Beautiful scheme, nice-looking bird -- but she's a tail-dragger (see rollover image).
Hobby Master's first 1:48 Spitfire is a fine-looking model -- the paint job is
very nice and looks more realistic to me overall than what I've seen on FM
Spits. The stenciling is very well done, everything is pad-printed, crisp and
legible -- and the graphics are superb (roundel, etc.). I like the stenciled
rivets on the engine covers, they look pretty good from standard viewing
distance. Though I would think there should be more on other parts of the
fuselage -- such as gun bay access covers and such?? -- but there are not.
Again, this could be correct as-is. That said, I still think I would prefer the
rivets to be molded (I assume HM does this to keep costs down?)
I'm not enough of a Spit nut to know the nuts and bolts of this variant so I
won't speak to accuracy or lack thereof... but it looks cool to me!
The retractable gear works well, though it looks a bit short -- but it might be
100% correct, and probably is. The gear isn't as detailed as I'd like to see,
the wheel well itself is smooth and devoid of detail and the wheels don't roll.
However, this is not a big deal to me at all.
The black wash is in effect and borders on overdone to me, some lines are
really subtle others are pretty dark, so it's not as evenly applied on this
sample as I've seen on past HM models, which may be intentional. (This is a
final retail version not a pre-pro).
It comes in the same HM packaging -- just in 1:48 scale. It's a LE model,
and it comes with a numbered certificate card to prove it.
The cockpit interior looks too big to me -- the seat is large and there's a lot
of space between the instrument panel and the seat, and there's no control
stick. I think this is so that you don't have to worry about breakage when you
insert the pilot figure? Harness straps are painted on the seat, and look a bit
tacky to me.
The pilot... hmm....... Unless JJ himself was a very, very small man this figure
is way too small. When you put it in the cockpit the little fella can barely, if at
all, see over the instrument panel and looks pretty silly. This figure is about
2/3 the size of a figure from C1, for example. He looks about 1:56th scale or
so to me.
The rudder and elevators move -- but be carefull. My rudder snapped off the
instant I applied any pressure to it. And when I tried to snap it back in place
the bottom pin (which is very delicately attached) snapped off -- with very
little force, mind you. I super-glued this back on and got the rudder back on
but I suspect this will be an issue for many people with this model -- just be
gentile and don't mess with the rudder position much is my advice.
The canopy slides open/closed smoothly and easily -- and the cockpit door
opens, too. This part is plastic and sits pretty loosely -- and when you have it
open you sort of expose the clear plastic tabs that hold the canopy in place.
Not a big deal, won't see it from normal viewing distance, but might be
something someone cares about.
There are no exposed screw heads (Elmer) -- everything is plugged up.
The 5-bladed metal prop is simply wicked looking -- this bird looks fast
when it's parked!
I wish there was some info provided about in the packaging about JJ's
exploits in this bird... I know the combat time this variant had was limited?
For $40-50 I think this model more than holds its own against FM 1:48
fighters, which go for $60-90 -- about all FM has over it is a higher heft
factor and more substantial packaging, perhaps --- and maybe better
cockpit detail. (But with FM you get exposed screws and no moving parts).
When it comes to fit/finish the HM Spit looks more like a miniature airplane
to me and the FM models look more like painted pieces of metal.
(Note: the display stand's main support arm is metal, which should
eliminate that classic HM "wobble" effect, too, forgot to mention that. And
the unfortunate side effect of the way the sliding canopy is modelled is that
you get a somewhat ugly slot in the rear of the cockpit behind the armor
plating and a clear plastic tab extending from the canopy roof into the slot,
which allows it to slide. Tabs on the bottom of the front sides of the sliding
canopy then hold it in place. I would have thought the same effect could have
been accomplished with just the tabs, a la Dragon.)
Recommended.
very nice and looks more realistic to me overall than what I've seen on FM
Spits. The stenciling is very well done, everything is pad-printed, crisp and
legible -- and the graphics are superb (roundel, etc.). I like the stenciled
rivets on the engine covers, they look pretty good from standard viewing
distance. Though I would think there should be more on other parts of the
fuselage -- such as gun bay access covers and such?? -- but there are not.
