"This kit is probably one of the worst 1:48 scale models that I have ever attempted to build. At the time I purchased the kit there were very few offerings at 1:48 scale and I decided to attempt changing this "sow's ear into a silk purse"!
One of the first things that become apparent is that the canopy scales out at about 0.30 metres in thickness and is represented as a single piece with the armoured screen as two lines inscribed on the inner surface. It also becomes painfully apparent that if you like building cockpits, (and who doesn't?), then this kit gives you almost nothing to use. A single laughable pilot is supplied on a rudimentary seat that is attached to the fuselage on two locating pins.
The overall dimensions of the kit are close enough when compared with the scale drawings available, provided you don't look too close. There are no ejection chutes for the wing root cannons and the trolley/skid arrangement is pathetic. The tail wheel is firmly in the landing position, tough if you wish to display the model in take off mode. The only sensible thing to do is to hack the thing off and scrounge parts elsewhere.
Boy! What a challenge! Thankfully I had a Dragon Me-163S-1 and the Hasegawa kit to draw upon for spares."
