Hasegawa Releases All New 1/72 MV-22B Osprey

Now Available At King's Hobby Shop!

Hasegawa 1/72 MV-22B Osprey USMC

Stock Number:  3260-01571

Price:  $64.95

Fans of the tilt-rotor Boeing / Bell Textron Osprey will be delighted with this all new tooling 1/72 MV-22B from Hasegawa.  Kits of Ospreys are few and far between and with this new release, Hasegawa has set a high mark for a model in any scale of this unique aircraft.

The kit is comprised of 158 parts which are molded in Hasegawa standard light gray plastic.  A typical but extensive Hasegawa water slide decal sheet is provided with markings for two different aircraft and complete technical stenciling.  Subject aircraft are from VMM-165 and VMM-265.  Both birds appear to be in standard low visibility MV-22B Camouflage except for the tails which feature colorful high visibility markings.  The VMM-165 tail is black with yellow trim and features the squadron's unit patch.  The VMM-265 is red with black codes and squadron patch.  Instruction sheet is standard Hasegawa bi-lingual format with Japanese and English.  Illustrated diagrams guide the modeler thru the building sequence with part numbers, painting color call outs, and decal placement.

Exterior details for the model are good and feature engraved panel lines.  I don't have scale drawings for this aircraft so I can't say positively that the kit dimensions are 100% correct, although they appear to be from published dimensions.  Close examination of photos seems to indicate that most external features are present and correct.  Features include FLIR pod, retracted refueling probe,  missile launch detection units at four points for 360 degree coverage, various antennas, and bulged cuffs near the base of the prop-rotors.  The only interior detail in the kit is the cockpit and it is somewhat abbreviated.  Instrument panel, consoles, control sticks, and seats are provided.  Decals provide details for the otherwise flat instrument panel and consoles.  Hasegawa includes two crew figures to fill pilot and co-pilot seats.  The kit is completely devoid of interior detail aft of the cockpit.  No cargo bay detail is included so the rear cargo door can only be displayed up or closed.

Kit options include positionable engine pods, positionable landing flaps, and retracted or extended landing gear.  A flight display stand is included if the engines are displayed in horizontal configuration.  Modelers can easily modify the refueling probe to the extended position by adding appropriate diameter styrene plastic rod or tube.  The kit cannot be built out of the box with folded wings or prop-rotors as would be seen while stored aboard ship.  Modelers may wish to modify the kit to do this, but this would be challenging.

This is a very nice no frills model.  Fans of the MV-22B, or modelers looking for a change of pace will enjoy building and displaying this replica of the first operational tilt-rotor aircraft.  I recommend this kit as the best Osprey to date.

Brad Perry

http://www.bellhelicopter.textron.com/en_US/Military/Bell-BoeingV-22/1291148374339.html#/?tab=highlights-tab

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-22_Osprey

New Revell Germany 1/32 Bf 109G-6 Best In Scale.

Kit:  1/32 Scale Bf 109G-6 Early or Late Version

Manufacturer:  Revell Germany

Stock Number:  3471-4665

Price:  $29.99
Status:  Available at King's Hobby Shop Now!

Revell Germany now has the best 1/32 scale Bf 109G on the market.  Overall accuracy combined with its low price, makes this new Messerschmitt a particularly good value.  The kit includes 14 parts trees, one sheet of water slide decals, and instructions for building and painting.  Optional parts will allow the builder to complete one of almost any non DB 605AS engined Bf 109G-6 variant.

Kit cockpit interior detail is very good.  Purists will want to add sidewall wiring and control stick detail.  These tasks will be simple for any modeler with intermediate skills and good picture references.  Kit instrument panel has good detail and correctly represents the bi-level panel on the real aircraft.  Instrument bezels are sharply defined and instrument faces are provided on the decal sheet.  Seat-belts are molded on seat components, but have fairly good definition.  They should paint well if proper wash and dry brush techniques are used.  The prominent fuel line with fuel flow sight glass easily seen on the right cockpit sidewall is provided as a separate clear part.  When painted properly, it will correctly represent the fuel line with clear glass tube and hose clamps.  Also, early and late gun sight options are included.

