GB-44 1/48 F2H-2/F2H-2P - Military A/C of post-war time

[Donivanp]

Username : donivanp
First name : Don
Category : intermediate
Scale : 1/48
Manufacturer / Model : Kitty Hawk F2H-2/F2H-2P
Extras : Furball Areo-Design decals.

I know better but I can't seem to help myself. Since I'm doing to Mac Air birds for this I says to myself, Donnie boy lets do a third. A Banshee I says, Why not we got it and a Demon too, but a Banshee, why not! so here we go again with too many cols in the fire.

 

[Donivanp]

Kitty Hawk as I've said before has a knack for bringing us the not so mundane, but not fully thought out. So here is another one to try. I have D&S digital F-2H Banshee and it will be my primary reference source. and the Furball set is as always very nice!

 

[Donivanp]

Furball set includes some 16 options and the kit gives you 4 options. I've learned to be very careful with the kit offerings from KH.

 

[destrozas]

cool

 

[Donivanp]

The kit! I'm going to let Bert Kinzey from Detail and Scale review it from the modelers section of "F2H Banshee In Detail and Scale. Now if you have not tried the new digital D&S formats they are the best bang for the buck you will find. at $12.99 each and in Kindle or Apple format, they are much larger and interactive then the books. So let me not say what is wrong, let's let them say what's wrong, (I bought the kit before I read the review or I might have stuck with the old Testors.


Kitty Hawk F2H-2/2P Banshee, Kit Number KH80131

Kitty Hawk announced this kit in 2014, but there was more than a two-year delay before it was finally released. It was one of the most anticipated and talked about kits while modelers waited for it to become available, because only the old and crude Hawk/Testors kit of the Banshee was available in 1/48th scale. But when the kit was finally released, it caused considerable disappointment because of its many inaccuracies, some of which are quite noticeable and would be very difficult to correct. Kitty Hawk was provided with extensive and detailed research materials by Detail & Scale and by others for the development of this kit, but it was not followed very well, and numerous errors in the test shots that were pointed out to them were not corrected for the production kits. This is very disappointing.

In reviewing this kit, we will begin with the inaccuracies, and then we will discuss the assembly issues.

In Kitty Hawk's 1/48th scale kits of the TF-9F and F9F-8 Cougars, most of the inaccuracies were relatively easy to fix. Unfortunately, some of the inaccuracies with this Banshee kit are difficult and almost impossible to fix for the average or even the more skilled modeler. Most noticeable of these is that the wing roots are much too high and curved on top, and the bottom surfaces are also incorrect in shape. This problem is practically impossible to fix, because it would mean replacing the entire wing root surfaces and then altering the large holes in the fuselage into which they are designed to fit. Further, this inaccuracy also causes the engine inlets to be noticeably too deep, and the fairings for the engines are also the wrong shape on both the top and bottom surfaces of the wing root. The incorrect size and shape of the wing roots is very noticeable on the completed model.

The leading edge of each nose gear door is the incorrect shape. Each has a stepped configuration rather than being angled with a blunt point as it should be. This is also rather noticeable to anyone familiar with the real aircraft, but this inaccuracy is far easier to correct. Also, the drain hole with its fairing is missing from the aft end of the left nose gear door, but again, this is a relatively easy fix.

Another inaccuracy regarding the nose gear is that the yoke much too long. Most modelers will be able to fix this without much problem. Study the photographs of the nose gear in the Banshee Details chapter to correct these three inaccuracies related to the nose landing gear.

Kitty Hawk provided the windscreen and canopy as separate pieces so that the canopy could be displayed in the open position, and the test shots showed it positioned this way. However, they totally disregarded the fact that the canopy is on roller arms that fit on tracks inside the cockpit, and these lift the canopy well above the fuselage when the canopy is open. It is also raised at the aft end when it is open, and there is a noticeable gap between the lower canopy rail and the fuselage for the entire length of the canopy. Instead, Kitty Hawk has the canopy sitting directly on the fuselage, and there are no parts for the roller arms or the support for the aft end of the canopy. Detail & Scale pointed this out to Kitty Hawk after viewing photos of the test shots, but the problem was not corrected. Instead, the instructions simply show the canopy being assembled in the closed position. Anyone wishing to display the canopy in the open position will have to scratch build the roller arms that fit on the forward corner of each canopy rail and the aft support structure to get the canopy in the correct raised position. Photographs of the raised canopy, the roller arms, and the aft structure are included in the Banshee Details chapter.

