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New 1/48 Kinetic Hornet Kits


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I can compare your product to - I think - the best 1:48 jet kit from China company, 15C Eagle from GWH, I have, just before I bought your Hornet.

You have got the same, or even better, more subtle panel lines and rivets, I think you have the same (or close) details, you have got much worse weapons and pods, you have got much worse instruction, you have got much, much better decals and painting options.

You have even much bigger box for the kit (to bad the ship is not included:)) - this is not a joke, it is really not so easy to put all sprues back to the box of this F-15C. :)

I can't compare fitting issues, or building simplicity of course.

Price comparison: $39,99 vs. $59,99 (GWH). Significant difference.

If you ask me about your kit, I think correction of only few issues could make this kit just a perfect gift for any modeller:

- Better weapons and pods: GWH F-15C (and J) has got only few missiles, but those missiles are absolutely perfect (on piece molded, wow); I think we don't need so many kinds of ordnance, we need less but better quality. And decals for everything. :)

- Instruction: it is really problem, there are multitude of bigger and smaller mistakes. The worst thing is that some parts in sprues are just ignored in instruction. I must be really carreful and be familiar with construction of aircraft, to not to miss any part necessary. I just can't trust to manual, and this is serious problem.

- Regarding decals - it could be much easier if every decal has got his own numer, with equivalent in painting instruction, it could save a lot of time.

- I think the rivets and panel lines on fuel tanks and pylons should be more subtle, just like on the surface of aircraft. Also, I believe the fuel tanks shouldn't have recessed panel lines.

- For me personally it could be much easier to have Gunze colour numbers in instruction, just like Hasegawa, Hobby Boss or GWH.

Just my 3 cents.

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I picked up my kit today and have started building. It's a gorgeous kit! There are a few sprue attachments in awkward places, but nothing that isn't easily overcome. So far I've found a couple of hints to help in the build. The rear decking won't fit unless you shave off two rectangular tabs in the middle of the piece. Once those are gone, it fits like a glove. Actually, everything has fit quite well so far. It's going to be a fun build!

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Dear Solo,

It is great your finally discover what we have done on the F/A-18C.

The F/A-18C not only redoing subject with just reference others kit. We actually study the "complain" of other kits during assembly. Not only the panel line and rivet are sharper, actually, the whole concept of the design is different from our past product.

Once you assemble the kit once, you will notice what we are referring to. The kit is designed to allow the customer to buy, build multiple as F/A-18C does a lot of decal, payload. Therefore, back in 2009 when we put the F/A-18C into the road map, we need to identify the goal what we want to deliver the consumer with new experience. Not just a making a more detail kit.

The design directive for the hornet project would be: 1. Fast and easy the build 2. Lesser parts as possible but to maximize the details 3. Provide all latest lump and pump, 4. Lay a good foundation for aftermarket to add on. 5. Make is affordable.

Many new kits highlight the void of aftermarket item. Respectfully I don't agree. I am a plastic kit manufacturer, whenever the parts are made in plastic with one goal - make it cheaper to produce. Therefore, we don't want to build excessive parts/option with fewer consumer interests. For example, we don't build the engine, radar, open panel. Those who want it would be 20% of the total consumer demand. If we tooled those parts into plastic the other 80% consumer need to pay something they do not need.

Like the MLG of the F/A-18C, we do believe no matter what we do, some consumer still want to make it detail as some detail cannot be made out of injection mold. Therefore, we separate it into an individual part and I believe, Aires, Wolfpack will follow up the replacement if you want. this time, you don't need to cut the fuselage, just replace it.

At last, don't forget the aftermarket companies is vital to our hobby eco system. They do provide a lot of options that the mainstream maker cannot handle.

Very nice, until I saw Solo's images I was a little subdued about this release. I'll certainly buy your A model when it is released.

I only build CF-18s, having worked on them for a good portion of my career. Plus I need to build one to honor Rick.

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I'll give it a try. The problem is I build so fast that taking pictures slows me down! :lol:/>

That's funny. I'm just the opposite, I build so slowly, the plastic starts to decay before I finished the model. LOL

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Parts 87 and 95 (main flap hinges with nav lights) are reversed on the instructions. If you place them per the instructions, the nav lights would be facing in. For the other hinges, I don't think it matters. It's building up very easily.

Edited by Darren Roberts
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You mean parts E87 and E95.

This is one of so many, many issues of this instruction.

BTW - besides this "famoust" missing part E29 (blister RWR antenna), I can't find any air data probe parts. There should be 2 pieces of it.

To bad, because such part is really small and it is really dificult to make it from scratch.

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You mean parts E87 and E95.

