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First Look Review
116
Siemens-Halske Sh.III
Siemens-Halske Sh.III
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by: Rowan Baylis [ MERLIN ]

Among North Star Models’ extensive selection of resin and photo-etched models and upgrade sets is the first kit in a very promising range of 1:16 aero engines.

The Siemens-Halske Sh.III was an 11-cylinder rotary engine, producing around 160 h.p. that powered a number of late-war German fighter designs, most notably the Siemens-Schuckert D.IV that was was rated by some as the finest fighter of WW1 - albeit too late to have an impact on the outcome of the conflict.

North Star’s kit arrives packed tightly in a resealable bag with the resin and etched parts further sealed in their own zip-lock bags.

The kit comprises
71 x grey resin parts
4 x etched brass parts

The casting in the sample kit is absolutely flawless - it honestly is among the best examples (if not the very best example) of casting I've ever seen in a kit like this. There's no flash, and no trace of "fill-in" between the exquisitely fine cooling fins on the cylinders (a classic trouble-spot - but where I initially thought I’d found a couple of instances, they turned out to be nothing more than loose particles that brushed away). There aren't even any casting lines, despite the complex shapes - so, having produced a fair number of resin parts myself over the years, I’m left scratching my head at just how North Star do it!

Not surprisingly, the parts are attached to pretty substantial casting blocks, so there will be a bit of careful preparation required to remove them, but once that's out of the way it doesn't look as though any clean-up will be needed at all, beyond washing the pieces to ensure there's no trace of release agent left on them.

The detail is very impressive, with pin-sharp representations of the rockers, spark plugs and push rod attachments. Perfectionists could justify replacing the moulded springs with individual metal ones, but I’ll go with the parts as supplied and judge the results before reaching for the scalpel. The push rods aren't included (wisely, because there'd have been no point trying to cast them in resin) and North Star provide dimensions to cut them from plastic rod. Similarly, it's up to the modeller to add ignition wires if desired - and one point that I note is missing in the kit is the anchors for these at the rear of the engine.

In fact, you could say the kit is very “front facing”, because there aren't any parts included for the accessories at the rear of the engine. Looking at photos of the real engine, they wouldn't be massively complicated to make from plastic rod etc. - but matching the superlative quality of the kit parts would be another matter.

The etched fret provides propeller hubs (again, you could add the retaining bolts if you wish) and a pair of flanges at the rear of the engine. It's at the point that I found the only real problem with the way the sample kit was packed; because the etched fret wasn't backed with a cardboard stiffener, it arrived slightly curved from being squeezed in with the resin pieces. It should flatten out OK (I already added a little TLC for the photo at right), but it's a shame it wasn't protected better. That’s the only negative point I found in the kit.

Well, almost. The kit, as it stands, is superb - but it doesn’t include any way to display it. The blank rear face of the crankcase is presumably intended as a surface for mounting the finished engine, but North Star don’t include a stand. If you scratch build a rear section for the engine, I guess the logical thing to do is to build a scale jig to go with it. I think I’ll go for a simple polished wood stand.

A neat set of instructions is included, breaking construction down into 4 stages. The illustrations are excellent, well-sized and clear to follow. Construction looks very straightforward - while 75 parts may sound a lot for an engine, remember that there are 6 pieces per cylinder (8 if you include the scratch-made pushrods) and repeating this sub- assembly 11 times accounts for the bulk of the kit.

No painting instructions are provided, but examination of photos online such as HERE gives a good idea of the various metal tones to go for and where discolouration due to heating occurred on the real engine.

Conclusion
North Star’s Sh.III looks to be an absolute gem of kit that will be a really refreshing build for anyone with experience working with resin and etched parts. In fact, the sheer quality of the casting would make this a good choice for somebody wanting to try a resin kit for the first time. The kit first appeared in 2017 and I really hope North Star add further engines to the series. Highly recommended.

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on AEROSCALE
SUMMARY
Highs: Beautifully detailed and superbly cast. Assembly appears to be surprisingly straightforward.
Lows: The etched fret needed better protection in the sample kit. Not really a "low", but you're on your own as to how best to display the finished model.
Verdict: This really is one of the best resin kits I've been lucky enough to examine. It represents excellent value for money in my opinion.
Percentage Rating
95%
  Scale: 1:16
  Mfg. ID: NS 16001
  Suggested Retail: 27 Euros
  PUBLISHED: Aug 08, 2019
  NATIONALITY: Germany
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 88.37%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 92.00%

Our Thanks to North Star Models!
This item was provided by them for the purpose of having it reviewed on this KitMaker Network site. If you would like your kit, book, or product reviewed, please contact us.

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About Rowan Baylis (Merlin)
FROM: NO REGIONAL SELECTED, UNITED KINGDOM

I've been modelling for about 40 years, on and off. While I'm happy to build anything, my interests lie primarily in 1/48 scale aircraft. I mostly concentrate on WW2 subjects, although I'm also interested in WW1, Golden Age aviation and the early Jet Age - and have even been known to build the occas...

Copyright ©2021 text by Rowan Baylis [ MERLIN ]. Images also by copyright holder unless otherwise noted. Opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AeroScale. All rights reserved.



   
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