Decals
The decal sheets truly are outstanding quality and the colour saturation and register are excellent. This is a good choice of three examples in RAF service.
The additional smaller sheet with specific decals for ‘Sadman’ show a well known ex-dictator with a British Flag wearing boot in the proper place….!! Great stuff
Photo-Etch
Last but not least Kitty Hawk has supplied a small fret of PE for that little extra detail.
Along with cockpit instrumentation detail, control panels and seat straps, there are cockpit mirrors, HUD, blade aerials, airbrake detail, afterburner rings and exhaust petals, tail hook and flaps. All will look great and enhance the already high level of detail the kit presents.
Plus points
- Subject choice
- Panel line detail
- Accuracy and fit
- Quality of moulding & decals
- Canopy clarity.
Downside
- Panel line alignment on underside
- Upper wing surface distortion
- Wing leading edge profile at join with fuselage
- Limited weapons options for UK versions
- Price a little high.
Conclusions
I have no problem saying this is a great kit, probably the best 1:48 scale Jaguar GR1/3 on the market from any manufacturer to date. Some of the flaws found are disappointing, but am sure Kitty Hawk will fix this going forward, along with the numbering errors in the instructions, but you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to work them out.
Buy one of these and I’ll bet like me, you’ll be moving this up to the top of the list of what’s next on your workbench.
Highly recommended
Mick S.
SMN Quick summary Star rating out of 5
| FEATURE | STAR RATING (out of five) |
|---|---|
| Quality of moulding | *** |
| Accuracy | **** |
| Instructions | *** |
| Decals | ***** |
| Subject choice | *** |
| Overall | **** |