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Hi All,

 

I just saw that Italeri reissued there 1/48 S-3 Viking kit.  I've always loved the S-3, ever since I saw, and HEARD, S-3s doing (probably) touch and go landings at North Island Naval Station, my first time in San Diego.  Watching that plane, on a Coronado Island beach, and hearing that amazing honking sound as the engines spool up and down really made an impression on me, plus that absolutely HUGE vertical stabilizer, made for a unique airplane.  I ordered the kit immediately from Spruebrothers, and any/all available aftermarket 'stuff' for it.  I couldn't find any reviews of the kit, even from it's original tooling, and I'm expecting that the kit is probably lacking in one way or the other, detail, or engineering or fit, or some combo of these.  So, getting all the aftermarket stuff will, hopefully, make my to-be S-3 as good as It can be made.  

 

Anyone have any observations, either on the original molding, or on this reissue, if anyone has had any time to get and then review, the kit?

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The molds are originally made by Esci, later reboxed by AMT/Ertl before Italeri "re"-released them.  Search for reviews under the previous companies (vs Italeri)

 

You might browse this thread..

 

 

 

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I built one some years ago and pretty much enjoyed it although there were a few fit issues here and there -- nothing major that I recall. There are definitely any number of simplified/missing details. I will say that the interior of the cockpit is pretty much invisible if you use the supplied smoked canopy. Here's a build review that may give you a more concise impression of the kit than the super-detail build link habu2 posted:

 

https://modelingmadness.com/review/mod/nixs3.htm

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In the hands of the right person, with the right skills, the Italeri S-3B can become an amazing model.

The only downsides I found with the kit is they give you decals for the cockpit, do yourself a favor and get a aftermarket cockpit and, the seams in the intakes, you can either do intake covers or supposedly Phase Hanger Resin is going to release a resin set in the near future, which I am waiting for for mine. I found no fit issues with the kit but, with any model build, patience and a lot of dry-fitting go a long way. Also, if you do go with a resin cockpit, you won't need to add any weight inside the radome like the instructions say.

Steve

Edited by A-10 LOADER
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