Fuselage components have recessed  panel lines and access hatches.  Revell provided all access hatches for all sub-variants.  You'll want to pay attention to your references because some will need to be removed depending on the version you choose. I'd rather do this than try to scribe one which isn't there.  The kit provides parts for early angled rudder tail as well as late wood straight rudder tail.  Separate rudder (3 types) and elevator control  surfaces will allow the builder to show them deflected as desired.   Clear parts for early heavy frame and late "Erla" canopies are included along with rear armored glass piece.  Engine cowl parts are for original DB 605 engine variants and feature the prominent and separately molded bulges which covered the back end of the cowl mounted MG 131 machine guns.  The kit bulges appear to be somewhat shallow.  If this is the case, I'm sure there will be an aftermarket resin correction.  On the positive side,  the kit's propeller spinner appears to have the most correct shape in scale when compared to other kits and photos of the real one.

The kit's wings also have recessed panel detail as well as separate control surfaces.  Ailerons, flaps, and leading edge slats can be positioned as desired.  Landing gear and landing gear bays are the best to date for a "Gustav".  Main gear bays assemble with multiple parts and include structural detail as well as open lightening holes.  Wheel bay detail in other Bf 109 kits has been very abbreviated.  Main gear struts are also multi part and appear to have more detail than other kits including separate torque link forks and retraction actuator rods.  Kit tires are outstanding.  The instructions have you use the classic German cross tread tires, but an optional set of no tread tires are included.  The kit also includes optional styles of wheel covers.  Revell also provides separate center-line drop tank and drop tank rack.

Kit decals include markings for two aircraft.  The first was flown by Hauptmann Franz Dorr who was the Gruppenkommandeur of III JG.5.  The aircraft's werknummer was 411960.  The second aircraft, werknummer 160717, was flown by Hauptmann Karl Rammelt who was Kommandeur of II JG.51.  Technical stencils common to any Bf 109G are also included.  The decals are well researched by AirDOC and appear to be accurate and in register.

This is a very nice kit out of the box.  There are tons of aftermarket options made for other 109s in both photo etch and resin which can probably be used in this kit.  Wait a few weeks, and there will probably be numerous options specifically for this kit if you wish to increase the level of detail already present.

I like this kit.  Overall, it appears to be the most accurate in dimension and contour.  At $29.99,  it is less than half the price of prior top dog.  Current list price for the 2001 release Hasegawa Bf 109G-6 is $74.00.  While no kit is perfect including this one, it provides more options, it is overall more accurate than the still very nice Hasegawa offering, and it is considerably less expensive.  I think it would look great sitting next to your Tamiya P-51D of Spitfire Mk.IX!
 

Brad Perry 

Stop the press!  This just in!

We just received Brett Green's new book specifically about this great new kit from Revell.  Projects in the book from Brett Green, Chris Wauchop, Marcus Nicholls, and Roy Sutherland.  Excellent coverage of this jewel with insights into simple out of the box construction to advanced builds utilizing aftermarket details.  Book is beautifully laid out with loads of clear color photos.  Also includes great walk around photos of Bf 109G-6s in museum collections.  I highly recommend this book to fire you up prior to diving into one of these kits yourself. 

Title:  How To Build Revell's 1/32 Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6

Stock Number: 6292-ADH32

Price:  $29.95


               

    

     

 

Interesting News From Kittyhawk And Great Wall Hobby!

Here are two new 1/48 kits coming soon from Great Wall Hobby and Kittyhawk.

Great Wall Hobby has announced a new 1/48 F-15C/D Eagle.  It is safe to assume it will be the first in a series of new Eagles for 1/48 modelers.  Release date is supposed to be November 2013, but the price is unknown at this time.  Also of interest is that the pre-release illustrations indicate that the kit will include U.S. as well as Israeli weapons.  It also looks like the kit will include complete Pratt and Whitney F100 engines.  This kit should prove to be the best pure fighter F-15 kit in scale.

Kittyhawk has announced a new 1/48 F2H-3/4 Banshee.  This aircraft has been very high on many modelers wish lists for a long time.  It's nice to see model companies respond to customer input.  Release date and price for this kit are unavailable at this time.

