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The majority of my stash is PacAir related so it's a given that I'll tackle more than one build for this GB :)

I've had the Hasegawa kit sitting in my stash for about a year now and I recently got the Eduard kit at my LHS. I had to get Jaguar's resin update set for Eduard's Tempest and while I was at it I got their Hellcat cockpit set. That in turn prompted me to get Obscureco's corrected cowl and suddenly I want to build it. So, why not build both at once and compare as I go?

DSCN6837.jpg

Oddly, I haven't built very many Hellcats. I built an Arii one some years ago and it donated a cowl when I built my first Hasegawa 'cat. I remember the Hasegawa cockpit being little more detailed than Arii's and that made the $30 retail price a bit tough to swallow. This one was an ebay thing for $20 shipped. Ten bucks for the cowl and 12 for the resin cockpit, and the Eduard came from my LHS for $35.

I painted the interior green on both kits over the last couple of days. First impression-the Jaguar resin is a vast improvement for the Hasegawa kit, and I'm wondering if the photo etch in the Eduard kit will jazz the cockpit up some as it didn't look like much when I painted it...

Ken

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I recently built a Hase hellkitty with the same upgrades as you, the Jaguar pit and Obscureco cowl. Both are excellent pieces of resin that really make the kit look nice! Looking forward to your comparo

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Hi Ken,

Majority of my stash are PACAIR subjects too. I also have the Hasegawa kit and am planning of getting the Eduard soon. I look forward to learning more on this build.

Cheers,

Tony

p.s. I also have the Obscureco Hellcat cowl and have build the Arii Hellcat :lol:

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here we go, and this is telling. On top is the original Hasegawa, under is the Jaguar resin floor and on the right is Eduard:

DSCN6919-1.jpg

On the left again is Jaguar, right is Eduard:

DSCN6920.jpg

I think I'll use the Jaguar resin next time I build the Eduard kit :thumbsup:

Ken

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Color me obtuse, but I don't see the big advantage with the Jaguar resin. An hours work with some wire, rod, and sheet plastic would yield the same level of detail and I'd bet it would look cleaner. As far as the slots & holes in the Eduard parts go, these could be filled in about 10 minutes total using Tamiya Light Curing Putty.

Just sayin'.

Do the Jaguar parts fit better? They look a tad wider.

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Obtuse.

Is that like mauve?

:thumbsup:

Sorry-I'm a painter. Couldn't resist.

Anyway-of course you're right. I guess I paid them to do the research so I don't have to buy $50 worth of reference books. I'm just not that commited to this :)

Haven't checked the fit yet. I'll get there when I get the side consoles done and mock the cockpits up. I've heard good things about the Jaguar fit. I'm really interested to see if they'll interchange.

Ken

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  • 4 weeks later...

Overdue update-I've been recovering from the Recon GB.

The cockpits are coming together:

DSCN6971.jpg

The Eduard instrument panel is a beauty, but other than belts it's not a big improvement over the Hasegawa kit. The Jaguar 'pit however is great, but the panel doesn't compare. Which is OK for upgrading the Hasegawa kit as the resin panel is better than the kit one. Regarding the sidewalls on the Jaguar set-I glued the bottom down to the floor and up the bulkhead about 1/4". It's enough to square it up while ensuring they fit along the fuselage sides. On dry fitting they curve up the sides nicely with no gaps at the top. And yes, it's a snug fit.

Here's how the wings compare:

DSCN6972.jpg

You may have heard the flaps are seperate and can't be lowered. I think this was Eduard's way of being sure the trailing edges were thinner than they're typically known for. They are thinner, but the Hasegawa wings are thinner from sanding than the Eduard kit is OOB.

Hoping to get the fuselages buttoned up this weekend. Busy at work, but I should get a moment. It would be nice to get them basically built up before I go on vacation in a couple weeks.

Ken

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  • 10 months later...

DONE!

HA!

Really:

F6F011-1.jpg

F6F012-1.jpg

To sum up-the Hasegawa kit with a photo etch instrument panel and your choice of cowls is still a contender. And less fiddly. However, I like the way the Eduard kit turned out a bit better.

Eduard is wearing #30, Hasegawa in #21.

Ken

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