Again, this could be correct as-is. That said, I still think I would prefer the
rivets to be molded (I assume HM does this to keep costs down?)
I'm not enough of a Spit nut to know the nuts and bolts of this variant so I
won't speak to accuracy or lack thereof... but it looks cool to me!
The retractable gear works well, though it looks a bit short -- but it might be
100% correct, and probably is. The gear isn't as detailed as I'd like to see,
the wheel well itself is smooth and devoid of detail and the wheels don't roll.
However, this is not a big deal to me at all.
The black wash is in effect and borders on overdone to me, some lines are
really subtle others are pretty dark, so it's not as evenly applied on this
sample as I've seen on past HM models, which may be intentional. (This is a
final retail version not a pre-pro).
It comes in the same HM packaging -- just in 1:48 scale. It's a LE model,
and it comes with a numbered certificate card to prove it.
The cockpit interior looks too big to me -- the seat is large and there's a lot
of space between the instrument panel and the seat, and there's no control
stick. I think this is so that you don't have to worry about breakage when you
insert the pilot figure? Harness straps are painted on the seat, and look a bit
tacky to me.
The pilot... hmm....... Unless JJ himself was a very, very small man this figure
is way too small. When you put it in the cockpit the little fella can barely, if at
all, see over the instrument panel and looks pretty silly. This figure is about
2/3 the size of a figure from C1, for example. He looks about 1:56th scale or
so to me.
The rudder and elevators move -- but be carefull. My rudder snapped off the
instant I applied any pressure to it. And when I tried to snap it back in place
the bottom pin (which is very delicately attached) snapped off -- with very
little force, mind you. I super-glued this back on and got the rudder back on
but I suspect this will be an issue for many people with this model -- just be
gentile and don't mess with the rudder position much is my advice.
The canopy slides open/closed smoothly and easily -- and the cockpit door
opens, too. This part is plastic and sits pretty loosely -- and when you have it
open you sort of expose the clear plastic tabs that hold the canopy in place.
Not a big deal, won't see it from normal viewing distance, but might be
something someone cares about.
There are no exposed screw heads (Elmer) -- everything is plugged up.
The 5-bladed metal prop is simply wicked looking -- this bird looks fast
when it's parked!
I wish there was some info provided about in the packaging about JJ's
exploits in this bird... I know the combat time this variant had was limited?
For $40-50 I think this model more than holds its own against FM 1:48
fighters, which go for $60-90 -- about all FM has over it is a higher heft
factor and more substantial packaging, perhaps --- and maybe better
cockpit detail. (But with FM you get exposed screws and no moving parts).
When it comes to fit/finish the HM Spit looks more like a miniature airplane
to me and the FM models look more like painted pieces of metal.
(Note: the display stand's main support arm is metal, which should
eliminate that classic HM "wobble" effect, too, forgot to mention that. And
the unfortunate side effect of the way the sliding canopy is modelled is that
you get a somewhat ugly slot in the rear of the cockpit behind the armor
plating and a clear plastic tab extending from the canopy roof into the slot,
which allows it to slide. Tabs on the bottom of the front sides of the sliding
canopy then hold it in place. I would have thought the same effect could have
been accomplished with just the tabs, a la Dragon.)
Recommended.
Hobby Master 1:72 Air Power Series
HA7101: Supermarine Spitfire Mk. XIVe, JEJ MV268, 127 Wing, 2nd TAF,
Gp. Capt. Johnnie Johnson, Soltau, Germany, May, 1945 Released: Dec, 2007
Gp. Capt. Johnnie Johnson, Soltau, Germany, May, 1945 Released: Dec, 2007
 | |  |
|
| Score: 4 (out of 5) Collectibility: Med Price (MSRP): $50 Production Run: 2,000 Catalog Number: Ha7101 |
| | |
| Click image for a slideshow presentation. |
