jenshb

The Tamiya Block 25/32 kit is the best kit to start with. Red Dog proves that the Hasegawa kit can still build into a fine model, but Tamiya is simply better. Jens

Kinetic do an F-16AM kit that has parts for both Danish and Norwegian aircraft. https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/K48002?result-token=EJv9z

It's a beautiful model Mr Lambert. May I ask where you found the photo of the intake showing the bumps? My holy Grail photo is a similiar view of the F-16/79 intake... Jens

The entire kit looks terriffic! The undercarriage legs are works of art. How do you plan to cast them in one piece though...?

I would be surprised if BPK don't make a Poseidon at some later stage, although the Wedgetail may be pushing it. If they are clever, they will include scribed lines inside the fuselage for chopping, then maybe...

A friend bought the P-8 Poseidon kit, and found it was a bit too short (10-20 mm I think?) forward of the wing. Looking at the resin parts, I can't help thinking they are not very refined or detailed compared to what is possible to cast in resin - like Authentic Airliners for example. The wing profile of the inboard section looks a bit suspect to me - the thickest part was around mid-chord. Overrall, I wasn't impressed, and if you want a better 737-800, I think the Big Planes Kits will be better. IF you want a 737-200 or 300, the new resin kits in development promise to be all you want. Can't comment on the DC-9, but seeing photos of Welshmodels kits, I think they need to up their game in the detail department. Jens

Pardon my ignorance, but are these decals screenprinted, or laser/ALPS?

PJ Productions do nice resin figures in 1:48. The Monogram and Hasegawa F-15 come with pilot figures, but the Revell F-15E and GWH F-15 kits do not. Beware of the GWH Eagles - their cockpits are deeper than other kits and the ejection seats similarly large. Aftermarket figures and kit figures will look like little children in the GWH seat. Jens

Most comprehensive kit review I've ever read - thank you Jim!

Washing with water and soap. Distilled water would be best to avoid dyring marks.

The Monogram is the worst of the lot in 1:48th scale. It is based on the old Aurora kit. Jim Rotramel (mrvark here in ARC) wrote a review of the kit in the Detail and Scale book, and it wasn't exactly praised. However, at that time - in 1982 - it was the only game in town. My personal preference is the Academy-reworked version of the Minicraft kit. Academy improved the cockpit and wheels as well as included enough weapons to start a war and provided very nice decals, although they were all for the overall gunship gray scheme. Regardless whether you start with Academy or HobbyBoss, you will have to invest in some aftermarket, to make it look good. Res-Kit exhausts are a must as Academy didn't do anything with the far too shallow and totally inaccurate exhausts. DMold make nice intakes - both Triple Plow I (correct for the F-111A/C/EF-111A) and Triple Plow II (correct for F-111D/E/F/FB-111A) The latter should be separated from the fuselage sides more than the TP I, which isn't accounted for in the resin as it would mean a lot more change to the kit. The exhausts of the HobbyBoss kit may be better, but are inaccurate in that they only have five slots before the nozzle instead of six. The bulging windshield really is a turnoff as far as I'm concerned, and there are engraved rivets everywhere. The panel lines in the Academy kit are actually quite nice. BTW, A Chinese company made a rip-off copy of the Academy/Minicraft kit and the quality is poor.

There are several books on the F-111, but some may be out of print and only found in second hand book shops or eBay/Amazon: Detail and Scale Squadron/Signal in action Squadron/Signal Walk Around series Warpaint series no 104 Verlinden Lock-On no 5 F-111E/F Aardvark F-111 - Success in Action Wings no 4 F-111 Aardvark I believe there are also walk around pics on ARC.

Res-Kit makes beautiful resin exhausts. As for cockpit detailing sets, Verlinden and Black Box made resin when the Academy/Minicraft kit came out in the late 80s, but they will be hard to find and may not fit the HobbyBoss kit. Eduard made etched brass for the cockpit I belive. May be discontinued though, so act fast if you see them.

Still, would be nice to see a sheet for FB-111s in the SIOP scheme. Including the "tiger tail"... Jens

Excellent! When did the Mirage 2000 crew start wearing the same helmet as the Rafale?