This is one of so many, many issues of this instruction.

BTW - besides this "famoust" missing part E29 (blister RWR antenna), I can't find any air data probe parts. There should be 2 pieces of it.

To bad, because such part is really small and it is really dificult to make it from scratch.

I'll take a look through mine. I'm just about ready for paint. I will say this, I haven't used any filler yet. There might be a couple of places that need just a bit, but not much. The kit sure goes together beautifully. I'm thinking this is a better build than the Hasegawa kit.

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I have three kits on the way from Spruebrothers that should arrive on Monday. When they show up, I'm going to sit down and do a thorough review/write up on the kit. I've even considered drawing up a new instruction sheet and posting it here in the forums.

Until then, here are a few little items that I've found to be missing based on the photos on Lucky Models web site, as well as the instructions posted on Hobby Search.

1. While the gun elect safety switch appears to be represented immediately aft of the gun door, the chaff/flare safety switch is missing. While it isn't on all F/A-18's, it is present on many of the options provided on the kit decal sheet.

2. The third antenna on the nose of the F/A-18C isn't mentioned anywhere in the instructions. Nor is it represented on any of the build ups, profiles or box art.

3. The Angle of Attack probes are also non-existent on the instructions. Due to their size, it is hard to tell if they are present on any of the sprues.

Other issues I noted:

In step 19, you are directed to attach photo etch parts PE3 to the post side of each vertical tail. These plates are not present on the F/A-18C. They are only on F/A-18A, A+ and a few A++ aircraft.

In step 26, they have you attach antenna parts E21 and E22 to the undersides of each intake. These are not on F/A-18C/D aircraft. Again, they are only found on F/A-18A/B's.

The dual chaff/flare buckets are only fitted to BuNo's 165171 thru 165532. None of the US options provided in the kit have the dual buckets. I'm not sure which BuNo range the Swiss and Finnish birds fall into, so I'm not 100% sure which bucket configuration they have.

KineticF18_zps2gwy3w11.jpg

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Hey Dave! I'm at the point of putting those in right now. There are no locator holes for the ECM antenna above the slime lights. You have to eyeball it. The AOA probes are parts E32 and E34, although no mention is made of part E32 on the instruction sheet. They do tell you to drill holes for them, though. That missing third set of ECM antenna is part E29...but there's only one of them on the sprue. Looks like a Steel Beach assignment! :lol:

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Hey Dave! I'm at the point of putting those in right now. There are no locator holes for the ECM antenna above the slime lights. You have to eyeball it. The AOA probes are parts E32 and E34, although no mention is made of part E32 on the instruction sheet. They do tell you to drill holes for them, though. That missing third set of ECM antenna is part E29...but there's only one of them on the sprue. Looks like a Steel Beach assignment! :lol:/>

So not only was the second antenna missed, they were completely overlooked on the instructions! I was aware of there only being one of E29, but I wasn't sure exactly which nose antenna it was. As far as the AOA probes are concerned, replacing them with either the Master Models or HobbyDecal brass probes is probably a better solution anyway. It looks like I'm in for a long write up!

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I have three kits on the way from Spruebrothers that should arrive on Monday. When they show up, I'm going to sit down and do a thorough review/write up on the kit. I've even considered drawing up a new instruction sheet and posting it here in the forums.

Until then, here are a few little items that I've found to be missing based on the photos on Lucky Models web site, as well as the instructions posted on Hobby Search.

1. While the gun elect safety switch appears to be represented immediately aft of the gun door, the chaff/flare safety switch is missing. While it isn't on all F/A-18's, it is present on many of the options provided on the kit decal sheet.

2. The third antenna on the nose of the F/A-18C isn't mentioned anywhere in the instructions. Nor is it represented on any of the build ups, profiles or box art.

3. The Angle of Attack probes are also non-existent on the instructions. Due to their size, it is hard to tell if they are present on any of the sprues.

Other issues I noted:

1. gun select safety switch, we check a lot of photo and as your described, some of them without and some included. So, we have a recess "circle" to make it. As for the details vs the decal. Sorry our research may not accurate up to individual airframe level. Actually the parts even included is raised detail with 0.1mm dia

2. The are "serious error E29" we include left hand side, but miss out the right hand side blister. Which used on the C/D model.

3. The AOA probes are there (E34), we provide 2 kinds of probes for earlier and late version. Some F/A-18A use the earlier one, and A+ use the similar with C.

On step 19, we provide a PE3 parts for some airframe with reinforcement plate. Mostly on F/A-18A airframe, this is a parts insists from a customer that he show some pictures to back him up. We will update the manual to indicate this is an optional parts.

