I love Hasegawa kits. In 1:48 there aren't usually better companies. They've been pipped just lately by Hobbyboss but their classics are still first rate. Unusually, though, I didn't like this one.
The build was a bit awkward. The cockpit section is separate to the fuselage in order to paint and detail the lift fan, and it doesn't quite align. It's a bit of a faff. But then that's not really the problem. As you can see, apart from the improperly trimmed refuelling probe/nozzles, I did a pretty respectable job of this (even though the lightbox shows up the faults). What bothers me is that I don't really get a Harrier vibe off the finished product. Usually when I build something to this standard I get a sense of satisfaction. This left me feeling a bit meh.
As it happens, it's one of the best Harrier kits out there. Its a magnitude better than the Tamiya Sea Harrier Mk1 (which is dreadful) and much better than the decidedly mediocre 1:48 FRS2 from Airfix. The landing gear is better defined (although the main belly gear doesn't actually reach the ground) and the transparencies are good. I just feel like there's something missing.
Unusually, it doesn't come with a range of munitions and I have bought the Hasegawa aircraft weapons sets which may help bring it to life. My hunch is that 1:48 is actually not big enough being that the Harrier is such a small aeroplane. It's not by any means a large model and it's about half the size of the average fast jet. There is a Trumpeter GR7 in 1:32 I think I need a crack at.
If you're after a GR7 in 1:48 I suspect this is still the one to get, and with a bit of engineering and investment it can be brought up to standard, but I reckon when it comes to Harriers, go big or go home!
No comments:
Post a Comment