The intakes are the only place where
the seams look a bit ugly. And the
canopy came with an oily residue on it.
the seams look a bit ugly. And the
canopy came with an oily residue on it.
Once again HM steps up and delivers a model no one else has, this time an F9F Panther in 1:48 scale. To my knowledge, this is the only diecast
Panther available in any scale, but there may be one in 1:100 or 1:144 out there that has escaped my radar.
The “Paper Doll” is the first of a series of Panthers HM is slated to issue during the next year or so. As such, it comes with its share of “bugs”, which
is not uncommon for the first release of a new mold from any maker. Thankfully, HM is generally more attentive to fixing issues with each
subsequent release of new paints. However, it generally takes three releases or so until things get ironed out.
First, the good news: It’s a diecast 1:48 scale Panther! Whoop! Plenty of folks have been waiting for one of these for some time. It’s a relatively
obscure jet for the mainstream crowd; however, this little jet bore the brunt of the workload at the start of the Korean War. Thus, this model fills a
hole in many collectors’ display cases.
Overall, the model is very well made with virtually zero visible gaps/seams/join lines in the mold, which HM should be commended for. The only
place it gets a bit clumsy in this area is around the engine intakes, which are also devoid of any interior detail themselves. The paint is also very
well applied with no evidence of overspray or other common gaffs on my model, which is a final retail release and should represent exactly what you
will see available in stores later this month. The decals are all pad-printed and are also very well done—there are plenty of small decals that other
makers (such as Franklin Mint) tend to leave out, and even these are easily legible.
I’m told the paint finish should have a glossy treatment. There is sheen to the paint, but I wouldn’t exactly call it glossy so I’m not sure if this is
correct. The shade of blue looks right however, which should be a relief – as this was wrong, I believe, in the pre-pro pics.
This model is shipping without any of HM’s customary black panel wash, which some people will like and others will not. (HM appears to be trying a
number of different wash strategies with different models and seeing how people react to them.) Since the base paint is so dark with this model
perhaps HM figured a wash would have little noticeable effect and thus, it was left off. Therefore, the model has a “fresh from the factory” look. I
prefer the gritty “used” look a wash implies but I don’t really feel very strongly one way or the other. I kind of like the variation, but I do understand
the other side of the fence, too.
correct. The shade of blue looks right however, which should be a relief – as this was wrong, I believe, in the pre-pro pics.
This model is shipping without any of HM’s customary black panel wash, which some people will like and others will not. (HM appears to be trying a
number of different wash strategies with different models and seeing how people react to them.) Since the base paint is so dark with this model
perhaps HM figured a wash would have little noticeable effect and thus, it was left off. Therefore, the model has a “fresh from the factory” look. I
prefer the gritty “used” look a wash implies but I don’t really feel very strongly one way or the other. I kind of like the variation, but I do understand
the other side of the fence, too.
I’m not going to get into any errors with the model in regard to accuracy versus the real deal; I will leave
that to folks that are more knowledgeable about the airframe than I. That said; to me the overall profile
and features of the model appear to be in line with photos/profiles I’ve seen. I feel fairly confident to at
least say “it’s in the ballpark” for accuracy. That is collectors that want a good general representation of
the aircraft for their collection will likely be satisfied with what they get.
The model comes with a host of working features: sliding canopy, retracting gear, moving flaps,
retractable tail hook, working speed brakes, and…wait for it...folding wings! This has been the source of
great debate since the first pre-pro shots of this model appeared online. The mechanism used to fold
the wings, unfortunately, comes with the tradeoff of some pretty ugly gaps that are magnified compared
to the real deal, and the hinges are quite visible, too. The interior of the wings, where the folding
mechanism on the real plane was located, is also pretty sparsely detailed. To some, this gives the model
more of a toy-like appearance—as opposed to a “model” look. I tend to agree with this. However, I also
like the flexibility of being able to display it with wings folded, too. If you leave it in this configuration,
much of the drawbacks are obscured. However, the sparse interior detail of the wings is exposed.
The biggest issue, however, with the folding wings is that the first time I folded them a small bit of paint
was stripped off the leading hinges in each wing (there are two hinges per wing), exposing the bare
metal underneath, and I think this will be a QA issue for HM to deal with going forward. Perhaps my
model is more prone to this issue as I got it fresh off the assembly line. I hope so. If you do get this
model, open the wings gently and be sure not to bend them too far, which could have been what caused
my problem. The wings don’t stop where they should on their own, at least looking at pictures of the real
airplane. It’s up to you to make them look right. I think HM should have incorporated a stop mechanism
into the way the wings fold to avoid this issue. If the real wings folded past the vertical, and I’m wrong, let
me know. Most pics I’ve seen has them at like a 70 degree angle or so.
The cockpit detail is better than most other HM models I’ve seen. That said, I’d like to see some color
incorporated into the instrument panels, which consist solely of white dials. The canopy is also quite
hard to slide, and mine had a bunch of “gunk” all over the inside of it, too. It was relatively simple to
clean up, thankfully.
that to folks that are more knowledgeable about the airframe than I. That said; to me the overall profile
and features of the model appear to be in line with photos/profiles I’ve seen. I feel fairly confident to at
least say “it’s in the ballpark” for accuracy. That is collectors that want a good general representation of
the aircraft for their collection will likely be satisfied with what they get.
The model comes with a host of working features: sliding canopy, retracting gear, moving flaps,
retractable tail hook, working speed brakes, and…wait for it...folding wings! This has been the source of
great debate since the first pre-pro shots of this model appeared online. The mechanism used to fold
the wings, unfortunately, comes with the tradeoff of some pretty ugly gaps that are magnified compared
to the real deal, and the hinges are quite visible, too. The interior of the wings, where the folding
mechanism on the real plane was located, is also pretty sparsely detailed. To some, this gives the model
more of a toy-like appearance—as opposed to a “model” look. I tend to agree with this. However, I also
like the flexibility of being able to display it with wings folded, too. If you leave it in this configuration,
much of the drawbacks are obscured. However, the sparse interior detail of the wings is exposed.
The biggest issue, however, with the folding wings is that the first time I folded them a small bit of paint
was stripped off the leading hinges in each wing (there are two hinges per wing), exposing the bare
metal underneath, and I think this will be a QA issue for HM to deal with going forward. Perhaps my
model is more prone to this issue as I got it fresh off the assembly line. I hope so. If you do get this
model, open the wings gently and be sure not to bend them too far, which could have been what caused
my problem. The wings don’t stop where they should on their own, at least looking at pictures of the real
airplane. It’s up to you to make them look right. I think HM should have incorporated a stop mechanism
into the way the wings fold to avoid this issue. If the real wings folded past the vertical, and I’m wrong, let
me know. Most pics I’ve seen has them at like a 70 degree angle or so.
The cockpit detail is better than most other HM models I’ve seen. That said, I’d like to see some color
incorporated into the instrument panels, which consist solely of white dials. The canopy is also quite
hard to slide, and mine had a bunch of “gunk” all over the inside of it, too. It was relatively simple to
clean up, thankfully.
Hobby Master 1:48 Air Power Series
HA7201 F9F Panther "Paper Doll" Released: Feb, 2008
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