It seems we’ve been crewing our Saab Grippens and German F-4 Phantom 2s with the wrong pilots! PJ Production has set things right by releasing his latest 1/72 scale resin pilot figures.
Click pics to make bigger:
Use cyanoacrylate glue (super/krazy type glue) to put these guys together, and in your Grippen or Luftwaffe F-4.
2011: PJ PRODUCTION HAS NEW PILOT FIGURES; 1/32 SOVIET, 1/48 MODERN U.S./NATO & 1/72 SAR
Iranian media reports that a full scale model of the U.S. RQ-170 stealth drone will be used in upcoming parades celebrating the anniversary of the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
Also, Reuters reporting that Iranian officials answered U.S. President Barack Obama’s demands to have the drone sent back to the U.S., by sending him a small hot pink model of the drone instead.
The model sent to Obama is said to have an inscription that reads “we will step on the United States”.
The Iranians say the toy stealth drone is selling like hot cakes in Iran, at $4 per model, they will be sending Obama his toy model via the Swiss embassy: “We made the ‘RQ’ in pink as it is Mr. Obama’s favorite color and we will send it to him via the Swiss embassy.”-Seyyed Saeed Hassan-pour, Aaye Company (they make the toy model)
For the second time this year, PJ Production has released three new PUR (polyurethane resin) cast figure kits. Philippe Jacques (PJ) has just recently issued a 1/32 scale Soviet or Modern Russian pilot, with optional helmets.
A new 1/48 scale modern U.S./NATO pilot joins the growing number of 1/48 PJ pilots.
Finally a set of four 1/72 scale helicopter SAR (Search And Rescue) figures. Two are seated pilot/co-pilot figures while the other two are crew figures (one standing, one kneeling).
PJ PRODUCTION HAS NEW FIGURE KITS
Don’t throw out that 40 year old Heller kit just because it has raised surface detail. You can always use the wheels, landing gear doors and speed brake doors.
The fuselage of the Heller kit has a better shape, but it doesn’t come with the fuel dump (fixed easily), and the area where the elevators attach is the wrong shape (it’s too straight). The vertical tail/rudders on the Fujimi and Hobbycraft kits are bigger in area, and taller than the Heller kit. Fujimi and Hobbycraft have subtle recessed surface details.
The F-30 wings are about the same size in all three kits. With Hobbycraft (now issued by Academy?) you get the added benefit of separately molded slats.
Surprisingly Fujimi does not make a distinction on its packaging regarding the type of wings their kits come with. In their “JASDF” issue you get an F-86F-40 with the extended span, slated wing. In their “Mig Mad Marine” issue you get the F-86F-30 with the in Korean War theater hard fenced wing conversion. Fujimi’s boxes just say “F-86F” (at least on the kits I have).
The old Heller kit has the best detailed main wheels. The Fujimi main wheel tires are the biggest in diameter, followed by Hobbycraft. Photos indicate that the Fujimi tires might be the correct diameter, but the Heller wheel definitely has the best detail. All three kits have similar nose wheels. The real F-86 used at least three types of nose wheels: Two types of spoked wheels, and a solid wheel. Most of the pictures I’ve seen of the solid nose wheel is of South Korean and West German Sabres.
The Heller and Hobbycraft kits have a short intake trunk. The Hobbycraft kit has the nose wheel bay and cockpit floor molded onto the trunk. The Fujimi intake trunking also has the nose wheel bay and cockpit floor molded on, but is much deeper and actually goes somewhere.
That somewhere is an incorrectly faced engine. The fan blades should be set back more (there should be a section of venturi before the blades), and the nose cone should be larger, but who’s gonna really notice once it’s assembled?
The wheel bay doors, and speed brake doors are much better, and accurately detailed on the old Heller kit.
Hobbycraft has screwed up its nose gear door. They’ve put the locator stubs on the wrong side. Their instructions give a vague indication of placement on the correct side of the wheel bay, but if your not paying attention and simply go with the locator stubs you’ll end up with the door on the wrong side (it should be on the pilot’s left side).
All three kits have issues with their elevators. The Hobbycraft kit has the shortest, with the least angle of sweep, and rounded tips. The Fujimi and Heller elevators have the same angle of sweep, but with different shaped tips. The Heller elevator is the longest of the three. From three view drawings of F-86F-30s it doesn’t look like any of the three kit makers got it right, although Heller’s looks the closest to being correct. The Fujimi and Hobbycraft elevators look more like earlier F-86A/E elevators (according to three view drawings).