Check out these links for more information on these exciting new kits.


http://hyperscale.com/2013/reviews/kits/kittyhawkpreview_6.htm

http://hyperscale.com/2013/reviews/kits/gwhf15bdpreviewbg_1.htm 
 

Brad Perry
  

George Mann's Build Review of New 1/35 Scale Tamiya JGSDF Type 10 Tank.

Manufacturer & Stock Number:    Tamiya 35329  
Price:    $77.98 
   
Product Name:    JGSDF Type 10 Tank
Scale:    1/35      
Review Type:    Sample (Pre production) Kit.            
Parts Count:    205 PS parts, 24 PE caps, two vinyl tracks, one vinyl mesh sheet and one clear acetate sheet.
     
Pros:    Well engineered kit with excellent textures and painless assembly.
      
Cons:    Ejector pin marks on skirts, sight housing and suspension, no 50 cal ammo.
    
Type 10 History:

The Type 10 is the newest JGSDF MBT and is designed to complement and eventually replace the Type 90 MBTs in service.  Development began in the 1990s, the prototype was unveiled during 2008 and the first tanks entered service in January 2012.  The JGSDF plans to acquire 68 examples at a cost of between $6.5 and $11.3 million dollars as production ramps up.
The Type 10 has a crew of three:  Commander, Gunner and Driver in the standard layout with the Commander and Gunner in the turret and the Driver in the hull.  The tank is equipped with an autoloader for the main gun. The Commander has a panoramic sight and fully integrated c4I systems to allow integration with other tanks and the infantry they are supporting.
The Type 10 is armed with a locally developed 120mm/L44 smoothbore gun likely derived from the Rheinmetall L44 120mm.  The Type 10 also has similar options for longer 50 and 55 caliber length barrels.  The gun will fire newly developed AP ammunition as well as standard NATO ammunition.  Small arms firepower is provided by the M2 12.7mm HMG in the commander’s station and a 7.62mm GPMG coaxial with the main gun.
The Type 10 weighs about 44 tons which is six tons less than the older Type 90.  It is also physically smaller while being fitted with more advanced and capable nano-crystal steel and modular ceramic composite armor.  The 1200HP V8 diesel engine coupled with a continuously variable automatic transmission which allows a top speed of about 43MPH (70 KPH) in either forward or reverse and the tank is fitted with a hydropneumatic active suspension that allows the crew to adjust the suspension height as desired.

Kit Overview:

The Tamiya Type 10 is a very well designed kit with 205 light grey, green in the retail kit, PS parts, four large polyethylene caps, 20 small polyethylene caps, two vinyl tracks, one vinyl mesh sheet and one clear acetate sheet.  The instructions are clear and concise and the kit goes together without any major issues.  Further, it is very well detailed and has excellent surface textures.  The vision blocks have separate acetate pieces for use as the viewports and the turret hatches, panoramic viewer and gunner’s sight can be modeled in the open or closed positions with the provided doors.  There are several antiskid pads, hinges, light fixtures, exhausts, intakes and other fittings which are very well done.  The model sports detailed laser detectors, an extendable environment sensor and fine guard rails for the environment sensor on the back of the turret.  The horn is even molded as a separate piece and fits nicely in its recess in the front of the hull.  The vinyl tracks are excellent and are very detailed.  Further, they will assemble with the Tamiya cement which makes things much easier.
There are a few minor issues with the kit.  Keep in mind, however, that this is a preproduction sample and may not be entirely representative of the market kit.  First, there are several ejector pin marks on the rubber skirts which require cleanup.  The issue is that there seem to be far more of these, about 30 per side, than necessary.  Secondly, there are ejector pin marks on the outboard facing side of each suspension arm.  These probably could have been hidden on the inboard side.  There was one part, the HMG spent shell ejection port, that had a very visible heat sink on the underside.  I used Mr. Surfacer 500 on the above areas to cover the holes.  The underside of the sight housing had four ejector pin marks that needed sanding.  Again, it seems there are more than necessary.  The kit also does not have a belt of 50 cal ammunition and the ammunition box for the HMG is molded empty with no lid.

