Italeri 1/48th scale Hunter - mini review. (1 Viewer)

Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules

Airframes

Benevolens Magister
62,351
11,468
Aug 24, 2008
Cheshire, UK
A quick comparison between this 'new' kit and the older Academy offering, show that they are the same, confirmed by labels on the bags stating that the kit is made in South Korea and imported by Italeri.
This means that the relatively minor inaccuracies highlighted in published reviews for the Academy kit also hold true here, and I'll cover this later.
So what's different?
The Academy kits (out of production for some time) were offered in two, separate versions - the F6 and the FGA9, whereas the Italeri boxing includes the parts and accessories to build either of these versions, plus 'export' models, and has the added benefit of a good quality decal sheet, covering six different aircraft, again described later.
The kit is supplied in a large, sturdy, 'lid and tray' box, inside which can be found individual poly bags which, in turn, are sealed into one large bag, presumably to minimise or prevent damage in transit.
Six sprues moulded in a mid grey plastic and one clear sprue hold all the parts, and a multi-page instruction sheet covers the construction sequence, alternative parts, and colour schemes and decal placement.
The large decal sheet is well printed, crisp and in register, with a multitude of stencil decals which seem to cover every stencil ever applied to a Hunter.
Moulding and surface detail are excellent, with no signs of flash, sink marks or other anomalies on my example.
Most reviews (of the original Academy kit) mention the problem areas, these being the shallow cockpit tub, ejector seat and the size of the main landing gear wheels. To be honest, these should not detract from the finished model, which will still look good OOB, but for the pedantic, the cockpit tub can be corrected fairly easily, the ejector seat can easily be enhanced, and the wheels look acceptable. Of course, after market items can also be used to satisfy the needs of the purist.
The ejection seat is a basic representation, consisting of five parts, and is really a 'mix' of types fitted to the various models of the Hunter. Research into your subject will provide information for the correct seat type required for your chosen subject.
A nicely moulded control column is provided, along with rudder pedals, and an engraved instrument panel, and a two-part gyro gunsight finishes off the cockpit.
A wide range of under-wing stores are provided, which include two types of drop tanks, two different types of bombs, multiple rocket mounts and SNEB rocket pods, along with their associated pylons. Flaps and speed brake can be assembled in either the deployed or stowed positions, and the cockpit canopy can be assembled open or closed.
Decals are provide for a nice selection of aircraft, as follows:
F.Mk6 of 56 Sqn., RAF, Wattisham, 1959.
FGA9 of 45 Sqn., RAF, Wittering, 1974.
F.Mk6 of 352 Sqn, RNAF, Soestesberg, 1962.
F.Mk58 of 45 Sqn., Swiss Air Force, Payerne, 1973.
F.Mk56 0f 14 Sqn., Indian Air Force, Kalikudda, 1963.
F.Mk74 0f 144 Sqn., Singapore Air Force, 1991.
All in all a nice offering from Italeri, despite the minor niggles and, if nothing else, the decal sheet alone is worth having - especially fro my intended 56 Squadron build!
(Apologies for the poor image quality in some of the photos - I was in a bit of a rush!)
The pics show the design of the fuselage halves, with the 'cut out' for the different jet pipes, the two types of jet pipe fairings, the shallow cockpit tub, and the decal sheet.
Might just do this one for the 'Favourite Aircraft' GB.
 

Attachments

  • Can Jan 529.jpg
    Can Jan 529.jpg
    66.2 KB · Views: 153
  • Can Jan 530.jpg
    Can Jan 530.jpg
    103 KB · Views: 152
  • Can Jan 531.jpg
    Can Jan 531.jpg
    112.4 KB · Views: 164
  • Can Jan 533.jpg
    Can Jan 533.jpg
    104.2 KB · Views: 177
  • Can Jan 532.jpg
    Can Jan 532.jpg
    98.1 KB · Views: 164
  • Can Jan 534.jpg
    Can Jan 534.jpg
    73.9 KB · Views: 148
the decal sheet alone is worth having
True, if anything the decals on the Academy boxings are said to be rubbish, read it in just about every review of the Academy kits I've found

tempting...buying this kit and cutting up the Dutch markings (to make N-294) seems like a decent option.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back