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Main differences between F-5A and E


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Hi,

I have HobbyBoss kit, 1/72 F-5E but I want to convert it in A version, for Hellenic Air Force, knowing there are some major differences between those two versions.

Any help?

Thanks.

Cheers,

Nenad

Edited by LanceR21
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I have never heard of a Hobby Boss F-5B kit. Are you sure it is not the F-5E? In any case, it would be a waste of time to try to convert an F-5E into an F-5A when there is already a pretty good 1/72 F-5A in the market. The rear fuselages are entirely different. I would suggest trying to find the Esci F-5A or its recent Italeri rebox.

Edited by KursadA
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I have never heard of a Hobby Boss F-5B kit. Are you sure it is not the F-5E? In any case, it would be a waste of time to try to convert an F-5E into an F-5A when there is already a pretty good 1/72 F-5A in the market. The rear fuselages are entirely different. I would suggest trying to find the Esci F-5A or its recent Italeri rebox.

Sorry, my mistake... it's E version. :bandhead2:

Thanks for answer,

Cheers,

Nenad

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Hi,

I have HobbyBoss kit, 1/72 F-5E but I want to convert it in A version, for Hellenic Air Force, knowing there are some major differences between those two versions.

Any help?

Thanks.

Cheers,

Nenad

Belcher Bits do a conversion kit in 1/32 scale.

Not what you are after of course but it gives an indication of the differences:

http://www.belcherbits.com/lines/148conv/bb19.htm

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Like the other guys have said - there are almost no airframe similarities between the A and the E, appearances notwithstanding. It's a matter of "jack up windscreen, insert new aircraft".

Go with the Italeri rebox of Esci's little jewel of an F-5A kit.

HTH,

Andre

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Yes that F-5A kit is sure something. I got both the italeri kit and the hobby boss F-5E and you would have thought the hobby boss one was first made in the eighties not italeri one. Just got done making the Hobby boss one boy is that kit hard to make look nice.

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Converting an F-5E into an A is not really worth the effort you have to put fourth for it. Looking at the two jets side by side, superficially they look similar. But there are many subtle differences and it would be like trying to turn a 2009 Dodge Challenger into a 1970 Dodge Challenger.

Your best bet is to get ahold of one of the Esci F-5A/C kits as those are still the best F-5As ever done in 1/72. They are sometimes tough to locate though (Italeri I think reissued them). The Esci F-5Bs on the otherhand are easier to find since I believe both Italeri and Revell of Germany repopped them (and the Revell of Germany ones still pop up semi frequently on eBay).

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IMHO, it'w worth searching for the ESCI release. I don't know about Italeri's pricing structure on 1/72nd scale kits, but if it's anything like their 1/48th pricing… :doh:

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IMHO, it'w worth searching for the ESCI release. I don't know about Italeri's pricing structure on 1/72nd scale kits, but if it's anything like their 1/48th pricing… :doh:

That would rather depend on your neck of the woods and your friendly local bloodsucking pricehog importer, of course. Since Nenad is located in Europe, where Italeri prices are quite reasonable, he won't have much of a problem in this regard.

I picked up a couple of the Italeri reissues for sale for €2,50 each last year, for instance.

Cheers,

Andre

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