In addition to the canopy issues, there are other inaccuracies in the cockpit area. For the F2H-2 fighter version, no gun sight is provided, so the modeler is left to build one from scratch or get one from a spares box. The large cylindrically shaped object behind the seat on which the canopy moves forward and aft is missing. Likewise, the very noticeable inverted U-shaped frame inside the canopy is also missing. The armor plate behind the seat is oversized.

Kitty Hawk did provide a clear part to represent the lens for the approach lights in the leading edge of the left wing root, however the gun camera is missing from the right wing root. Interestingly, the piece that forms the underside of the left wing root has an indented area in it that appears to be where Kitty Hawk may have been putting the approach lights on that side as well. This reminds us of the problems in the Cougar kits where they put features on both sides of the aircraft when they only should have been on one side. Regardless, it's the wrong size for the gun camera, and there is no corresponding area on the upper wing surface. Accordingly, the modeler has to add the gun camera from scratch.

We will discuss problems with the horizontal tail surfaces next, before moving to the wings. The horizontal tail surfaces on the F2H-2 and its sub-variants of the Banshee were designed to be used on either side of the vertical tail. This meant that the small actuators that operated the trim tabs were on the bottom of the right horizontal tail and on the top of the left horizontal tail. But Kitty Hawk has them on both sides of both tails. Simply remove the ones on top of the right horizontal stabilizer and from the bottom of the left horizontal tail. This is an easy fix.

There are several inaccuracies with the wing surfaces as well. Kitty Hawk molded the flaps on the outer (folding) wing surfaces as separate pieces, but only the lower part moves. The upper part is not a separate moving piece, rather it is a fixed part of the upper wing surface. Compounding this problem is the fact that Kitty Hawk molded what is actually part of the lower flap on the upper surface. This is backwards from what is on the actual aircraft. On the real aircraft, part of the upper wing surface is actually part of the flap, and when the flap is lowered, this leaves a notch on the tailing edge of the wing.

The modeler needs to glue the upper parts of the flaps (as Kitty Hawk has provided them as parts A14 and A18) into the upper wing surface where they belong, then fill and sand the seams, so that these parts correctly look like the fixed part of the upper wings that they are. But the part along the trailing edge of each of these pieces that is actually part of the flap needs to be removed. These need to be attached to the flaps (Parts A15 and A16) along their trailing edges. The photo above shows what the real thing looks like.

But the problems with the wings don't stop here. There are more inaccuracies on the underside as well. The outer sections of the main wheel wells are way too large and are incorrect in shape. The inner and center doors for each main gear do not even fit the wells they are supposed to cover. Like the inaccurate wing roots, these errors would be very difficult to fix. Inner and center doors of the proper size and shape could be made from plastic card, but the oversized and misshaped outer sections of each well would require significant modeling skills and a lot of time to correct.

Another problem under the wings is that the four pylons that go under the wing roots are incorrectly located. The outer pylon in each case is too far aft. The real ones are not staggered. The leading edges are all even. The inboard pylon in each case is too far outboard, and each needs to be moved a bit farther inboard. Otherwise, ordnance will not fit on them correctly. Another error on the underside of the wings is that the fairings for the engines are the wrong shape, and this is very noticeable. Their sides should be parallel, and they should be rounded at the forward ends. The kit has them more conical in shape. But this problem also exists with the matching fairings on top of the wings. They are too short, and this problem is compounded by the fact that the wing roots are the wrong shape. Refer to the photo on the previous page to see these inaccuracies.

Kitty Hawk only provided two bombs and four 5-inch rockets in the kit. This means that at least two of the pylons will have no armament. The bombs appear to be the 250-pound size, and one should fit on each of the four pylons under the wing roots. But because the pylons are located too close together, this could not have been done even if four bombs had been included. But relocating the two pylons that are closest to the centerline as explained above will correct this problem. It would have been nice if Kitty Hawk had provided eight 5-inch rockets and four bombs, so that a full weapons load could be displayed on the model.

The vertical tail is about an eighth of an inch too tall and the chord is too long by the same amount. But these shape problems are really not that noticeable to the eye, at least not to the extent of the misshaped wing roots and other inaccuracies. But what is more apparent is that the horizontal tail surfaces are mounted a bit too low, and this, combined with the excessive chord dimension, causes there to be too much distance between the leading edge of the vertical tail and the leading edges of the horizontal tail surfaces. This is noticeable, but the problem can be improved by reducing the leading edge of the vertical tail a bit, thus correcting the excessive chord problem in the process. If this is done, the problem will not be noticeable.

