Hippo Models

1/48 Gotha G.V German Heavy Bomber model kit 

product # PK 48001

Product Article by Steve Bamford on Dec 31 2010

 

This is the first 1/48 model kit release from Hippo Models and is sure to please the WW1 modellers.  This is the Gotha G.V German Heavy Bomber injection molded kit with the addition of  a photo etch fret. 

The Gotha G.V was a heavy bomber used by the Luftstreitkräfte (Imperial German Air Service) during World War I.  The Gotha G.V entered service in August 1917, but due to it's heavier weight as compared to the Gotha G.IV, it operated at a lower altitude than the earlier model Gotha bomber.  The Gotha G.V has a crew of 3 that includes a nose gunner, pilot and rear gunner (that operated either the top side gun or bottom side gun).  This lower rear facing gun was an innovation for this bomber and removed that blind spot.  The Gotha G.V had two Mercedes D.IVa inline engines that produced a total of 520 hp (2 x  260 hp) and gave it a top speed of 140 km/h (87 mph).  A wing span of 23.70 m (77 ft 9 in) made this quite the large aircraft.  Germany did use it's bombers to cross the English Channel and bomb cities in England as well as doing tactical bombing missions.  A total of 36 of these lumbering giants were produced before the Armistice was sign thus ending The Great War. 

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This kit is comprised of:

  • 4 sprues of dark tan coloured injection molded plastic
  • 1 photo etch fret
  • 1 sprue of clear styrene  
  • 1 decal sheet
  • 8 page instruction book

 The quality of the kit is quite nice with well done ribbed detail on the flight surfaces.  The kit box states this is suitable "For experienced modellers only!!!!" and it's safe to say this isn't a new release Tamyia quality kit.  So be prepared to go slow and test parts for fit before you haul out the glue.  The parts also don't have any locating pins, which shouldn't be an issue for most modellers that use liquid glue and go slow when joining parts to make sure everything is lined up.

The upper and lower wings have tiny holes to mark where the struts should go, which is  a much appreciated feature.  The struts are the correct airfoil shape, yet bulky just like the real plane.  There are 3 machine guns included in this kit although the instructions don't show the lower gun at all, but I was able to find photos on the net that showed the placement location for the lower gun.  The guns are nicely done and have well detailed separate round ammunition magazines and photo etch gun mounts.  The rigging is shown well in the instructions as well as the external control cables that run the length of the exterior of the fuselage all the way to the tail control flying surfaces.  There are a nice selection of photo etch parts for the external control cable mounts that will show these off beautifully.

Although this is a bomber, there are no bombs included and no bomb racks either.  So if you're building this kit with a bomb load, you will have to source the bomb racks and bombs elsewhere. 

The propeller blades have a wonderful shape to them and will look excellent once given a simulated wood grain finish.

There is only one decal option for a light blue/grey machine with a thin green snake running down the length of the fuselage, which is an attractive option and reminds me of WW2 Luftwaffe aircraft on the Russian front during winter operations.  This is a limited release kit and I do not know if future releases of this kit will contain different decal options as the Imperial German Air Service did have some wonderfully colourful camo patterns during the 14-18 war.

I'm impressed with what I see in this first kit offering from Hippo Models.  The addition of the photo etch parts really makes the critical detail stand out.  You should definitely buy this kit sooner rather than later as it is only being produced in limited numbers and there is no doubt this big Gotha G.V in 1/48 will make an eye catching centre piece to your WW1 collection in your display case.  I expect this kit to sell well and sell out quickly.

You can purchase this and other fine products directly from Hippo Models

I would like to thank Hippo Models for providing me with this review sample.

Steve

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Photos and text © by Steve Bamford