In step 26, yes, I made a mistake that the parts should not in place for C/D version. In the coming revised manual, we will advise the customer to fill it.

For the dual chaff/flare buckets, we provide it as optional parts - let the modeler determine what block/version he wants. Is that good that we provide the part for the modeler to pick ? To see if the version is accurate, I think we provide the parts and let the modeler to add whatever he wants.

As the F/A-18A/B/C/D has a services life over 30 years, different combination may happens. For example, I discover the hornet that house a reinforced supporting parts like the F/A-18A in C configuration. Therefore, we try to provide all the optional parts as possible.

We will update part of the correction page on the facebook soon.

In step 19, you are directed to attach photo etch parts PE3 to the post side of each vertical tail. These plates are not present on the F/A-18C. They are only on F/A-18A, A+ and a few A++ aircraft.

In step 26, they have you attach antenna parts E21 and E22 to the undersides of each intake. These are not on F/A-18C/D aircraft. Again, they are only found on F/A-18A/B's.

The dual chaff/flare buckets are only fitted to BuNo's 165171 thru 165532. None of the US options provided in the kit have the dual buckets. I'm not sure which BuNo range the Swiss and Finnish birds fall into, so I'm not 100% sure which bucket configuration they have.

KineticF18_zps2gwy3w11.jpg

Dear Dave,

In reply to your note:

1. As you mention we provide a recess "circle" as we see a lot of photos with different type. We do notice the raised detail but determine to provide a recess line. In fact the detail is 0.1mm in diameter or maybe lesser.

2. This is "E29 issue", we do provide the parts on left hand side, but we miss out the right hand side. That is the blister parts that some people referring to.

3. We provide 2 kinds of AOA, E34 or (E32 not mentioned in the manual as different type)

4. Step 19, the PE3 parts appear on some F/A-18A and some C as well (one of the contributor insists to add on the PE parts the vertical tail), but we will update it on the manual to put as "optional"

5. Step 26, yes, we made a mistake to add new parts not used for C, in the coming update manual, we will ask the modeler to fill it.

6. We provide the dual chaff/flare buckets as optional parts. Sorry that we cannot provide accuracy up to airframe level.

The F/A-18A/B/C/D services life over 30 years and I believe the changes on different block/version is possible. So, we focus on delivering the max. options that we can (but cannot do all).

We will update the manual pages on facebook soon.

Edited by Raymond Chung
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Finally I've made my decision to throw this kit into the trash bin. I'm not going to sell it at a discounted price, I'm really throwing it away for good. With all those unending mistakes, errors, missing parts and all the blunders, it's not going to eat up a single second of my precious time building it. I'm going to stick with my Hasegawa Hornets which for me is still the best and it's still way up there. I had built several of them and I do find them very gratifying, and i still have plenty of them in my stash, from A to F, including the Growler.

My 2 cents....

No all caps here (except the first letter of the sentence and proper nouns), so no shouting here. - lesson learned and applied.

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Finally I've made my decision to throw this kit into the trash bin. I'm not going to sell it at a discounted price, I'm really throwing it away for good. With all those unending mistakes, errors, missing parts and all the blunders, it's not going to eat up a single second of my precious time building it. I'm going to stick with my Hasegawa Hornets which for me is still the best and it's still way up there. I had built several of them and I do find them very gratifying, and i still have plenty of them in my stash, from A to F, including the Growler.

My 2 cents....

No all caps here (except the first letter of the sentence and proper nouns), so no shouting here. - lesson learned and applied.

I'm so confused!

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I'm so confused!

Are you being ironic or not here ? Flybywire has been highlighting every single glitch for close to a month now.

Edited by Laurent
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I have the Hasegawa F/A-18D and now Kinetic F/A-18C, and they are both impressive kits, they both have their problems, but what make`s me prefer Kintetic, is the price, I can screw up the first model without any bad feelings and just get another one, With Hasegawa, i cannot screw up, the price gets too high when you include import taxes.

Bjørn

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but what make`s me prefer Kintetic, is the price

Kinetic F/A-18C @ Lucky Model: $39.99 http://www.luckymodel.com/scale.aspx?item_no=KI-K48031

Hasegawa F/A-18A/C @ Lucky Model: $39.99 http://www.luckymodel.com/scale.aspx?item_no=HSG%2007250

Hasegawa F/A-18A @ Lucky Model: $41.99 http://www.luckymodel.com/scale.aspx?item_no=HSG%2007384

Factoring in shipping, one Hasegawa Hornet costs a mere $0.63 more, while the other is actually $1.26 cheaper than the Kinetic kit.

Each kit has it's pluses and minuses, but honestly, the price is a wash.

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