Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Warhawk, Seafire And Eagle



What is it about fighter aircraft that fascinates me so?  I was raised during the period shortly after WWII and was regaled by stories of brave fighter pilots who fought the nefarious Nazis and Japs.  At that time comic books and magazines still carried stories chronicling the war in the air and many of the veteran pilot’s of that period were considered heroes.

I’ve grown up loving fighter aircraft and while I do not consider myself an expert on aircraft, by any means, I still appreciate the design and technology of any fighter aircraft.

Since my visits to aircraft museums and military bases are at a minimum-at best-I enjoy looking at books on aircraft and at plastic models.

Hasegawa Hobby Kits is the master of recreating classic fighter aircraft in miniature form with its huge collection of both Limited Editions and widespread distribution plastic models.

Each and every aircraft model (fighter or not) duplicates perfectly the detail, markings and ‘feel’ of its larger counterpart.

Parts are finely-crafted with minimal or zero flashing resulting in very little, if any, trimming.  Each piece is made to fit perfectly with other parts in the aircraft and with the simple and easy to understand instructions (with illustrations) the aircraft assemble with no muss or fuss.

Decal sheets (normally of a variety so modelers can customize aircraft to particular periods or air forces) are easy to apply and painting instructions are accurate so modelers can be assured that their model matches the original aircraft.

Parts detach easily from part trees and are easy to identify by number and appearance.
Three aircraft were recently released and they include two WWI era planes and one modern fighter jet.

The 1/48 Scale Seafire MK1B Limited Edition model captures the look and feel of the Royal Navy’s jury-rigged Spitfire fitted for aircraft use.  Besides being heavily armed and packed with interior and exterior details the aircraft also comes with an arresting hook and under fuselage panel (with parts to match the cobbled together and modified aircraft made ready for aircraft carrier duty.)  It’s a beautiful model with its clear cockpit, working landing gear, tri-blade propeller and impressive firepower.

The Japanese were somehow able to capture several P-40E Warhawks during WWII and repurpose them for their own use.  Dubbed the Prisoner Of War, the P-40E Warhawk made for a lethal adversary in the air.

While not necessarily the most maneuverable or fast aircraft the Warhawks or Flying Tigers were incredibly tough and resilient and served their pilots well.

Fight for fight the aircraft matched their ferocious namesake(s) with a large number of.
109 parts make up the 1/48 Scale model kit that requires a Level 3 skill in model-making.  As with most Hasegawa aircraft models the Warhawk is packed with details, landing gear )that can be deployed or encased) and modified by using several different paint schemes and decals.

Hasegawa’s 1/72 Scale, Level 3 F-15E strike Eagle fighter jet is a marvel of engineering and technology twin body-mounted jet engines give this baby plenty of 'umph' and when decked out in it full armament few aircraft or ground forces want to tackle this bundle of kill power.

Capable of carrying two passengers, the F-15E Strike Eagle has served it country well in numerous skirmishes and battles and is lethal killer both on the ground and in the air.

The kit contains additional tank, antenna, display and pylon parts and once assembled the aircraft will make a fine addition to any modeler’s collection whether suspended from lines from the ceiling or proudly displayed on its stand.  

I was surprised by the heftiness of the model kit made so by the additional parts.

All three models feature full-color paintings on their packages and their instructions give complete histories of each.