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1/48 - Sukhoi Su-35 "Flanker-E" by Great Wall Hobby


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2 hours ago, gb_madcat_sl said:

 

Not exactly the best photo out there but you can see that these rivets may be overdone.

 

 

I'm not calling out any specific person here, but just how many of you have actually been up close with any variant of a real live Flanker (or a Fulcrum for that matter). Not just photos on the internet or in books, but close enough to actually, physically touch them?

 

I have, and the panel fit, rivets, etc look like they are old beat up farm equipment. Variations in panels are so great they often cannot be swapped between different airframes.  I don't say this to disparage the build quality of the real aircraft, for there are good reasons for this level of "quality".  I do say this to disparage all the armchair critics and nit pickers out there. 

 

No kit is perfect. 

 

No manufacturer is perfect.

 

And no critic on this forum, or any other, is perfect.  So grow a pair and build the model.

 

Edited by habu2
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Given that I have two GWH Su-35S in pre-order, I would probably better waiting for holding them in my hands instead of writing this post. But I am tired to see such behavior by a hobby company approved again.

 

My point is that I'm tired of reading posts in which was written that no kit is perfect. What a wonder! May respectfully ask you what human creation is perfect?

 

Leaving perfection aside, engraved panel lines in 1:48 are always exaggerated. However, in some cases they look still believable, in other cases they look unbelievable.

 

At the end, we call our hobby scale modelling. Do not we ?

 

I understand the roughness of soviet/russian technology, but the Su-35S is supposed to fly at high speed. Panels cannot be one inch apart.

 

Hasegawa was releasing kits characterized by moderate engraved panel lines since the early Eighties. So the technology is here, but probably is more expensive than the one used for this kit by GWH.

 

Actually, by what I see in the web, this kit surface looks quite similar to the one of the old OEZ kits. Something really difficult to accept in a such expensive kit.

 

Moderate panel lines can be engraved easily, if that please you. Going the other way around is by far more difficult, often impossible.

 

Cheers,

Edited by galfa
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It is true that taking actual pictures of the kit, giving out useful links, facts and objective opinion were called dumb in this forum.  The following were what I posted since I received the kit:

 

On 2/3/2018 at 8:52 PM, Jeffrey said:

Hi Laurent,

 

I bought it from TaoBao and it is my first time buying a kit from there.  However, I think the safest option is with HobbyEasy or LuckyModel, which also has the lowest price.

 

The box dimensions are W x L x H = 33cm x 46cm x 11cm

 

It is just the sprues of the intake trunk, exhaust, gear bay pipes all pack together in the same bag that may cause some damage during shipment.  And the box has left over spaces.

 

Here are some photos of the kit:

 

I just hope GWH will release a 1:48 su-27 which has more possibilities in weathering, camoflague and decal options.

 

On 2/3/2018 at 11:57 PM, Jeffrey said:

Some of the panel lines need to re-engrave or fix for sure.

 

 

On 2/4/2018 at 10:16 AM, Jeffrey said:

 

Those lines look much worst in the photos than actual, since the camera need to autofocus on those lines.

If you view the model from the front and not from behind, you don't really notice those lines.  And, after putty and paint, it may turn out okay.

However, my first impression is that their Mig-29 and F-15 panel lines are top notch and better compared to their Su-35 release.

 

On 2/4/2018 at 11:30 PM, Jeffrey said:

From my photos, there are three panel lines that need to be fixed by the modeler.

1.  The one across the middle of the fuselage, where the line is too deep and wide (3rd pic).

2.  Two panel lines,  one on each side that is perpendicular to point 1 that has inconsistent width (2nd pic) joining point 1.

3.  However, the frontal fuselage has many "fine" details and some lines are too shallow (the gun shield etc.) and in some areas (4th and 5th pic) that require the modeler to deepen the engrave lines consider those details will be gone after primer and paint.  The depth of the lines are shallower than the front fuselage of their Mig-29 series.  (But if you built any Hasegawa kit e.g. 1:48 F/a-18/f, you will need to deepen the lines of some details anyway).  

Regarding point 1 that could be a bad copy of the kit, I actually observe the problem was already there when they posted the pic of the test sprue in the model show (go to page 7 of this post).

4.  The surface is fine and could be due to the lighting when I took the picture.  You will need to prime the model and sand it smooth anyways for a good finish.

 

It just that the CAD details sometimes don't translate well to the real plastic and there are very high expectations for this kit.

