This is a frustrating kit because it's almost good, but is actually terrible. There aren't many issues with the main body of the aircraft, but the landing gear is absolutely pathetic and the parts don't even fit. It really lets it down - as does the complete absence of cockpit detailing. If you want to do a halfway decent job of this you have to buy a resin ejector seat and scratch-build a better interior. You can get after market landing gear legs but they're not much better. Meanwhile, the canopy doesn't really fit, the missiles are poor, and if you bought it boxed as Heller then the decals are rubbish as well.
This one is my second attempt and it's not much better than the first. I hoped with more advanced skills I might be able to do justice to it but I have to resign myself to the fact that you have to be a master modeller and detailer to do justice to the subject matter.
I'm aware there is a Kitty Hawk production of the Jag in 1:48 and I may yet stretch to it and send this one to the aeroplane graveyard in the sky. I'm told it also has issues but it can't possibly be worse than this. Perhaps an amalgam of the two might yield results?
I don't know why I'm determined to have a decent Jaguar. It's not the fastest or the coolest, nor does it have an especially interesting combat record. It's not even nostalgia because it wasn't an airshow star particularly either - especially when they were displaying the Tornado. There's just something about it. It doesn't have to be pretty to be interesting.
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