Hobby Master was kind enough to send me a pre-production version of its upcoming Skyhawk depicting the livery of the airplane John McCain
was shot down in during Vietnam. It's the third Skyhawk from HM, to date the only company to make this model in 1:72. As this is NOT a final
representation of the retail model, I will NOT review it. I will say that I do like it quite a bit, and it fills a hole in my collection that was glaring. It
assembles easily, though the gear is unstable without glue (see mouseover image below). It includes both missiles and rocket tubes for the wingtip
pylons, raised/lowered gear options with a display stand, and the canopy opens and closes (though far from easily on this pre-pro, hopefully this
will be addressed with the final release). The famous black wash has been applied, but not as heavily as on the retail Texan, and I don't mind it as
much. I do wish the model had more moving parts, such as the rudder and/or working speed brakes. Regardless, I think it's a great-looking bird.
Enjoy the pics -- the final retail version should be hitting shelves in the U.S. in July.
was shot down in during Vietnam. It's the third Skyhawk from HM, to date the only company to make this model in 1:72. As this is NOT a final
representation of the retail model, I will NOT review it. I will say that I do like it quite a bit, and it fills a hole in my collection that was glaring. It
assembles easily, though the gear is unstable without glue (see mouseover image below). It includes both missiles and rocket tubes for the wingtip
pylons, raised/lowered gear options with a display stand, and the canopy opens and closes (though far from easily on this pre-pro, hopefully this
will be addressed with the final release). The famous black wash has been applied, but not as heavily as on the retail Texan, and I don't mind it as
much. I do wish the model had more moving parts, such as the rudder and/or working speed brakes. Regardless, I think it's a great-looking bird.
Enjoy the pics -- the final retail version should be hitting shelves in the U.S. in July.
Hobby Master 1:72 Air Power Series
HA1403: A-4E VA-163, "McCain's Last Ride" To be released in July '07
She's a bit unstable on her feet (mouseover image) -- white glue for the "parked" display
option is probably going to be a good idea.
option is probably going to be a good idea.
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