smutz Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 Hi guys, sorry if this has been posted before whats the best kit of a legacy Hornets out of Hasegawa or Academy I'm leaning to build a USMC "D". Thanks Andy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andre Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 Short answer: Academy. ;-) Cheers, Andre Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Najk Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 You listen to Andre, he's got it all right.. Hasegawa is a pretty decent kit, but being 20+ years old, it can't really compete with the Academy one. Just don't go for anything else than Academy or Hasegawa, the others aren't even close... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
alrite Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 I thought academy had not released the twin seat version yet, just the single seat boxing's C and A. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Laurent Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 I thought academy had not released the twin seat version yet, just the single seat boxing's C and A. It is out. "In Stock" on Lucky Model. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dedalus Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 I thought academy had not released the twin seat version yet, just the single seat boxing's C and A. It's out, and in my stash. Love the markings. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andre Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 It's out, and in my stash. Love the markings. ... which you can view for yourself here. HTH, Andre Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ranakoshgelam Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 If Id realized Academy was the best kit I wouldnt of got the Hasegawa F/A-18A and C kits. Guess Im going have to stick to these, as my wife wont allow me to get anymore kits till I finish the ones in the stash of 30 kits :wub: question is what one shall I do next? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
alrite Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 It's out, and in my stash. Love the markings. Lol, don't know how I missed it's release, markings do look excellent though! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vliegenier Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 But for those on a budget : the Hase isn't bad and these days it costs but half the price of an Academy . Stef Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mark M. Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 I've built the Hase, the Revell of Germany, and the Academy 72nd F/A-18Cs. The only one with realistic wheel well depth was the Revell. The Hase was lacking a lot of details. The Academy has the same "shallow wells" problem, but makes up for it in oh-so-many other ways. Only draw back is complicated parts layout and seams cleanup being a headache because of it. The decals are superb, the interior detail pretty darned good, and the weapons not too bad, either! Academy all the way. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Big Kohona Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 But for those on a budget : the Hase isn't bad and these days it costs but half the price of an Academy .Stef I disagree, you just need to know where to look. Go on eBay any given day and you can find the Academy F-18 kits for between $14 - $18. I've seen Hasegawa F-18s going for that or more. I picked up 3 of the new Academy F-18D kits from a seller in Korea for $14 ea plus postage - tremendous price for such a great kit. Should you be leary of eBay dealings, there are enough online retailers Overseas from where you can purchase this kit for a very reasonable price. Lucky Model (as already mentioned) has the kit and their price is quite reasonable. For what little, if any, price difference that might exist, the Academy kit is the way to go. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vliegenier Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 If I go to the hobbyshop I see the Academy for 17,50€ and the Hasegawa for 7 to 10€ . That cheap one outside of the EU will cost me 5$ plus shipping - which is always triple to Europe - and 8€ on import duties . So what looks initially cheaper just isn't when the kit arrived at my door . And overseas buyers tend to keep their offerings overseas . Stef Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Impatient Pete Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 Alot of guys omit the cost of shipping when they are trying to make their favored kit look economically more attractive, leading to apples and oranges comparisons... Stef, your example is perfect. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dedalus Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 The reason some might have missed that the Academy D is out is because they just may not have seen it in their LHS. I haven't seen it in any of mine (So Cal) as of a couple of weeks ago when I last looked around, but especially when it's Academy in Korea, they usually show up early on ebay, where I got mine. This is too bad for LHSs elsewhere, because a lot of their market is lost when people can get somewhere else, plus it's noticeably cheaper, even accounting for shipping. Regarding comparing prices and accounting for shipping. I think you're still comparing apples to apples. Most kits are available at the same places. The cheapest place to find the Academy Hornet seems to be e-bay, but that might also be the cheapest place to find Hasegawa. But then I see those Hase kits at local shows/swap meets for $5-10--same as e-bay, probably, but no shipping. This makes it