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.