|
F-105D
1/32 Scale
Collect-Aire
S u m m a r y
|
| Catalogue
Number: |
#3209 |
| Scale: |
1/32 |
| Contents and Media: |
Resin and white
metal - see text for details |
| Price: |
USD$289.95 from
Collect-Aire's website |
| Review Type: |
FirstLook |
| Advantages: |
Big and impressive;
sturdy white metal landing gear; good vaccuum-formed
canopy; decent decals. |
| Disadvantages: |
Very basic cockpit;
some incomplete casting and small bubbles; expensive compared to
forthcoming Trumpeter kit |
| Recommendation: |
Recommended if you
have to build a big Thud right now! |
Reviewed by Fotios Rouch
HyperScale is proudly supported by Squadron
I only own about ten 1/32 scale kits since I mostly build in 1/48
scale.
When Collect-Aire announced the F-105D I though it would look really
cool next to the Tamiya F-4D. There were rumors and denials for a while
about Trumpeter making one as well. I took the plunge and placed my order
($250) although I new that there could be one coming from China. Out of
principle I did not cancel my order even when my inside info confirmed
that the Trumpeter Thud was indeed in the plans. There are precious few
companies out there that make kits that I enjoy tremendously. I support
them by buying their products hoping that they will continue to bring out
kits that fill my evenings with hours of resin
dust filled fun!
I got hold of my big Collect-Aire Thud on February 11. I thought of
first sharing my impressions with the HS crowd and secondly I thought it
would be a good idea to share my walkaround of the big Thud as well.
The kit (#6) came in big sturdy yellow box. My first impression was:
"Holy cow, these castings are huge!"
The kit fuselage is split in 4 big units. Two are for the front,
extending from the nose cone all the way to the point were the real Thud
separates its tail area for engine removal. At the back area of these two
parts there is some detail provided in case you would want to display your
Thud with its engine exposed (you would have to make your own trolley).
Click the thumbnails below
to view larger images:
There are two parts for the rear engine area where the tail mounts. The
wings are solid castings and are heavy. There is an engine provided with
two identical looking fan blades to be attached at the front and the rear
of it.
Click the thumbnails below
to view larger images:
In detail now, starting with the cockpit. There is very little
detail provided considering that this is a 32nd scale kit. No detail
whatsoever is provided for the side-walls. The seat is very basic but it
looks a bit like the Thud seat. The instrument panel looks close but there
is a perfectly smooth area for the instrument panel coaming where the HUD
should be. The control stick is thick and with little detail. Look at my
cockpit pictures and compare. I had my expectations set properly but still
I had hoped for a little more detailed interior especially in view of the
fact that this is not an obscure XB or XF aircraft but a very well
documented plane. I mean there is tons of after market stuff in 48th to
scale up.
Click the thumbnails below
to view larger images:
The machine gun bay looks okay and it matches with what Paragon
provides and what I have from the literature.
The fuselage looks okay scale wise. I compared the details and panel
lines of the Collect-Aire kit with Monogram's offering and various scale
plans. It looks ok and little needs to be added. The sensor below and to
the rear of the nose cone is not present in the Collect-Aire kit. The
early Ds did not have it but the later ones did. The tail has a lot of
paneling detail on it, more than the real thing did. The rear fuselage
area and the exhaust petals look ok to me.
There are two tanks provided and a centerline pylon with 6 bombs and
the appropriate braces.
Click the thumbnails below
to view larger images:
The wings have no bracing on the top surface and one brace panel on the
low surface. I think bracing was more of a configuration issue depending
on what variant is in question. The wheel bays are light in detail. The
intakes are hollow but they go against the solid wings so you might want
to create engine covers for that area.
Click the thumbnails below
to view larger images:
The metal landing gear parts look very sturdy and they should support
the model just fine. There was an attempt made to represent brake lines
but mine were interrupted at various points due to incomplete casting. The
wheels look close to the real thing but will require clean up and drilling
to get rid of the tiny air-bubbles that you can see in the pictures
provided.
The vac canopies are clear and there is a resin canopy frame provided.
The decals are of decent quality and provide options for a silver, a SEA
and a Euro1 machine. The low visibility decals with the HI code on the
tail are not represented in the instructions I received but will be
included in the later production runs. You will need to provide your own
ejection gray warnings for this variant because the kit gives only hi-viz
warnings.
If Trumpeter was not coming out with their F-105 kits I would have
started building mine already. The thing of it is that the Chinese will
come out with one and then Meteor and Black Box will release stupendous
cockpits and supplemental details, then tons of great decals will come
out, then Falcon will
make superb vac canopies for it, then Eduard will make some cool photoetch...
and on and on until we will have a situation similar to what happened with
the 1:32nd A-10! At that point for a mere $150 you will have everything
and a half to make a killer Thud! I do not believe I am capable to
outperform and come out on top in such a situation.
I do not know if I will be building mine right now. If Trumpeter
decides not to make theirs then all the effort will be worth it. For the
moment I think it will be on a standby status. Considering that I have
Collect-Aire's beautiful gem of a kit Skywarrior, that I know nobody will
ever make in 48th, waiting for me at my work bench....
Click the thumbnails below
to view larger images:
Review Copyright © 2002 by
Fotios Rouch
This Page Created on 05 April, 2002
Last updated
22 July, 2003
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