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Disappointed with Aires Aftermarket for Raptor


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Ok, so I am building the Hasegawa F-22A Raptor in 1/48 scale, and I added some aftermarket goodies such as Brassin Wheels, and Aires Cockpit, Wheel Wells and Exhaust Nozzles. Problem is that the fit of the Wheel Wells and Exhaust Nozzles are atrocious (or I am missing something).

Nozzle kit part:

20160227_213853.jpg

Aires part:

a21c7ac8-d4d6-457f-9bad-c791f3bc03ff.jpg

Nice fat gap, and no, the supplied photo etch doesn't nearly fill the gap.

Aires wheel wells, doesn't matter how I move them around, there remains quite a gap.

If I move it to close the gaps on the left:

20160217_213219.jpg

and closing the gaps on the right:

20160217_213208.jpg

Matchups between kit and resin parts:

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20160227_210008.jpg

Now I know resin aftermarket fits aren't that great, but surely this is not acceptable? Or am I missing some trick? And these are definitely for the Hasegawa kit:

20160227_210321.jpg

20160227_210300.jpg

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Shrinkage. I'd send those pics to AiRes and request replacements. There's a big difference between "difficult to use because you have to reduce the plastic to scale thickness" and "pyhsically too small to be usable", and these are the latter.

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I can't speak for all Aires stuff, but their seats and cockpits for the 1/48 Vipers requires overtime. Good luck with your Raptor; once you get the Aires stuff sorted ;) .

Edited by #1 Greywolf
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Does the nozzle set come with the PE "sidewall" parts for the exhaust? If yes, then the nozzle pieces do need to be a bit narrower. Although, yours look really narrow.

I also bought the wheel well set and ended up using the nose wheel bay only. I think it was the only part I used out of the entire set. Total waste of money!

I used the Aires cockpit and after some really minimal trimming it went in very well. If I remember correctly the only part that didn't fit was the part that inserts up into the canopy...so I just used the kit part. I also used the kit HUD because the PE HUD looked way too big to my eyes. I ended up being happy with this set and I'd recommend it.

The Brassin wheels were fantastic and I think you're gonna be very pleased with them!

Here are a a few pics of the Aires cockpit:

IMG_1365.jpg

IMG_1372.jpg

Be aware that the Aires cockpit does need the bottom sanded down to make it fit. It bumps against the wheel well part. That can be sanded down as well. Here's a pic of the gap in the fuselage before sanding:

file-56.jpg

Edited by Fly-n-hi
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Aires has sets for both the Hasegawa and Academy F-22s. You don't suppose they got mixed up somehow? I have both, I'll have to check.

More likely they just relabeled the older sets designed for Academy kit and now sell them as sets for Hasegawa. It is their SOP... I have seen it with a few seta before (eg. Cockpits for Hasegawa F-16 sold as sets for Tamiya kit :( ).

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More likely they just relabeled the older sets designed for Academy kit and now sell them as sets for Hasegawa. It is their SOP... I have seen it with a few seta before (eg. Cockpits for Hasegawa F-16 sold as sets for Tamiya kit :(/> ).

Wow, thanks for that idea Vodnik. I did not even think of that. I have both kits but no aftermarket yet except decals. Good to know that this swapping may be the problem.

Reminds me of another manufacturer who simply renamed his update set originally made for the Italeri kit when the Tamiya version came out. Of course in the case of this model, the Tamiya kit was more accurate and the pieces did not fit as advertised.

I guess you have to be aware of these things but to be honest why should we.

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More likely they just relabeled the older sets designed for Academy kit and now sell them as sets for Hasegawa. It is their SOP... I have seen it with a few seta before (eg. Cockpits for Hasegawa F-16 sold as sets for Tamiya kit :(/> ).

Yup, I discovered they did that with the Hasegawa F-16 sets, they re-labeled them as Tamiya,

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I have both nozzle sets and the wheel well set for Hasegawa. Couldn't find the well set for Academy but I'm sure I have it. Any way the nozzle sets are different. Everything between the 2 sets are different although the exhaust petals are almost identical except for the interior surface and the scribing on the outside. Academy on the left, Hasegawa on the right.

20160229_2007111_zpsnzbzuimr.jpg

20160229_2006321_zpsoy8kbgls.jpg

Edited by AlanM
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I have both nozzle sets and the wheel well set for Hasegawa. Couldn't find the well set for Academy but I'm sure I have it. Any way the nozzle sets are different. Everything between the 2 sets are different

That's even worse - so they make a dedicated set and it STILL doesn't fit...

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I won't buy any more Aires stuff. Every single piece I've ever had has been like that. I've ruined two Hasegawa Phantoms trying to get their wheel wells to fit, and they simply don't.

They do. Sort of. Just lots of grinding and sanding, but you'll get them in there.

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I'm done with them... It's just not worth the effort, and frankly, it's not unreasonable to expect a much higher quality product in this day and age. You shouldn't have to spend a lot of money on something, then have to fight with it to make it even come close to working, which in the case of Aires stuff (in my experience) it simply doesn't.

Edited by Jennings
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