MPC 1:36 Tie Advance

Airfix 1:72 F4F-4 Grumman Wildcat

December 2014, Airfix.com has an advent calender. Most are for pre-Christmas discounts, but one in particular really had my attention. Airfix was going to list all, I repeat ALL their new kits for 2015! I remember looking that morning and quickly turning on the computer, like a kid again excited for a fantastic Christmas surprise. 

The 2 kits the were the best surprise to me, the new 1:72nd Nakajima B5N2 Kate, I was hoping for a new Japanese kit from Airfix. And the 1:72 F4F Wildcat, I was hoping for a Hellcat, but a new Wildcat was equally as exciting!

The release date was the middle of summer 2015, and they due date kept being pushed back later on the year. To be honest I'd nearly forgot about the 2 kits, until I saw them on my local hobby stores website. I picked this one up later that day. It was the end of October, but the wait was worth while!

As you scan over the new parts, you're going to be surprised that the wings can be folded back. Oh, that's not impressive? Well Airfix has done something fantastic, they included 2 wings, folded, and straight. No more cutting the parts out and hoping for a good fit, these 2 options are engineered to the best. I really had a hard time deciding which one to build. Both options looked to appealing.

The kit is magnificent, remember their new tooled 1:72 Hawker Hurricane? Yes, and remember the canopy is in 2 sections, so we all assumed I could be posed open, only to discover the unfortunate truth, It couldn't. Well Airfix made up for that, you get 2 canopy sections, one to be posed open, a bit wider, but one the model you can't tell. The other closed off. The clear parts are very clear, at the end of the build I can still peer through the window and see the interior detail.

2 decal options, 1st from the United States Marine Corps, Henderson Field, Guadalcanal 1942. The second from the carrier USS Enterprise CV-6, 1942. I went with the Enterprise option because well it's the Enterprise, and I quite like the Red/White Tail. 

The only problem I had with the kit was the landing gear assembly. I had hoped dearly that the parts would be a precise fit, to my dismay the opposite was true. It took some extra time, but ultimately cam down to the parts not being as nicely molded as I thought. This caused the parts to fit poorly, and need quite a but of cutting to get a better fit. Still I liked the intricate look of the section completed, but I'm really worried that many younger modellers will find it too difficult and give up due to frustration. Again it's not impossible to assemble just very fussy, for a kit that up to that point was gliding along smoothly, it really puts a damper on the situation. 

The decals are Cartograf, and are excellent. They laid down perfectly to the glossy surface. They are on the thicker side, but the stencil detail is readable in the small scale and they look great on the model. 

I found this kit to be excellent, a 9.5 out of 10, the complexity of the undercarriage still bothers me. But I was so happy, no thrilled that I was able to build such a fun and entertaining kit, something that hadn't happened in what felt like a very long time. I know many modellers in the UK are excited for the British Wildcat, the "Martlet", and they should be, I'm so tempted to buy another and build it with the wings collapsed! This is an excellent kit, and makes me more excited to see what Airfix will release next!

AMT 1:6 STAP with Battle Droid.

 The original trilogy took the markets completely by surprise. They had no idea the massive popularity that would becoming their way. MPC took on to make Star Wars model kits, and later AMT-ERTL. And most of these kits were crap. They were made very fast, and the engineering on many is well.... lacking. I remember building the old X-wing and cursing it every time the guns fell off. It was pure frustration, but what should we have expected from a market demanding with a child like temper tantrum for more, more, MORE STAR WARS!

Say what you will about the prequels not being up to par. The market this time was ready. Like a frontal attack on the beaches of D-day, they prepared, they anticipated the madness of the customer. AMT-ERTL, took a rather good approach, they didn't have to press for time, and this allowed more detailed and better engineered kits. And this massive kit is proof.

Now I've built a lot of kits over the years and I've yet to build a kit completly without fault, every kit will have a few flaws, of at least one. And this STAP does have a few, but they are minimal compared to what we once went through in out youth.

The scale is quit unique, 1:6th. And I quite like the big size, it's easier to work on and  should the modeller desire add more detail. Klokner, as I've named him comes in one bag, and the STAP in another. Mine was missing the instructions but I found them quickly online. The plastic is thick which is quite nice. He did have a few gaps that were quickly filled in. The only thing he's lacking is a blaster that they store on the side of their "back packs".

Also his arms aren't attached to the model these need to be glued on and are not possible. Klonker's legs fit into 2 plugs on his waist, but they move very freely. In fact Klonker is incapable of standing on his own.

The STAP (Single Troop Ariel Platform) is really big. I had only 2 troubles with it. First the 2 guns needed to be shaved down for a more precise fit, they were pointing outward. Secondly the top section is a bit hard to glue together, I used a few rubber bands to hold it while it dried. Very simple fixes for a great looking vehicle.

Now I've got to say first off here, that I really liked building this kit. If I found another one I'd buy it in a heart beat. But the big thing that kills the kit is actually mounting Klonker on the STAP. AMT never really designed this to be easy. His legs and ankles are straight, this means his feet aren't angled properly on the 2 foot pedals. since his arms aren't mounted to his body this means he can easily fall.  

What's a modeller to do? Bring out the big guns, it's time for some SUPER GLUE!!! And a friend, or in my case my younger brother. And he really was a big help, I couldn't have done this kit on my own. It's just too awkward. But once Klonker was mounted I stood back and in awe looked at the completed kit. And I' really love this kit! 

Like I mentioned before if I found another at a model show of garage sale, I'd pick it up right away, it's that fun of a kit. But I would drill pins in his feet and hands, to really secure him to the STAP. Take that extra time to properly secure him and just take a look back this is a really fun kit :D