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A-4 Skyhawk 
Seamless Intakes

 

Cutting Edge Modeworks

 

S u m m a r y
Catalogue Number and Description: CEC4880 - A-4E/F/G/H/J/K/N Seamless Intakes 
Scale: 1/48 scale
Contents and Media: Two parts in grey resin
Price: $8.99USD
Review Type: First Look
Advantages: Beautifully cast; totally seamless/blemish free interior and exterior; single-piece replacement for three-piece kit parts; excellent fit; removal and cleanup is much easier than the casting block suggests.
Disadvantages: No instructions (but no brain surgery required either!)
Recommendation: Recommended 


Reviewed by Brett Green


HyperScale is proudly sponsored by Meteor Productions

 

F i r s t   L o o k

 

Hasegawa's Skyhawk is a beautiful kit, as demonstrated by several full construction articles on HyperScale recently. Even so, there are a few improvements that might be made. 

One of the frequent irritations about jet kits is the engineering of jet intakes. Due to the limitations of the injection moulding process, intakes are almost always supplied in multiple parts. This usually means a joining seam on the inside of the intake that is next to impossible to remove.

Hasegawa's approach to the Skyhawk is to supply a three-part intake for each fuselage side. The joining surfaces are at the top and bottom - fairly well disguised from prying judges' eyes - but the intake lip will leave an obvious internal seam around the inner rim of each intake

Cutting Edge have solved this problem with their simple seamless intakes.

These are supplied in one part each, with no internal seam at all. Casting is up to CE's usual high standards.

I was a little worried about removal of the intake from an imposing looking casting block. I decided I should check the cleanup and fit as part of this review. I girded my loins, braced the part securely, took a deep breath and carefully cut the part away using a Tamiya razor saw. To my delight the part almost fell away - very little effort was required to remove the intake. A few swipes with a sanding stick finished the preparation. All this took about 2 minutes.

I was equally pleased with the fit to the kit fuselage. CE have thoughtfully supplied the alignment nib on the back of the intake to ensure correct location. The photo above shows the part dry-fitted - no glue, tape, adhesive. The fit is excellent. The small gap noticeable in the photo should totally disappear when the part is glued.

This is a really simple and effective accessory for your Hasegawa scooter.

Recommended.

Thanks to Meteor Productions for the review sample

Cutting Edge Modelworks products are available from Meteor Productions Website

Review Copyright © 2000 by Brett Green
Page Created 19 April, 2001
Last updated 22 July, 2003

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