 

 

On 2/5/2018 at 9:38 AM, Jeffrey said:

Right on, Berkut.  The most disappointing thing is there are people you trust in ARC that makes you buy the kit, and later found out it is all Sales and Marketing pitch.  I guess there must be some incentives involved in the promotion of this kit.  The fact that the no so good modellers always dream to achieve what the experts have done have taken advantaged by some marketing people makes me angry.

 

 

I am just waiting someone to figure this out.  And yes, it seemed to me they have different process in making the frontal fuselage, and the middle/rear fuselage.

 

On 2/5/2018 at 6:20 PM, Jeffrey said:

I just visited the Chinese forum and found out the kit has some issues regarding the rivets are too deep on the wings.  You can view the pics and use google translate.

https://tieba.baidu.com/p/5536780010?pn=1

 

And things start to deteriorate and words like dictatorship, one single person tells everyone what they should think of, etc. were used.  In my last post:

 

On 2/5/2018 at 10:51 PM, Jeffrey said:

Looks like it is true that ARC is really a sponsor's forum, where one got a problem product and stated the facts, posted the pictures, but really get annoyed by the manufacturers.

 

"But anyway enjoy it, a new Kit is a result of many people effort. "  It is as if the kit is giving out for free and I have easy money to throw at it and criticize it at every opportunity.

 

A few people suggest stop the talking and let's build the kit,  that's good for you if you have the time, but let me tell you the majority of the people who has the income to buy such an expensive kit will not have the time to start and complete many of these kits.  It is similar to people who buy expensive camera / watch / cars only to admire it but not use it.  Most of these kits will sit in the closet never see the light (I admit my stash is already huge and I make an exception to buy this kit) .  All we want to see is to have well defined panel lines without screw ups,  just like the Hasegawa 1:72 Su-33 / Su-35.

 

Galfa,

The kit surface is quiet smooth and it is not like the OEZ kit at all, it is just the photo effect of subject focus using small aperture (high F).

 

From this ordeal, I firmly believe the force of the manufacturers is strong in the ARC forum.

Edited by Jeffrey
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6 hours ago, galfa said:

Given that I have two GWH Su-35S in pre-order, I would probably better waiting for holding them in my hands instead of writing this post. But I am tired to see such behavior by a hobby company approved again.

 

My point is that I'm tired of reading posts in which was written that no kit is perfect. What a wonder! May respectfully ask you what human creation is perfect?

 

Leaving perfection aside, engraved panel lines in 1:48 are always exaggerated. However, in some cases they look still believable, in other cases they look unbelievable.

 

At the end, we call our hobby scale modelling. Do not we ?

 

I understand the roughness of soviet/russian technology, but the Su-35S is supposed to fly at high speed. Panels cannot be one inch apart.

 

Hasegawa was releasing kits characterized by moderate engraved panel lines since the early Eighties. So the technology is here, but probably is more expensive than the one used for this kit by GWH.

 

Actually, by what I see in the web, this kit surface looks quite similar to the one of the old OEZ kits. Something really difficult to accept in a such expensive kit.

 

Moderate panel lines can be engraved easily, if that please you. Going the other way around is by far more difficult, often impossible.

 

Cheers,

 

 

Share the pictures of those two boxes and I will never ever responde to any of your posts and will apologize for any previous offenses of mine if there are any! ;)

 

 

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5 hours ago, Jeffrey said:

It is true that taking actual pictures of the kit, giving out useful links, facts and objective opinion were called dumb in this forum.  The following were what I posted since I received the kit:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And things start to deteriorate and words like dictatorship, one single person tells everyone what they should think of, etc. were used.  In my last post:

 

 

"But anyway enjoy it, a new Kit is a result of many people effort. "  It is as if the kit is giving out for free and I have easy money to throw at it and criticize it at every opportunity.

 

A few people suggest stop the talking and let's build the kit,  that's good for you if you have the time, but let me tell you the majority of the people who has the income to buy such an expensive kit will not have the time to start and complete many of these kits.  It is similar to people who buy expensive camera / watch / cars only to admire it but not use it.  Most of these kits will sit in the closet never see the light (I admit my stash is already huge and I make an exception to buy this kit) .  All we want to see is to have well defined panel lines without screw ups,  just like the Hasegawa 1:72 Su-33 / Su-35.

 

Galfa,

The kit surface is quiet smooth and it is not like the OEZ kit at all, it is just the photo effect of subject focus using small aperture (high F).

 

From this ordeal, I firmly believe the force of the manufacturers is strong in the ARC forum.

