Reviewed by Dave Coward
Watch this space as this kit will feature in your Build Now very soon! Geoff
This is Fisher’s latest release and to say I have been waiting patiently for it is an understatement and I have not been disappointed. Now this has been a long wait and this is not a cheap kit (approx £165) but good things come to those who wait and quality does not come cheap.
I first saw this aircraft at the Nats at Telford, England UK last year (2009) as an entry into the competition by Nick Turner. I was stunned by its finish and to be honest was gob smacked how it didn’t get best in show but that’s another story. Fortunately Nick got together with Paul and Susy Fisher to produce a kit of his superb model and this is it.
The Kit
The kit comes in Fisher’s normal sturdy white box with just a small sticker on either end to give an indication of what delights lie within the box.
When you open the box you find everything is wrapped in white tissue paper to keep it safe so it takes a good 5 minutes to un-wrap everything and marvel at the model that lies in front of you. Now there is not a lot of model for your money at first look but this is because the wing and fuselage come as one piece assemblies and what assemblies they are. They are each one-piece resin mouldings that have crisp panel lining and superb detail cast into them. The dry fit of the wing to the fuselage is exception for such a large resin kit and there is very little excess resin that requires removing.
The kit contains a number of bags each packed with resin bits. Each bag has been filled with parts for a particular sub assembly such as the cockpit, the control surfaces, the undercarriage or the spinner so you can work your way through each bag without hunting for bits – a further sign of the quality of this kit. There is a little flash on some of the blocks but this is easily removed and the detail on these parts is exquisite.
The undercarriage legs come cast as a one piece brass piece that will be required to support the weight of this kit and the canopy is a two piece clear resin mould.
The spinner and propeller assembly is made up from two spinners to allow for the contra rotating nature of the aircraft and a number of separate blades. Each blade is individually attached to the spinner using a resin jig in order to get the angle correct.
I know I appear to be using a lot of superlatives to describe this kit but you just can’t help it – it is that good!!!
The instructions are straightforward and use a combination of black and white photographs with accompanying text. This kit does require a certain amount of skill and common sense from an experienced modeller to get the best out of it and this is emphasised in the instructions – don’t by this as your second ever kit or if you do put it away until you can do it justice!!
The decals come on two sheets and one again are beautifully produced.
Summary
If you haven’t already guessed by now I really like this kit – its not cheap and may well be out of reach of many modellers but if you can afford it you will get a quality product that will build into a stunning and unique aircraft.
Very highly recommended
Dave C.