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F-84F RE-55 from Hobby Boss 1/48 scale toy-like-kit


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A good friend of mine asked me to build this very model to remember his recently lost father that is also in this photo from summer 1956

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As you can see this aiframe is quite peculiriar missing the parabrake housing under the rear fuselage, needles to say there is no kit of this variant on the market.

I choose to start from the newest Hobby Boss kit, poor me! Beside the shape issues, especially the completely wrong rear fuselage, kit comes with 2 receptacles for air refuelling (!) while is missing both wing guns! Have tried to correct some mistakes and added a tail bumber from Revell F-84G to mdify the rear fuselage but I wasn't able to correct the tail to nozzle joint. Added SAC metal gera ad decals from spare box (thank you Giampiero Silvestri!).

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While much easier to build than the Kinetic/Italeri offering, the Hbby Boss kit has too many mistakes to be considered a good kit, and the definitive F-84F kit is yet to come.....

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Edited by Paolo Maglio
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I wonder, isn't the Hobby Boss F-84F not the most accurate kit on the market, at least according to ARCers?

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=268825&st=20&p=2552980&hl=hobby%20boss%20f-84f&fromsearch=1entry2552980

Ofc the kit is not overengineered like the new Revell Tornado and it just represents a certain block. But that is bad enough to call yourself a "poor me"?

However, you made a very nice model of a rare italian F-84F, seldom to see such one build! And NMF is always a challenge and you did yours very good!!

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Thanks Mike and TobiK,

I missed that comprehensive discussion, sorry. Read another about the rear fuselage shapes, yet over ARC, but can't find it right now. I'm more than happy if it is a quite correct model shape wise.

Anyhow I was upset finding 2 air refuelling receptacles and no guns in the wings, the oversemplified front gear leg with the tyre and the lack of fuel caps on the fuel tanks, it is a very expensive kit and I was hoping for a bit more. The rought surface on the plastic parts is also not very good for a NMF. Since I also made the Monogram and the Kinetic one in the past I can confirm this one is much better and much easier to build, but still not perfect.

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I agree with you! The kit is too expensive for that what you get! For the same price you get a Hasegawa A-4 or F-104, AFV club F-5 ...

Don't mind about the front landing gear, better - like you did - buy a metal gear from SAC. I hope I can bring a AMS resin set to fit. And for the wheels and tanks? Maybe get a Monogram/Revell kit as a donor kit? Here you can find that under 10€ as a sale or second hand. At least I will watch out for one now! (With the parts left over, I will make a modelling training project with my 8 year old son...so nothing will be lost!). What can be taken as replacement from the Italeri / Kinetic kit? Tanks?? (or do they have shape issues?).But what to do with wheel wells? AFAIK the Aires set is no real improvement?

Gun in the wings? I did not notice before...maybe not every Air Force had them? One panel too much for the fuel? A...easy! Let's fill it with CA glue and sand, ok? At least you let us know, gracie!

Surface too rough? Hm, I for myself, I prefer to prime the model with Tamiya grey or white primer, then sand it wet with micromesh 6000 - 8000 (or rai-ro mesh). But I admit, I am not a master in NMF, moreover a...beginner! But with the HB F-84F, I will face the Alclad monster! :touche:

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Since I used the tail boom from F-84G by Revell I also used the front tyre from that kit. Fuel tanks from Kinetic are better detailed. Hobby Boss kit laks most of the stencils, there are just a couple with something written on, I borrowed a few from Revell F-84F kit.

About ACLAD: I primed the kit with both GRAY and GLOSSY BLACK (front fuselage and airbrakes) then went on with metallic paints (Chrome for front fuselage and airbrakes, white aluminium and steel for fuselgae and wings). All went well. I could also mask each panel.

Then I sealed the metallic paints with Future. Most of the decals went on withut problem, especially those by Hobby Boss that are very thin and with no carrier film.

But Italian roundels needed a bit of Micro Set. A drop of Micro Set dropped to the rear fuselage and wiped out all the ACLAD metallics in a couple of second! :bandhead2:

So my suggestion is not to use decals setting slutions over ACLAD II metallics.

Next time I will use Mr. Colour Supermetallics only! :woot.gif:

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  • 3 months later...

That's one more of your excellent builds Paolo, though I think it would look much better if you have taken the photos outdoors.

you are right but it was winter when I finished it and before the spring I delivered it to my friend, sorry.

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  • 1 month later...

Nice work as usual and yes the HB kit is much to be desired in 1/48. But you made it look nice!

If scale wasnt a problem I would recommend the 1/72 PJ Productions F-84F...I still think it is the best F-84F in any scale! AND it has the Italian AF markings to boot!!!

http://www.pj-production.be/en/aircraft-1-72/24-republic-f-84f-thunderstreak-r%C3%A9sine.html

Steve,

Edited by scorvi
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