In case anyone is curious... (Airfix 1:48 Hunter F Mk. 6)
The mail man just left a big box on the front porch, which contained among other items the new Airfix 1.48 Hunter F. Mk. 6.
There's lots of pix of what's in the box to be found on the net, so I'm not doing that here.
It's totally New Airfix. Test fitting a couple of airframe parts, if you take care in assembly you won't be using any filler.
Unlike the Academy kit, this kit has a 1/48 cockpit. Probably the only thing necessary would be a resin bang seat, but what's there can look good (it is a black cockpit after all) with the Eduard p-e I have left over from the Canberra project.
Choice of open/closed canopy. Nice and clear.
The boxart airplane - 63 Sqn CO's airplane with special markings for the 1958 Battle of Britain fly-by, look very nice. The decals are typical New Airfix, very good, with separate bits for the underwing codes for landing gear down. A bazillion (maybe two!) stencils.
A very novel way of doing the wing to deal with the intake trunking - I like it better than the Revell and Academy solutions.
All in all, the 1/48 Hunter we've always wanted is finally here. And later this summer they're doing the F. Mk. 4 without the "dogtooth." (the way they're going to do it is obvious as soon as you look inside the wing parts) Oh, also, all the parts are there to do a FGA9, except for the "cutout" flaps and the larger underwing tank.
There's tons of Aeromaster and other aftermarket decals done for the Academy kit that are out there at decent prices on EvilBay.
TC likes it! He really likes it!
UPDATE: I can resist anything but temptation. This kit calls to you from the box, "buuiiilllddd meeee..."
So I said "yes, master," and 3.5 hours later, it's together! Follow the instructions. There was a slight bit of warpage to the fuselage halves and upper wing part, Glue by bits, hold till it sets, no filler (other than a bit of C-A on the centerline). With the wing parts, start gluing with the joint of the intake trunking to the wing part - that will tighten things down and get it together right in the end.
Iām interested! I have one coming in the pipeline.
Thanks for the heads-up, Tom!
I see TC is twisting the knife again... perhaps he should build another one to find out if this is a one off problem. š
Green with envy on this one. The two best looking 50's fighters have got to be the F-86 and Hunter.
Well, it's available at a nice price from Kitlinx, who have it from England ahead of most everyone else on this side of the Atlantic. I would do a second one.
I'm waiting to see how this turns out. Hated how Academy did the intakes which meant seams that were almost impossible to fix.
Read my review of the kit at M2 tomorrow. It's the Hunter of our dreams. Everything Academy got wrong is solved.