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Hi All,

 

I just saw that Italeri reissued their 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?

Edited by Curt B
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I built the previous release, it wasn't horrible, but not Tamiya, for sure.  I didn't add any aftermarket.  You can't see anything in the cockpit, and everything else seems passable.  I'm certainly not an OCD modeler, though.  

 

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59 minutes ago, ElectroSoldier said:

It was an alright kit back in its day.

You have to bare in mind its day was near 30 years ago but yeah 

 

No real fine detailing you would expect from a quarter scale kit these days of course, but it was ok. I think AMT did a version called an ES-3A too

The ES-3A I'm currently building is a AMT/ERTL kit. Italeri also did a ES-3A back in the day.

Steve

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There is only one 1/48 S-3 Viking kit.  It was originally made and boxed by ESCI.  Then later ERTL and AMT/ERTL.  AMT/ERTL added some additional parts to make a ES-3A Sea Shadow boxing, but it’s still the same 1980 ESCI kit base.  After that, the molds went to Italeri, who reissued the kit in the late 2000s, and has been repopping it since.

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WAY passed due for a good 1/32 scale kit with everything in the box to make whatever version you want. Tons of weapons to include, with wing/tail fold options, and flap/slat options as well.

 

Tracy

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On 7/27/2021 at 12:33 AM, Dave Williams said:

There is only one 1/48 S-3 Viking kit.  It was originally made and boxed by ESCI.  Then later ERTL and AMT/ERTL.  AMT/ERTL added some additional parts to make a ES-3A Sea Shadow boxing, but it’s still the same 1980 ESCI kit base.  After that, the molds went to Italeri, who reissued the kit in the late 2000s, and has been repopping it since.

Thats certainly my recollection of it.

Its so long ago now I really cant remember the building of it, I just remember where I go the ES-3A version


I do remember it didnt have the weapons bay details, and I wished it did because it was boring.

 

Dont Kinetic make one now too?

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