Jeeves
Well-known member
Oh baby!!
Well-- I received my Valentines Day gift from my wife today (that I ordered for her
)-- and is this kit ever a beaut! Not having built anything by the company yet, the packaging and instructions seem reminiscent of something from Trumpeter...although with parts all their own to make this one really stand out! To make this more clear-- I'll start with the instructions...which are very similar to what I have seen from Trumpeter. For instance-- the color call-outs for the featured schemes-- both from the Hornet squadron VT-8 from Midway-- one featuring George Gay's mount and one featuring John Waldron...
Where they stand out is in their detail...PE parts codes are one color (green), styrene another (black) and decals another (purple). Also-- as you can see here, each instrument panel gauge is an individual decal and is called out on the sheet...
Paint call-outs are similar to Hasegawa codes-- and the key features Vallejo, Tamiya, and Hobby Colour cross references. There is also a nice parts map on the back to help locate parts.
Decals are crisp and in register-- and basically include fuselage codes and stars for each scheme, wing walks, individual gauges (get your punch sets handy!) and decals for the propeller tip markings. There is also a sweet mask sheet for all the canopy pieces (both intact and separated pieces) as well as masks for the stars, wing walks, and other markings. I would include a pic but don't really know how to mask over the sheet to keep it safe from copyright issues...if anyone knows how to do that sort of thing, I still have the pic...
Sprue A features the fuselage halves...and as you can see-- the detail is pretty sweet! On the interior, there are a few sink marks-- but they are really for the most part in places not seen once things are closed up-
The exterior on the other hand is perfect and crisply detailed...
Sprue B is all about the wings. The corrugated parts look spot on and the detail is beautiful-- right down to the fuel filler caps...lots of great surfaces to weather...and again-- any interior sink mark areas are very discreet...
Sprue C includes vertical stabs, ailerons, bulkheads, cockpit and belly bay details. Also included are the styrene parts of the wing fold areas...
Sprue D is the real treat full of great details! Gear struts are nicely depicted with no flash, as are the instrument panels and radio deck. The components for the engine are stellar-- really a kit unto themselves...and matched the the PE details will really do a great job in recreating the Twin Wasp engine. There are two cowling flap rings-- one with them open and one closed. Parts are included for two different torpedo options-- one with the box fins used at Midway and one without...although if you really want the woodgrain detail of the plywood ones that were jury-rigged for Midway, nothing beats balsa or basswood. Bomb racks for the center fuselage are included, but no bombs are provided. Finally-- they include three .30 caliber guns, one for the cowling and two for the rear guns, which were introduced at Midway. The barrels of these three guns, as well as the scope that pokes through the canopy, are all hollowed out...something I have not seen in 1/48 in anything but AM form...
Sprue E are the clear parts...individually wrapped and set inside a protective foam pouch...with opens for one large closed piece...or many open pieces...thank God again for those masks!
Sprue F is solely the cowling...which means no attachment points to fix up...nicely detailed with the hole for the .30 caliber gun already open...
The attachment points for the wing folds are done in metal as opposed to styrene which makes them much stronger than the old Monogram offering...
The PE frets are very sweet-- the smaller B fret has ammo belts for the twin .30's, shields for the guns, and interior detail for the torpedo bay and doors...
PE fret A gives belts and harnesses for both seats, interior detail for the cockpit, props and fins for the torpedoes, wiring harness for the engine, and detail for the wing fold apparatus and intake screen.
At the very bottom, much like AFV Club does with it's kits- is a copy of the kit box art...mine was a bit wrinkled- but nothing some time between some heavy books won't fix...
In the end- this is really going to be something else to build. Much like Trumpeter did with it's 1/32 SBD series, GWH has done to a smaller scale extent with this kit. I am seriously interested in seeing what comes up next from GWH...
And here is my first attempt at a video review...
http://youtu.be/_3IpxqVx61k
Well-- I received my Valentines Day gift from my wife today (that I ordered for her
)-- and is this kit ever a beaut! Not having built anything by the company yet, the packaging and instructions seem reminiscent of something from Trumpeter...although with parts all their own to make this one really stand out! To make this more clear-- I'll start with the instructions...which are very similar to what I have seen from Trumpeter. For instance-- the color call-outs for the featured schemes-- both from the Hornet squadron VT-8 from Midway-- one featuring George Gay's mount and one featuring John Waldron...
Where they stand out is in their detail...PE parts codes are one color (green), styrene another (black) and decals another (purple). Also-- as you can see here, each instrument panel gauge is an individual decal and is called out on the sheet...
Paint call-outs are similar to Hasegawa codes-- and the key features Vallejo, Tamiya, and Hobby Colour cross references. There is also a nice parts map on the back to help locate parts.
Decals are crisp and in register-- and basically include fuselage codes and stars for each scheme, wing walks, individual gauges (get your punch sets handy!) and decals for the propeller tip markings. There is also a sweet mask sheet for all the canopy pieces (both intact and separated pieces) as well as masks for the stars, wing walks, and other markings. I would include a pic but don't really know how to mask over the sheet to keep it safe from copyright issues...if anyone knows how to do that sort of thing, I still have the pic...
Sprue A features the fuselage halves...and as you can see-- the detail is pretty sweet! On the interior, there are a few sink marks-- but they are really for the most part in places not seen once things are closed up-
The exterior on the other hand is perfect and crisply detailed...
Sprue B is all about the wings. The corrugated parts look spot on and the detail is beautiful-- right down to the fuel filler caps...lots of great surfaces to weather...and again-- any interior sink mark areas are very discreet...
Sprue C includes vertical stabs, ailerons, bulkheads, cockpit and belly bay details. Also included are the styrene parts of the wing fold areas...
Sprue D is the real treat full of great details! Gear struts are nicely depicted with no flash, as are the instrument panels and radio deck. The components for the engine are stellar-- really a kit unto themselves...and matched the the PE details will really do a great job in recreating the Twin Wasp engine. There are two cowling flap rings-- one with them open and one closed. Parts are included for two different torpedo options-- one with the box fins used at Midway and one without...although if you really want the woodgrain detail of the plywood ones that were jury-rigged for Midway, nothing beats balsa or basswood. Bomb racks for the center fuselage are included, but no bombs are provided. Finally-- they include three .30 caliber guns, one for the cowling and two for the rear guns, which were introduced at Midway. The barrels of these three guns, as well as the scope that pokes through the canopy, are all hollowed out...something I have not seen in 1/48 in anything but AM form...
Sprue E are the clear parts...individually wrapped and set inside a protective foam pouch...with opens for one large closed piece...or many open pieces...thank God again for those masks!
Sprue F is solely the cowling...which means no attachment points to fix up...nicely detailed with the hole for the .30 caliber gun already open...
The attachment points for the wing folds are done in metal as opposed to styrene which makes them much stronger than the old Monogram offering...
The PE frets are very sweet-- the smaller B fret has ammo belts for the twin .30's, shields for the guns, and interior detail for the torpedo bay and doors...
PE fret A gives belts and harnesses for both seats, interior detail for the cockpit, props and fins for the torpedoes, wiring harness for the engine, and detail for the wing fold apparatus and intake screen.
At the very bottom, much like AFV Club does with it's kits- is a copy of the kit box art...mine was a bit wrinkled- but nothing some time between some heavy books won't fix...
In the end- this is really going to be something else to build. Much like Trumpeter did with it's 1/32 SBD series, GWH has done to a smaller scale extent with this kit. I am seriously interested in seeing what comes up next from GWH...
And here is my first attempt at a video review...
http://youtu.be/_3IpxqVx61k
,Mike! 