We now turn our attention to the building process for this kit and take a look at some issues that the modeler needs to be aware of. One of the problems that has been present on other Kitty Hawk kits is that that are noticeable ejector pin marks on a lot of the pieces. This problem is present in this kit, so check all parts and remove those marks wherever you see them. Some are merely unsightly, but some can affect the fit of parts. This kit also has some flash on the edges of many of the parts. It's not a lot, but it's enough to cause some real fit problems if not removed before assembly. Check all parts, and remove any flash or ridges you see. We noticed a couple of short shots on some of the parts as well.

In the cockpit there are the inaccuracies mentioned above, but there is also a fit problem between the right console and the right fuselage half. A little reshaping of the console is required for a satisfactory fit.

When assembling the nose gear, which is a rather complex structure, the arms (parts C52 and C56) that go between the strut and the yoke have raised nipples to mount them into the yoke. However, the yoke has no holes into which these nipples should fit, so the nipples have to be removed and the parts glued together without them. A similar problem exists with the fuselage halves which include the vertical tail. The pitot tube is molded as part of the right half of the vertical tail, but there is no notch for it to fit into on the left tail. Carefully cut the notch into the left vertical tail to insure a good fit.

The arresting hook has similar problems. It's a two-piece assembly, and part C20 has a raised nipple on it to fit into part C16. But for some reason, there is no hole for the nipple to go into on part C16. There are also no holes inside the well where the arresting hook (C55) should be attached. This is like the nose gear yoke and strut problem mentioned above. It appears to be a lack of attention to detail when it comes to how parts are engineered to go together.

Another example of problems with parts going together correctly can be found in the main landing gear assemblies. The axle part of each gear strut is a different diameter than the hole in the wheel to which it is supposed to fit. Other assembly problems will be found during construction of the cannon compartment. Just test fit everything before glue is applied.

Care must be taken during the construction of the engines and when mounting them into the wing roots. Think the assembly process through, and dry fit all parts before using any glue. Some trimming and adjustments will be necessary for a good fit. A confusing part of the instructions comes in step 11 where parts B41 and B44 are to be "Used for close." What this means is that these two parts are to be used if the model is to be built with the wings in the folded position.

There are issues with the wing tanks. First, if you assemble them according to the kit instructions, A1 to A2 and A10 to A11, you will find yourself dealing with female to female and male to male parts. You need to go with A1 to A10 and A2 to A11. That solves the first issue, but then comes the question of mounting them to the wing tips. There is nothing to help the modeler with positioning the tanks and insuring the correct alignment. The tanks should have a noticeable droop to them, but the kit allows you to mount them over a wide range of angles. Check the photos in this book that show the correct droop, and match what the photographs illustrate.

The speed brakes can be assembled closed or extended. For the extended option, photoetched metal parts are provided with the fine perforated holes. For the closed position, parts simply fit into slots in the wings, but be sure to glue these in place before joining the top and bottom halves of each wing together.

Kitty Hawk provides parts so that the wings can be assembled in the folded position, just as they did with their Cougar kits. Building the model with the wings folded works just fine, and the detailing provided is nicely done. However, and it's a big "however," if the model is to be built with the wings extended, there are two problems. First, there are no tabs or any other structure to strengthen the assembly where the outer wing sections join to the inner wing sections. It's simply a butt joint situation. We recommend using some plastic rod with a rectangular cross section to make some stubs to strengthen this structure.

But the second problem is also one that will require some extra plastic. When the wings are joined together, the outer sections droop rather than having the correct angle with a small amount of dihedral. To fix this problem, a shim made of plastic card is required to go in the joint along the undersurfaces of the wings. Try different thicknesses until you get the correct mounting angle for the outer wing sections. While we strive to keep our reviews strictly objective and cover right/wrong items, we do believe that Kitty Hawk tends to make their kits far too complex, and this causes problems. It would be better if the wings in this case had been molded in the extended position so that they would have the correct dihedral. Let aftermarket companies make the wing fold parts, and if used, the modeler can then cut the wing sections apart.

If the F2H-2P option is chosen, Kitty Hawk provides a very detailed camera bay complete with oblique and vertical cameras as well as associated electronic equipment. But once assembled, none of this is visible. Unlike the F2H-2 fighter version with its access doors that can be assembled in the open position to display the cannon bay, there are no open access doors on either side of the photo recon nose. Fortunately, most experienced modelers will be able to cut one or both doors away from the nose section and reposition them to the open position. Be sure to add the spring-loaded hinges if you do this. The photos in the F2H-2P section of the Banshee Variants chapter will prove helpful if this is done. But regardless of how the doors are displayed, the camera windows don't fit well. Some fine tuning of the parts to improve fit will be necessary.

If building the F2H-2P option, be sure not to include any of the weapons. While pods for flash cartridges could be carried externally on the F2H-2P on stations 2 and 7, they are not provided in the kit, so the pylons should not be used as well for the photo recon variant.

