine is leaning on my SPAD . . . . .
:smile2: Mike
 
Hey John, how about a Pfalz D-IIIa or maybe even Pfalz D-VIII. You could pair Paul Baumer's triplane ( a very attractive paint scheme, hint-hint) and Pfalz D-VIII together on the same airfield. Baumer preferred those maneuverable rotary engine types. :wink2:^&grin -- Al
 
For those of us that are WW1 aircraft lovers, I have come across an interesting website, Flyingshamrockart.com, that is the site of an Australian artist who does caricature art of WW1 (and some WW2) aircraft. They are all side-view and are very clever. While the caricature style obviously distorts aspects of the aircraft, the artist, Ade Kelly, has taken great pains with detail and especially color/marking schemes. You all might find this site to be very entertaining, and valuable in terms of the historical markings of the aircraft he has chosen to do. It is a hoot. -- Al
 
lancer said:
For those of us that are WW1 aircraft lovers, I have come across an interesting website, Flyingshamrockart.com, that is the site of an Australian artist who does caricature art of WW1 (and some WW2) aircraft. They are all side-view and are very clever. While the caricature style obviously distorts aspects of the aircraft, the artist, Ade Kelly, has taken great pains with detail and especially color/marking schemes. You all might find this site to be very entertaining, and valuable in terms of the historical markings of the aircraft he has chosen to do. It is a hoot. -- Al
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Very nice site . . . I especially liked the Jasta 11 renderings . . .
:smile2: Mike
 
mestell said:
Very nice site . . . I especially liked the Jasta 11 renderings . . .
:smile2: Mike
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Mike, so did I. I also liked the different variations on the Red Baron's many different aircraft. Also liked the Lafayette Escadrille likenesses. -- Al
 
I set some models out on a mat in an attempt to see how many "Camels" that I can cram into a scene. BTW, I do this partly in self-defense. I want to see what manner of pics that I can capture from different angles before I drag 25-30 sets out of the display cabinet! The lighting isn't the best, but the images provide a taste of Jenkins' gorgeous paint work:

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Boy, that Nieuport is a looker!:cool: Nonetheless, it's a placeholder for the Barker Camel. The third Sopwith is tucked away on a stand in the back of a curio. It'll be the last piece to leave the cabinet come showtime.

-Moe
 
Great shots, Moe. I really like the first shot, the low angle pic of the Camels. It is an unusual POV and really sets the Camels off. And the Nungesser N-17 is gorgeous. Something about that all-silver finish and the red/white/blue stripes and roundels makes it a real looker. The airfield is also excellent. Nice job. -- Al
 
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