Other notes: The cockpit details on the Heller kit are worthless. Fujimi has a nice looking instrument panel (not necessarily accurate, but it looks good), and it looks like Hobbycraft has copied the Fujimi panel. The detail on the side consoles, in all three kits, is spurious at best. All three kits have similar looking seats. All three kits have canopies that can be posed open. The Heller and Hobbycraft kits come with external fuel tanks, while the Fujimi kit comes with Sidewinder missiles as well as external fuel tanks.
You can improve the Fujimi and Hobbycraft kits with some of the parts from the Heller kit, but you’d still need aftermarket photo etch, or resin parts to improve the wheel bays and cockpits (or scratch build your own).
A note on references: In one book I have (no names/titles mentioned) there is a color photo of a South Korean F-86, with the -40 extended slat wing (and solid nose wheel). At the back of the book is a color profile of the same aircraft, except it shows the -30 hard fenced wing. It’s just an example to show that you can’t trust a profile, instead use photos of the real thing.
Part 2: F-86 Saber Fujimi vs Heller, or, Nobody is Perfect!
Buhl Middle School, in Buhl, Idaho, is using model car kits to help students with reading and researching.
6th graders are not just putting together models, they’re spending time doing historical research about the cars they’re building. They’re also learning about different styles of customizing cars.
The building of model kits has made some huge progress in the past 4 decades. Many builders don’t just slap the kits together; they spend lots of time researching their subjects to create the most accurate representations they can. If you want to compete in the big time model contests it’s a necessity that you’re historically literate.
When it comes to the history of cars, it’s not just the technical history that kids can learn, it’s also the cultural history, especially when it comes the “fads” of car customizing trends. So don’t think of model kits as “toys” (especially when you realize how expensive they’ve gotten over the decades), think of them as “educational tools”.
PJ Production has released three new figure kits. Two in 1/72 scale, and one in 1/48 scale. The kits are polyurethane resin, so you’ll have to use cyanoacrylate (super type) glue.
F-16/F-18 Pilots Sitting
F-16/F-18 Pilots Standing
Philippe Jacques (PJ) has issued two 1/72 scale “F-16/F-18” pilots, one set sitting, the other set standing/boarding. They’re basically present day U.S./NATO/European pilots, so if you want up to date pilots for your present day ‘western’ aircraft better get ’em while they’re hot out the silicon mold.
USN Bomb Crew
The other set is 1/48 scale World War 2 U.S. Navy bomb loading crew. It comes with four figures and a little bomb dolly.
The figures have nice detail, unfortunately the pics don’t show it.
Little Bomb Cart
Unfortunately this kit is not what it should have been. I read some positive reviews about some of Italeri’s 1/72 scale kits, but I don’t think having nice decals and recessed lines qualifies as good.
Initially this Mustang 1 kit looked good to me, until I did some research on the actual aircraft.
The overall shape of the fuselage looks okay, but the wings are for the P-51D. This kit comes with a sprue of parts for the P-51 Mustang 1, which include the fuselage. The sprue with the wing on it is actually from Italeri’s F-51D Mustang kit. The Mustang’s wing shape changed as each new model came along, so how could Italeri think their F-51D wing would suffice?
Also, since the wings are for the F-51D it has wing tip lights, which is incorrect for the earlier model Mustangs.
Oddly, considering a lack of concern over accuracy, Italeri molded a deep recess line around where the air scoop is, I assume because the actual Mustang 1 air scoop could open up for more air flow. The instructions don’t mention this.
The canopy is lacking canopy framing. The cockpit interior is typical of most 1/72 kits; there’s detail, but it’s not accurate.
The decals look good.
You get markings for one USAAF in North Africa, and one RAF recon aircraft. The box art depicts the USAAF version as a recon aircraft, with a camera behind the pilot, but of course there is no camera in the kit, nor is the canopy right for a recon version (recon variants used anything from bulged clear panels to panels with holes cut in them).
I recommend this kit if you’re looking for a quick build, and are not concerned with contest winning accuracy (that would require a lot of correcting, scratch building & kit bashing).