Scale: 1:32
Price: $75.00
Reviewed by Geoff Coughlin
Our thanks to Paul at Fisher Model and Pattern for supplying the review sample. Get this incredible conversion kit here now at: http://fishermodels.com/
Initial assessment:
At last! Here it is, the hugely awaited two-seat conversion for Revell’s Hawker Hunter kit in 1:32nd scale and immediately I can tell you that this package looks stunning – really very impressive at first glance. Sorry boys, this is one I’m not letting go of, so watch this space and follow the full build that will be starting very shortly in Build Now by yours truly.
Now just in case you are short on a little inspiration, and that hardly seems possible considering the subject matter, try this out….
The sturdy cardboard box should ensure that your resin conversion kit arrives safe and well from the USA. Inside everything is packaged beautifully and consists of plenty of substantial new and replacement items to convert either your early Revell FGA.9 or later F.6 kits. This kit is designed to replace the front fuselage and tail cone in the Revell kit and with a little care and careful alignment of the front fuselage and remaining parts will ensure that you end up with a stunning scale model – one very definitely different to the standard single-seat Hunter.
The resin is extremely tactile and very finely moulded – there were no obvious imperfections in the sample we received. Finely recessed panel lines are engraved on all the parts and look to be a very close match in scale to those found on the kit – a good start. Only very thin excess flash can be found on some of the smaller parts but this easily flakes away to reveal the finely detailed parts such as the cockpit control columns, ejection handles and so on.
Another major inclusion is the new wider spine that fares into the front fuselage and sits on top of the wings. The instructions will guide you through the adaption needed to the kit fuselage.
Cockpit…
Returning to the front fuselage, the cockpit is highly detailed, containing a full set of side consoles and two superbly detailed Martin baker Type 4H ejection seats. The straps are very finely cast so be careful when handling and finishing these. A slight niggle is the fact that both seats are cast from the same mould meaning that the straps and harness will look identical on each seat unless you modify the straps on one seat. I might do this, because it will be noticeable in this scale. Just a personal preference.
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The main instrument panel is etched metal and finely detailed yet again. Instrument dials and acetate will sit behind the etched fret to give you a superbly realistic effect.
Some of the smaller parts shown out of the bag above are designed to enhance and detail the canopy and whilst on the subject of the latter, the front and rear sections are moulded separately so that you can finish your Hunter with the canopy open. This is the only option I would consider in the scale and mainly so that you can see all that gorgeous detail!
New white metal undercarriage units…
These look very nice and are a great improvement on the kit parts. The latter have a tendency to sag a little if you don’t get the alignment just right for the model and so with the extra weight this resin conversion adds, the metal undercarriage units are neat additions.
The instructions…
Given that this is a limited run kit I think that the instructions are fine for the job. Reading through them a couple of times first suggests that all should be pretty straightforward. Paul does give good direction and practical suggestions like strengthening the fuselage with small plasticard tabs to give added strength to the model and this is very welcome.
And the decals…
The decals are high quality and in register. You get options for:
- A red/white/Light Aircraft Grey Hawker Hunter T.7 XL600 ‘83’ of No.16 Squadron, Gutersloh, Germany, January 1981
- An Airframe Aluminium overall with yellow trainer bands Hawker Hunter T.7 XL568 of No. 74 Squadron
- And a specially marked camouflage grey/green hawker Hunter T.7 sporting a white spine, fin and upper tail cone, outer wing panels and red drop tanks.
What’s the verdict then…?
This conversion kit offers excellent value for money. Considering what you get in the box, the number of parts and the presentation. You shouldn’t have to pay a lot for your Revell Hawker Hunter kit either. In the UK, these kits regularly come up at shows for around the £20.00 mark, often less, so the chance to complete a real show-stopper with something completely different might prove irresistible.
The package simply oozes quality and I can’t wait to get stuck into the contents and as I say, the build will be here in all its glory over the coming weeks.
Highly Recommended
Geoff C.