an economical choice, and really not a bad kit. Its major downside (for me) is the same as the Academy kit--fixed flaps. Point one: the flaps are dropped when the jet is parked, taking off, landing, and taxiing (except for preflight check of control surfaces). Point two: How often does a modeler NOT build their model in one of those configurations? Point three: oh, come on, drop the flaps, already. BTW, I have dropped the flaps on the Hase kit, along with folding the wings. On the Academy kit (the -C kit) I used the Wolfpack, but it really suffers from warping. Even though I fixed this before I installed the wings, the warps came back. Next time, I'll do it myself. The Academy's other major drawback (again, for me) is the the ridiculously shallow wheel wells. Someone who's only ever built armor--and any one else with a brain--would look at that and just know you can't get either the wheel or the gear leg in there, let alone both. As has been said, the Academy is better and worth the extra money. I would have purged my stash of the Hase kits when the Academy kit came out if I had any. The Academy kit benefits from the knowledge of all the changes to the airframe over the years (where Hasegawa could not really have predicted that) plus some advancements in tooling. Plus, with the Hase kit on the market, Academy had to one-up that kit anyway. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Big Kohona Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 (edited) If I go to the hobbyshop I see the Academy for 17,50€ and the Hasegawa for 7 to 10€ .That cheap one outside of the EU will cost me 5$ plus shipping - which is always triple to Europe - and 8€ on import duties . So what looks initially cheaper just isn't when the kit arrived at my door . And overseas buyers tend to keep their offerings overseas . Stef Funny, I guess Korean and other Overseas (ie Asian) sellers do not consider Canada as an Overseas destination... Alot of guys omit the cost of shipping when they are trying to make their favored kit look economically more attractive, leading to apples and oranges comparisons...Stef, your example is perfect. and yes, had you read my comment, you would have seen that I did factor in shipping. The only thing "perfect" about Stef's example is that his methods will result in parting with more money and getting less in return. Anyone who has dealt with Lucky Model knows full well the benefits and Stef's crying about paying additionaly Customs fees, while possibly true with eBay purchases, not always true in dealing elsewhere. As I said, you just need to know where to look and be on the ball. So, if one considers investing a little time finding good values for their money too much effort and would rather spend more money to get less in return, that's their choice. I've simply shown that what a few people here perceive as a truth is indeed not. What you choose to do with that information is certainly up to you - it's your money. But you should not misinform and discourage others with misinformation. Edited November 1, 2009 by Big Kohona Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CraigSargent Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 The only thing I would add is that the Italeri kit, has far superior landing gear to either the Academy or Hasegawa offerings. The Hasegawa ones are a funny shape and very lacking in detail, whereas the Academy ones are over simplified and positioned very strangely, sitting almost vertical as opposed to the angled and canted look of the real aircraft. There is a real need for a decent aftermarket set of 1/72 Hornet landing gear legs and wheels. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DutyCat Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 (edited) Just don't go for anything else than Academy or Hasegawa, theothers aren't even close... Well, I don't know about that. Here is my latest build. It is the Fujimi kit. It is over-engineered (too many parts), but beautifully detailed. As you can see, it comes with a radar, which no other kit has. Some say the forward fuselage in the areas of the canopy is too thick from top to bottom. Maybe a little. If it is, it is not so much so that it ruins an otherwise pretty nice kit. I would build this again before building another Hasegawa. I am not knocking the Hasegawa kit, though. It is dated but builds up nice in skilled hands. The Academy kit I have in my stash but have not built yet. Looks good in the box. Below is my Hase build from 2002 Edited November 2, 2009 by DutyCat Quote Link to post Share on other sites
icekj Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I recommend the Academy for your legacy Bug needs. Their A, C and D are overall the best on the market. They do have the shallow wheel wells and intakes but more then make up for it in other areas. The C kit has the in-house Academy decals, the ones in the A and D are printed by Cartagraph and are much better. I have built the Fujimi F/A-18D and found it a bit fiddly but made a great result. If the Academy D was available when I started this build I probabily would have used it. If you want a build that is more simple with a much lower parts count I recommend the Hasegawa. Still builds up nice and alot less sweat and tears involved. HTH and God Bless, Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fasteagle12 Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I disagree, you just need to know where to look. Go on eBay any given day and you can find the Academy F-18 kits for between $14 - $18. I've seen Hasegawa F-18s going for that or more. I picked up 3 of the new Academy F-18D kits from a seller in Korea for $14 ea plus postage - tremendous price for such a great kit.Should you be leary of eBay dealings, there are enough online retailers Overseas from where you can purchase this kit for a very reasonable price. Lucky Model (as already mentioned) has the kit and their price is quite reasonable. For what little, if any, price difference that might exist, the Academy kit is the way to go. How does the canopy on the Academy D look? I find that the Has. Delta's canopy a bit too low and tapered down a little too much in the back half of it with too much of a teardrop look. I have the C Academy kit in my stash and it's great (the breakdown is alot like the Fujimi kit). The Academy D will be the next in my hornet's nest. