6 July 05 - This is as good as it gets without adding decals! So now I have to order the decals. Once again I am struck by how detailed this model is. Surface detail is so very important to the overall look of the model, and the Hawker Hurricane IID is a wonderful example of a manufacturer 'getting it right'. Enjoy the eyecandy!
Imagine this: the last thing a German Afrika Korps tank commander saw - the Hawker IID diving out of the sun, canons blazing.
Side-on shot, more detail - note the terrain clearing stand mentioned in the earlier post! I love this stuff!
Close-up of detail. Note the ribbing in the ailerons. Amazing! Look out kitchen table, he's firing!
A poorly lighted view of the undercarriage detail. No difference. Top to bottom this is just an incredible model.
And last but not least, another poorly lighted shot of the top. Oh well. I barely passed High School Photo and it shows!Upate!
23 May 05 - I slapped another coat of paint on this beastie last evening and it looks pretty good. I absolutely must invest in a decent airbrush, or I'll never do justice to models of this quality. I'll put the camo (second) color on, then I'll snap and post! Well, if the riches ever start pouring in from the ads here, I'll be sure to put that money towards a new airbrush!
What's not to like about a tank-hunting aircraft!?
I was like a kid in a candy store when the box from David at AIM arrived. I tore it open, nearly drooling. Inside was my order of 1 DFS-230A German Assault/Cargo glider, and a terrain clearing stand, plus, David included a pair of Hawker Hurricanes for me to review!
I was so excited, I plumb forgot to start snapping pictures from the box opening on. Suffice it to say, David packed the box very well and everything arrived in pristine condition.
I've not had much experience with British fighter/bomber aircraft, so I spent some of my valuable search time looking up paint schemes. I found one that will work well for the North African desert, and will get started on that in a short while!
I pulled the models out and, as ever, was astounded by the clean lines of these magnificent little aircraft and small mold lines. Less cleaning, more painting makes for a happy Tabletop Gamer!
I knocked out the cleaning (still haven't remembered the camera at this point!) in less than 20 minutes. I took a bit longer than usual to clean it, as I'm not very experienced with the material the model is molded from and wanted to be extra careful with it.
I built the IID model, took it outside on a spitty, semi-rainy night, and primed it anyway, rolling the dice that my primer wouldn't muck up on me.
It turned out very nicely, a smooth paint job with no drips, no runs, no errors.
I'll get some paint on it and then I'll slap up some eye-candy of my work.
Also, in looking at these lovely models, I came to a serious decision; while it's less expensive and time-consuming to field the die-cast, pre-painted models (Davids aircraft run roughly $5.00 U.S. more than the die-cast models) I will start buying my attack aviation needs from David at AIM.
After drilling (which is very quick and easy, with clear and concise instructions that come with the terrain clearing stand)these incredible models fit so nicely on the terrain clearing stand, and I know that once they are painted they will be the envy of the "regulars" (and perhaps even the "Irregulars!)
Stand by - Photos to follow!
The Review:
Packaging (well protected or not): A+
Molding: A+ - The cleanest model of the cast-resin type that I've ever seen. Required little cleaning.
Detail: A+ - for a model with no interior detail (it's for gaming more than display!), this model is highly detailed. Since David deals with exterior detail, it's immaculate.
Instructions: A+ - Though there are few "bits" that need to be cleaned and glued on, if one is not familiar with the model, mistakes could have been made. The instructions were clear and correct for the model.
I built the model in just under an hour; that's slow for me for this type of model. I took my time cleaning and sanding it lightly with 600grit sandpaper. Priming showed that I missed a small spot near the trailing edge of one wing, but it isn't a big deal.
The model comes with the bits to do two variations of the same aircraft. There are two air intakes for it, one for European Theater, and one for the North African desert.
I rate this model an A+ overall. I need another one! :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment