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Wright Brothers RC WWI Scale Machine Guns Review
By Michael Heer
Jul 31, 2007, 10:09 AM
Introduction
Wright Brothers RC designs and sells WWI machine guns for your warbird. For those of us with World War I planes who want to add more detail, we’re in luck! Currently there are two machine guns in their lineup: the German Spandau and the British Lewis machine gun, and it appears they are working on a Parabellum gun as well. The guns are made in four different scales: 1/8, 1/9, 1/10 and 1/12. Based on wing length comparisons, I got the 1/10th scale Lewis for my second Great Planes Electrifly SE5a to mount on the top wing and the 1/9th scale Spandau guns for my Great Planes Electrifly Fokker D-VII. At the risk of giving away the ending, I should have asked for 4 Spandau guns as my Fokker Dr-1 needs a pair to keep up with my Fokker D-VII!
Kit Contents
Each kit comes with instructions, laser-cut balsa, card stock and plastic parts. The Lewis gun also has a small piece of plywood. More detailed instructions for the assembly of the guns can be found on the Wright Brothers’ web site and include color pictures of each stage along with a good description. The instructions for each page print out on one page.
Lewis Machine Gun Kit
Spandau Machine Gun Kit
Kits Require:
Assembly of the Guns
I found the instruction manual included on the inside of the Product information sheet to be sufficient for me to assemble these guns. However, I did check out the more detailed instructions on the web site, and they included color pictures of the different steps in the assembly process so that even a novice should be able to successfully assemble the guns without any problems. Below are pictures from their web site and then some of mine from the assembly process.
Assembling the Lewis Gun
Painting/coloring
To complete both guns I used a black permanent marker and Testor's flat black and European Gray Modelmaster (also by Testors) paint. I used a brown permanent marker on the Lewis machine gun handle. Currently, the Lewis machine gun does not come with a mount for installing the gun to the upper wing of planes. Since I added mine to my SE5a, I drew a mount on balsa and added some thin plywood for strength. To that I installed two magnets on the mount and glued matching magnets to the wing. (My addition is shown in the pictures below.) As mentioned above, I used permanent markers to color my gun mount.
Parts used:
Assembling the Spandau Gun
Bullet feeds also came with the gun and were assembled and painted separately. I waited to glue them in place after the guns were mounted on the plane to get the best fit possible to the gun and to the fuselage. These are shown in the pictures below.
Mounted to planes
Lewis Gun to SE5a
I had to make a gun mount for the Lewis, and I'm sure in the future Allan will have a much nicer looking mount than mine. There are two magnets glued to the bottom of the mount and two glued to the top of the wing. These are strong magnets, but the gun can be removed in a couple of seconds if I want to lay the plane upside down to install the battery pack etc.
Spandau Guns to Fokker D-VII
It would have been a simple matter to simply glue the guns to the fuselage, but I wanted to do something with the bullet feeders. Using all four took up a lot of space, so I cheated and only installed them on the outside of the guns. I added some wood to the bottoms of the feeders to get them to lineup the way I wanted. I am happy with the effect.
Is this for a Beginner?
A beginner can certainly build these guns and paint them but they should probably be only used for static display until the pilot advances to the intermediate level.
Conclusion
Pluses
Minuses
Nice kits that are reasonably priced and are easy to put together that add to the appearance of your planes - that’s what the Wright Brothers RC provide. It will be nice when the wing mount is available for the Lewis machine gun, and I will need to get another Lewis for my Rough and Ready Nieuport 28 when Allan has the wing mount ready. I will get the 1/10 scale Spandau guns for my triplane in the future. Although these guns are only a small detail, to my eye they add a lot to their respective planes. Last edited by Angela H; Jul 31, 2007 at 10:46 AM.. |
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Thread Tools |
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Jul 31, 2007, 12:08 PM
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#2 |
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Dazed and Confused
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Arizona
Posts: 1,811
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Nice review, but I don't see the lack of a wing mount for the Lewis being a negative. It's a gun kit, afterall, and there are a multitude of different mounts that could be used for different applications.
I agree there should be sights included for the applicable models and a 1/5 scale Lewis for the Proctor Nie. 11 would be a great addition as this is a relatively popular model with nothing available in its scale. ...bob |
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Jul 31, 2007, 01:11 PM
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#3 |
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The sky is my playground.
Join Date: May 2005
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 6,105
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Sweet! I just bought a Fokker DVII about ten minutes ago! It's a sign! Thanks!
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Aug 01, 2007, 12:24 PM
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#4 |
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Balsa Bomber Builder
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 146
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Weeeeeeeeell, I guess I just figured out where I am gonna get my guns for my Gotha bomber. Thanks!!
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Aug 01, 2007, 05:40 PM
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#5 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 19
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Why was this reviewed ?????? WTH
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Aug 01, 2007, 06:42 PM
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#6 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Stockton, Ca. USA
Posts: 6,633
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This was reviewed as an assignment. I have in the past reviewed lights for planes, floats, brushless motors and ESC. Not every review is a new plane or radio system. If a subject isn't of interest just skip it. No other reviews died in the making of this review.
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Aug 01, 2007, 09:03 PM
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#7 |
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Vic and Quinn Walton
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Santa Barbara CA
Posts: 549
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Mike I'd say the question posed by p0stal is answered by the two comments just prior to his. Nice job, makes me wish I had a WWI plane to put those guns in!
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Aug 02, 2007, 10:56 AM
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#8 |
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Dazed and Confused
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Arizona
Posts: 1,811
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Personally, I appreciate any review of anything related to the hobby. I have a need for these particular guns in a couple of kits sitting in my closet and probably would never have known of them otherwise.
...bob |
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Aug 03, 2007, 04:12 PM
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#9 |
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There is no place like Hodges!
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Out yonder!
Posts: 3,400
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Hey when are they going to come out with a gun like this that really shoot little pellet, so we can have WW II combats?
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Aug 03, 2007, 09:42 PM
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#10 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Stockton, Ca. USA
Posts: 6,633
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Actually the navy guys already have firing guns and they put in panels you shoot at and they replace on their ships and sail in shallow ponds for combat.
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Aug 08, 2007, 04:18 PM
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#11 |
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Gambler-AG DLG Designer
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Lee, NH, USA
Posts: 4,665
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FYI, my Parabellum guns should be available within a few weeks.
See http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=704191 for more info |
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Aug 23, 2007, 03:59 PM
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#12 |
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Gambler-AG DLG Designer
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Lee, NH, USA
Posts: 4,665
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Parabellum guns are now available.
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Oct 29, 2007, 10:49 AM
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#13 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Stockton, Ca. USA
Posts: 6,633
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The parabellum looks great.
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