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vliegenier Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Alot of guys omit the cost of shipping when they are trying to make their favored kit look economically more attractive, leading to apples and oranges comparisons...Stef, your example is perfect. Thanks Pete . My comment wasn't on the best kit, but on the price . I'm - luckily - not too blind to notice the difference in details on both kits . I also know many Hase models will look a lot better than my Academy ones . And Cliff : the import duties are on all LHS- and e-bay purchases ; the overseas sellers comment on (too) many ebay sellers ( even ARC sellers ) who omit Europe from their shipping options . Of course you don't want to read that cos of that grudge you have against me for having called you a bad trader years ago . Stef Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Big Kohona Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Thanks Pete .My comment wasn't on the best kit, but on the price . I'm - luckily - not too blind to notice the difference in details on both kits . I also know many Hase models will look a lot better than my Academy ones . And Cliff : the import duties are on all LHS- and e-bay purchases ; the overseas sellers comment on (too) many ebay sellers ( even ARC sellers ) who omit Europe from their shipping options . Of course you don't want to read that cos of that grudge you have against me for having called you a bad trader years ago . Stef You need to read my comments. I WAS speaking to the overall price - the quality goes without saying. As for your "grudge" nonsense, I really do not think that I need to speak to it. Steve pulled that crap and spoke to you about the inappropriate postings made. But forever trying to play a victim, I wonder who is harboring a grudge? Get over it. Sorry to disappoint you Stef, but when I post an answer to a question it is only to answer the question, nothing more sinister than that. I do not need to get my forum buddies to rally around me and defend my comments, telling me how "perfect" I was. At the end of the day, none of this changes my response to the original question. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Impatient Pete Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Funny, I guess Korean and other Overseas (ie Asian) sellers do not consider Canada as an Overseas destination... and yes, had you read my comment, you would have seen that I did factor in shipping. The only thing "perfect" about Stef's example is that his methods will result in parting with more money and getting less in return. Anyone who has dealt with Lucky Model knows full well the benefits and Stef's crying about paying additionaly Customs fees, while possibly true with eBay purchases, not always true in dealing elsewhere. As I said, you just need to know where to look and be on the ball. So, if one considers investing a little time finding good values for their money too much effort and would rather spend more money to get less in return, that's their choice. I've simply shown that what a few people here perceive as a truth is indeed not. What you choose to do with that information is certainly up to you - it's your money. But you should not misinform and discourage others with misinformation. Geez dude don't get defensive and insulting. I did read you comment. Stef isn't "crying", he's stating facts based on his own dealings. Being on the ball has nothing to do with it. As far as "misinforming and discouraging", why don't you tone down the rhetoric a little? I see scenarios like this all the time where guys say things like "I got it on Ebay for $20", but don't mention the $10 shipping they paid. It happens all the time... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Impatient Pete Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Oh, and go suck lemons- Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tophat25 Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 [i bought my FIRST Academy kit(the 'A') at my local hobby shop in Aurora,CO(i also now realize I forgot to subscribe to an earlier post here..., so now have to find it related to this post) I agree just in the box I could see it was more detailed than Hase,yes even though having more sub-parts!! I always hated(in Hase kits) that small,tight fit to fill between the flaps and horiz stabs!! Reviewing my kit decals of the D I noticed that the same aircraft is in the Academy kit and the older (1999) Hase kits for -224 but the earlier kit has,what I thought was the revised squadron code 'BM' which a former Marine said stands for "Beaufort Marines",but the newer one has the 'WK' which one is correct and anyone can circa a date for both or all? http://www.academy.co.kr/1plastic_model/fd...ornet/pop9.html P.S. I thought -225 is now called "Death Dealers" after changing markings/name from "Vikings",as I first saw on a twobobs newsletter?? Tophat25 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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