Old Dog
Well-known member
The latest from HobbyBoss, something a bit out of their comfort zone as they typically release main stream and safe kits. I was a bit skeptical when I heard this was on their release schedule as I have heard a variety of comments about their kits that run the gamete from good to poor so lets see what's inside.
Sort of an average size box but it's actually a tad small as the the longer sprues just barely fit. Inside the box the kit is presented on three sprues in a medium gray color. Each is packed in its own plastic bag
For the clear parts each sprue is individually bagged and inside the bag it is wrapped in foam, so far I give them high marks for packaging so lets take a look.
The parts are cleanly molded with only a little flash here and there. Surface detail consists of fine recessed panel lines that are uniform and look good for the scale. All of the control surfaces are molded in the neutral position. I did notice some real faint sink marks of the upper surface of the wings, the area between the two red lines, where the upper gear bay structure is on the underneath side. I'm not sure if this will be noticeable once painted. You can also get an idea of the size of the panel lines.
The next photo shows the fabric control surfaces, a tad heavy but should work for most.
The cockpit and crew area seem well appointed and should please most of which is on the next sprue
More interior parts, landing gear and engines.
An idea of the level of interior detail can be seen in this page from the instructions
The one thing that would make or break this kit would be the clear parts and I think HobbyBoss scored big on that account. The parts are thin but not so thin as to be fragile and optically clear. I'm not sure a dunk in future will improve them any except to provide some protection. Frame lines are well defined and areas to be painted are frosted. Hatches in the upper canopy are supplied as separate parts so they can be posed open.
The decal sheet provides markings for two aircraft, one in RLM 02 over RLM 65 and one in the normal splinter scheme over RLM 65. The decals look thin and in register but has a bit more excess clear film than I would like to see and they had a funny texture about them as if the rice paper protector was put on them before the ink had completely dried. I have not experienced their decals so can not comment on how they might work. There are decals for the instrument panel, which is supplied as a clear part and some other panels as well.
Overall I'm impressed, the kit was much better than what I might have expected, the clear parts are excellent, I hope the kit sells well as there are some other obscure German aircraft I'd like to see done up this nicely.
Thanks for looking !
Sort of an average size box but it's actually a tad small as the the longer sprues just barely fit. Inside the box the kit is presented on three sprues in a medium gray color. Each is packed in its own plastic bag
For the clear parts each sprue is individually bagged and inside the bag it is wrapped in foam, so far I give them high marks for packaging so lets take a look.
The parts are cleanly molded with only a little flash here and there. Surface detail consists of fine recessed panel lines that are uniform and look good for the scale. All of the control surfaces are molded in the neutral position. I did notice some real faint sink marks of the upper surface of the wings, the area between the two red lines, where the upper gear bay structure is on the underneath side. I'm not sure if this will be noticeable once painted. You can also get an idea of the size of the panel lines.
The next photo shows the fabric control surfaces, a tad heavy but should work for most.
The cockpit and crew area seem well appointed and should please most of which is on the next sprue
More interior parts, landing gear and engines.
An idea of the level of interior detail can be seen in this page from the instructions
The one thing that would make or break this kit would be the clear parts and I think HobbyBoss scored big on that account. The parts are thin but not so thin as to be fragile and optically clear. I'm not sure a dunk in future will improve them any except to provide some protection. Frame lines are well defined and areas to be painted are frosted. Hatches in the upper canopy are supplied as separate parts so they can be posed open.
The decal sheet provides markings for two aircraft, one in RLM 02 over RLM 65 and one in the normal splinter scheme over RLM 65. The decals look thin and in register but has a bit more excess clear film than I would like to see and they had a funny texture about them as if the rice paper protector was put on them before the ink had completely dried. I have not experienced their decals so can not comment on how they might work. There are decals for the instrument panel, which is supplied as a clear part and some other panels as well.
Overall I'm impressed, the kit was much better than what I might have expected, the clear parts are excellent, I hope the kit sells well as there are some other obscure German aircraft I'd like to see done up this nicely.
Thanks for looking !