The decal sheet provides options for four aircraft. These include a Navy F2H-2 from VF-11 in the overall blue scheme, a Marine F2H-2 from El Toro in the gray over white scheme, a Marine F2H-2P from VMJ-1 in the overall blue scheme, and a Marine F2H-2P from VMJ-1 in the gray over white scheme. The major problem with the sheet is that it does not provide some of the left side markings for the VF-11 Banshee. Based on all of the photographs we have seen of the aircraft being represented, the squadron insignia and the mission markings should be on both sides of the forward fuselage, but they are only provided for the right side, and the squadron insignia for that side had to be placed on a small add-on sheet, having been left off of the main sheet. There are issues with the painting instructions as well. For example the area to be painted in the high-visibility color on the El Toro aircraft is inconsistent between the top and bottom versus the side views. The top and bottom views show it angling rearward on the tip tanks, while the side views do not. For accurate and complete markings for VF-11, as well as a large number of other decal options, use the Furball Aero Design/Detail & Scale decal sheet that was developed for use with this kit. More information about it can be found at the end of this publication in the More From Detail & Scale chapter or on our website at www.detailandscale.com. Overall, this kit is a major disappointment. We had waited anxiously for this kit and had hoped to build it for our collection as soon as it became available. But with its numerous inaccuracies, some of which will be very difficult if not impossible to fix, we cannot recommend it. Hopefully, another company will do the F2H-2/F2H-2P in 1/48th scale and do it right. We also hope that Kitty Hawk will produce the F2H-3/4 "Big Banjo" they announced a long time

Kinzey, Bert. F2H Banshee in Detail & Scale Part 1: Prototypes Through F2H-2 Variants (Digital Detail & Scale Series Book 3) (p.288-300). Detail & Scale. Kindle Edition.

 

[Crimea_River]

Juggling again. Nice choice.

 

[fubar57]

Interesting choice and a good enough review to allow me not to get this kit

 

[Donivanp]

Interesting choice and a good enough review to allow me not to get this kit

Yeah, that's the biggest problem with KH, they bring you what you want, but only 3/4 of the way, and they're the only game in town.

 

[Wayne Little]

Look forward to it......

 

[Wurger]

 

[Airframes]

Good choice of subject - but maybe not the kit !
It amazes me that a manufacturer can produce a very inaccurate kit, given the costs of research, and particularly tooling. Slight inaccuracies ca be accepted, as can happen with tricky shaped areas, or small details, but to be 'out' by so much with major features, that are very noticeable, is just plain silly. Start again, and do it right !

 

[Donivanp]

Good choice of subject - but maybe not the kit !
It amazes me that a manufacturer can produce a very inaccurate kit, given the costs of research, and particularly tooling. Slight inaccuracies ca be accepted, as can happen with tricky shaped areas, or small details, but to be 'out' by so much with major features, that are very noticeable, is just plain silly. Start again, and do it right !

Yeah, I agree for a kit priced at $75 US

 

[Airframes]

Heck !
That's over £57, nearly twice the price of the average 1/48th scale kit of a similar size !
Send it back to them, tell it's cr@p and to start again and get it right - at half the cost !
Or maybe just ask them what aircraft it's supposed to be !!!

 

[Donivanp]

Heck !
That's over £57, nearly twice the price of the average 1/48th scale kit of a similar size !
Send it back to them, tell it's cr@p and to start again and get it right - at half the cost !
Or maybe just ask them what aircraft it's supposed to be !!!

I'm with you but, it's mine now and I'm just going to do the best I can with what I have. Decals came today

 

[T Bolt]

Yeah, that's the biggest problem with KH, they bring you what you want, but only 3/4 of the way, and they're the only game in town.

You could always go with the Testors Banshee.
I started building this one about 15 years ago before loosing interest in it and putting it on the shelf of doom. It took like half a tube of putty to get it to this point .

 

[Donivanp]

Again, like I said, the only game in town.

 

[Wurger]

Looking good.

 

[Donivanp]

Well with all the negative publicity on this kit, I think sometimes D&S gets a bit overly focused on the faults and tends to dig at them. I'm going to focus on "if it looks like a Banshee " process. I've decided to do this as a -2P photo reconnaissance of VMCJ-1. While I bought a set of decals, I may not even need them but we'll see.

 

[fubar57]

Good plan

 

[Airframes]

I agree.
I often wonder about some reviews - they may be 100% correct in identifying errors, but can these errors be seen, with the naked eye, when not directly compared to a scale plan or the real aircraft ?