Vital Stats

Manufacturer: Wingnut Wings

Wingnut Wings Scale: 1:32

1:32 Aircraft: Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe

Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe Markings: “Nelly” | Grigoriy Stepanovich Sapozhnikov | 1st Soviet Fighter Aviaotryad | Soviet Union | 1920

“Nelly” | Grigoriy Stepanovich Sapozhnikov | 1st Soviet Fighter Aviaotryad | Soviet Union | 1920 Aftermarket: Gaspatch Turnbuckles

Gaspatch Turnbuckles Paints: Principally Tamiya paints, with some Alclad and Vallejo where needed.

Mini-Review

Wingnut’s Late Snipe is the second biplane – and second Wingnut kit – that I’ve built, and it certainly went easier than the Pup. Overall, not only have my skills and confidence improved in the last two years – so have Wingnut’s detail and engineering. These latest kits – the Snipe, Fokker D.VII and so on – are brilliant. Buy them and have fun.

Aftermarket Verdicts:

Gaspatch: These tiny metal turnbuckles are a WWI modeler’s dream come true, at least yielding turnbuckles that 100% look the part. I will say though, that the toughness of the metal makes the set with the integrated eyebolts very difficult to use, as bending the eyebolts requires a surprising amount of force. In situations where you want the turnbuckle mounted right up against the wing/fuselage like that, I’d highly recommend just using fine, twisted wire as your eyebolt.

Detail – 5

Wingnut’s Pup was impressive, but the Snipe takes things to another level. Even little items like the Vickers machine gun get better this time around. If you have not partaken of a Wingnut Wings kit, seriously do.

Engineering – 5

Is this really a surprise? Wingnut Wings is known for clever engineering that makes their kits go together with minimal fuss. With the Snipe, Wingnut’s reputation shines through. Heck – I was able to paint most of the aircraft before assembling it!

Fit – 4.5

Engineering without fit just doesn’t work. Fortunately, most of the Snipe fits without fuss. The only areas where I wish the fit had been more assured were the upper deck, over the cockpit, and the cowl. The cowl in particular, was a butt-joint all the way around, where I think a lip of some kind would have really helped assure a proper fit.

Instructions – 5

It’s Wingnut. Their instructions are the best in the business.

Markings – 5

Wingnut Wings’ decals are fantastic, and as usual, their selection of schemes proved interesting.

Wingnut Wings continues to dominate WWI aviation…

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