Kit Construction:

The kit offers no major problems during construction and goes together very easily.  The vinyl mesh for the turret basket and headlight guards must be cut into several pieces before being glued in place. The instructions are clear for these steps but the headlight guards require the headlights and surrounding area to be painted prior to completing the hull assembly.  Fortunately, the front glacis plate is molded in two parts that are separate from the rest of the hull which makes the task much easier.  The acetate sheet must also be cut into smaller pieces to fit the vision blocks but there is plenty of material here and it’s no issue if you cut a few improperly.  The tracks appear to be too long and one link may be removed to ensure a better fit.  This is not difficult since the tracks can be glued together with Tamiya cement.

Differences in the Model and Actual Vehicles:

There are some slight differences between the model and the prototype and production versions of the actual vehicle.  The first is that the tracks supplied appear to be from the prototype vehicle since the photos available online of the production models have rubber pads in the track links and the model does not.  Another is the small aperture just over the main gun which appears on the prototypes but not the production vehicles.  Further, the tow cable hooks to the rear of the vehicle near the tail lights at the bottom of the hull in the prototypes and at the top of the rear hull in the production vehicles. The smoke dischargers on the prototype are different from the production models in that the production setup has one large oval cutout for the dischargers and the prototype has one round hole per discharger.  The prototype’s radio antennae are nearly vertical where the production model’s angle to the rear and the yellow decal that appears similar to the letter “M” does not appear on production models.  Finally, the prototypes have round headlights and mesh covers arranged towards the center front of the hull and the production vehicles have these nearer the tracks and behind mesh covers angled the same as the hull.  However, some of these differences do not appear in the later prototype versions and the model most nearly reflects an early model production vehicle with prototype tracks.

Conclusion:

The Tamiya Type 10 is an excellent model kit and is extremely rewarding to build.  It is very well engineered and the parts count is kept to a very reasonable level which is quite welcome.  The mentioned issues are minor especially compared to the ease of assembly and the outstanding detailing of the vehicle.  I highly recommend this kit to anyone interested in modern armored vehicles.

Photographs:

Diorama Night at King's Hobby Shop

King's Hobby has been asked by the Texas Military Forces Museum to participate in the renovation of their 19th Century Gallery.  Among the many new and exciting displays will be two new dioramas commemorating Civil War battles fought in Texas.  "The Battle of Sabine Pass" is complete (see photo essay below)..."The Battle of Galveston" is just getting started!

Tuesday nights at King's Hobby will become "Diorama Nights".  Any interested modeler, regardless of skill level, is welcomed.  If you want to come out to practice some skills, learn new techniques, or just hang-out with modelers; drop by King's on Tuesdays at 6:00.  All tools and supplies will be provided, but feel free to bring your favorite Xacto just in case.

Now presenting, "The Battle of Sabine Pass";

Here's a satellite image of the area;

We add contours and groundwork;

Then comes the water.  This was the largest pour any of us had ever attempted...and it took over a month to dry completely.

 Then we add the details...cannon, water effects, smoke, the lighthouse and other details;

Pick Up Your Tamiya Corsair Until 9:00 PM Tonight (7/29/13)

The Tamiya F4U-1 Corsair is here!  David will have the store open until 9:00 PM tonight if you want to pick one up today.

This is an outstanding kit and is all you would expect from Tamiya, the leader in scale plastic models. 

Tamiya 1/32 F4U-1 Corsair "Birdcage"

Stock Number:  3500-60324

Price:  $199.00

King's Hobby Shop To Be Overrun By Three New W.W.1 FT 17 Tank Kits!

It seems several manufacturers have noticed a demand for good quality kits of World War One AFVs.  I agree with this trend.  We are approaching the 99th  anniversary of the beginning of World War One on July 28. Until now, there have been no really good kits of AFVs from the conflict.  That is about to change.  Takom is releasing a 1/16 scale FT 17, while Italeri and Meng are both coming out with Renaults in 1/35 scale.  When it rains it pores?  All three kits promise to be good quality and should without doubt surpass the previous efforts by Tauro and RPM.

Release dates and prices are still indefinite for Meng and Italeri (Sometime before the end of 2013).  Takom's 1/16 Renault is due late July and will sell for 109.95.  Hopefully sales of these FT 17s will encourage kit makers to produce new tool German and British W.W.1 AFVs also.

Italeri 1/35 FT 17