 

 

Thanks for the pictures. I really appreciate your posts. However I also think you are being a little bit sensitive. Gabors or anyone else's posts have been not offensive to you. And even with that rather overscale panel line this kit still looks very much okay to me. Anyhow hopefully I can share some pictures in three weeks or so too :)

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3 hours ago, foxmulder_ms said:

 

 

Share the pictures of those two boxes and I will never ever responde to any of your posts and will apologize for any previous offenses of mine if there are any! ;)

 

 

 

Give me a couple of weeks.

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18 hours ago, habu2 said:

 

I'm not calling out any specific person here, but just how many of you have actually been up close with any variant of a real live Flanker (or a Fulcrum for that matter). Not just photos on the internet or in books, but close enough to actually, physically touch them?

 

I have, and the panel fit, rivets, etc look like they are old beat up farm equipment. Variations in panels are so great they often cannot be swapped between different airframes.  I don't say this to disparage the build quality of the real aircraft, for there are good reasons for this level of "quality".  I do say this to disparage all the armchair critics and nit pickers out there. 

 

 

 

I have been up close to MiG-29s on several occasions, two separate squadrons I belonged to hosted MiG units during North American visits.

 

Yes, they look beat up and dented. In fact, I witnessed wings being re-installed with the use of a sledge hammer. The wings were re-painted with a roller and a paint brush. A lot of rivets were popped, tires were worn right down to the chord. They were rough.

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With Anatoly Kvochur in Dayton

 

1JT9HL3.jpg

 

With Viktor Pugachev in Oklahoma City

 

rOJABXZ.jpg

 

edit: that's not actually me "with Viktor", that's a local TV personality who got a ride in the Flanker with Viktor.  I just took the photo...

Edited by habu2
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12 hours ago, Jeffrey said:

Since someone asked me to share more photos of the kit, I have created the following link:

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=17Nw-7NCozwMpC7PwnIL7DHJFSzlVW0qn

 

Just take time to view or download the batch of photos.

Jeffrey, thanks for taking the time to post these pics.  Cannot wait for mine to arrive from luckymodel!

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10 hours ago, Scooby said:

 

I have been up close to MiG-29s on several occasions, two separate squadrons I belonged to hosted MiG units during North American visits.

 

Yes, they look beat up and dented. In fact, I witnessed wings being re-installed with the use of a sledge hammer. The wings were re-painted with a roller and a paint brush. A lot of rivets were popped, tires were worn right down to the chord. They were rough.

 

Scooby, just out of interest, when were these visits?

 

The reason I ask is due to my own experience: The first time I saw a Su-27 and a MiG-29 in person up close was in 1995. I didn't personally see the roller and paint brush touch-up, but I certainly saw everything else that you mentioned. However, I have subsequently seen more modern Russian aircraft up close, including the Su-30SM and Su-35S at recent MAKS airshows, and the thing that actually stood out for me personally was the improved (in my opinion) build quality and general state of the aircraft when you got really close up. Yes, the ones at MAKS were airshow aircraft, but they were not simply cleaner or newer - it really appeared to me that they were more accurately built in the first place. It might have been just an impression, but in 95 the rough state - not all of which was due to bad maintenance - of the aircraft really jumped out at me; this was definitely not the case at my more recent visits in the last few years.

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While I may not able to touch or see the aircraft up close, I did feel the noise and exhaust heat from the Su-27 and Mig-29 on a few occassions.  Here are some photos taken by me in the Zhuhai Air Show 2016:

 

40100977392_a51805b4d3_k.jpg

 

39234834635_ee3b7b4898_k.jpg

 

39234835015_ca61da0d20_k.jpg

 

39234834395_9ca567f1cd_k.jpg

 

39234833965_9b922c4a98_k.jpg

 

39234834175_c554aaff28_k.jpg

 

26260021798_1b008ed53d_k.jpg

 

40100977192_9cdcd357b9_k.jpg

 

39422288884_931a62bec8_k.jpg

 

I will visit the Zhuhai Air Show in 2018.

Edited by Jeffrey
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insulting fellow members just because they discuss/argue about a new kit on a Scale Modeling Forum is not very respectuous. and bring absolutely nothing new to the discussion. as a Grown-up, you should have known that!

if it makes you feel unhappy (to read arguments over details, rivet counting or nit-picking...) maybe it's just because  you don't belong here... the universe is infinite! you should find your place! :wave:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by mingwin
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1 hour ago, mingwin said:

insulting fellow members just because they discuss/argue about a new kit on a Scale Modeling Forum is not very respectuous. and bring absolutely nothing new to the discussion. as a Grown-up, you should have known that!

if it makes you feel unhappy (to read arguments over details, rivet counting or nit-picking...) maybe it's just because  you don't belong here... the universe is infinite! you should find your place! :wave:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Word.

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