Part 1: First Look

MSRP: $189.95 Kit Supplied by Stevens International: www.stevenshobby.com First impression?..."Good Gawd Gertrude, what a Ginormous Gaggle of plastic parts! In fact, with this plethora of pieces, it begs the question "Is this one priced by the pound?" Regardless of the answer, there is without question a lot of quality here for the buck! Twenty three (count'em) parts trees, crystal clear parts, vinyl tires and seated pilot figure with poseable arms. In total, it's big and it's beautiful! And it appears to be a giant step ahead of their first offering, the P-40. Included is a 12 page instruction booklet with booklet with seemingly easy to follow instructions and color profiles for 6 aircraft decal sheets are huge, excellent color, perfect register and of very high quality. · WZ-X, Black and white checker nose, natural finish with invasion stripes, 78th F.G. Duxford · MX-E, Black and white checker nose, olive drab/grey invasion stripes (bottom), 78th F.G. Duxford · NV-K, "Sand and Spinach", unit unknown, RNZAF · KJ 159, green and grey over light grey. RAF · 80, olive drab over neutral grey, French Air Force · 23, natural metal finish with red and yellow trim, French Air Force

In examining the parts, it appears that based on the way the fuselage and lower wing panels are engineered that other versions, including a Razorback, will follow. In this kit, there is a considerable choice of options, so check your references before building yourself into a corner! The cockpit offers 2 styles of floorboard (early and late) with or without corrugations, 2 styles of gun sights, a photo film sandwich for the panel and a throttle quadrant that consists of 6 separate pieces! In this area, if you don't choose to place the pilot in the seat, you'll need to add both lap belts and shoulder harnesses. All in all, very nicely done. The engine is a multiple part affair that appears to be a quite decent replica of the huge Pratt and Whitney R-2800. Also a plus, it's not as complicated as the Trumpeter style offerings, but has enough detail that if the builder elects to leave off 1 or more of the 4 cowling pieces, there will be plenty of detail to see. In this scale, I suspect the appearance would benefit from the addition of spark plug wiring. Surprisingly, the cowl flaps are offered only in the closed position. The options continue with the fuselage side breather vents open or closed. On to the wings and such … this kit was surprisingly not molded with separate ailerons and elevators, although I'm pleased to not have the sink marks to deal with associated with them in other manufacturer's offerings. The flaps are positionable as is the rudder (with a small amount of tweaking). One thing that becomes interesting is the similarity to some of the various parts and assembly methods, that appear to be carbon copies of the beautifully done Tamiya 1/48th version … (obviously this is not a bad thing!). The wing attach points and spar arrangements are identical, as are the turtle deck and rudder. (A word about size here … the wing panels appear to be the same size as the blades on my ceiling paddle fan!). The gun bay open/closed option is available to the builder and on one wing, the ammo bay can be opened as well. The landing gear appear to be nicely done with separate scissors, the aforementioned vinyl tires, and two piece covers are well done, also the wheel wells. More options! The kit includes the following under wing stuff … · Lockheed P-38 style tanks (2) · "Paper" long range under wing tanks (2) · Flat centerline drop tanks (1) · 500 lb bombs (2) · Bazooka style rocket launchers (2) That about sums it up, except to mention that there are 3 different styles of prop blades and hubs included. Again, check your references carefully throughout this build. As of the moment, I am undecided as to just which scheme I'll choose to adorn this mighty beast, but just to be on the safe side, I plan to put Tony Hipp of Alclad II on notice to start stockpiling enough product for a 55 gallon drum … Man this thing is HUGE!

Many thanks to Mike Bass of Stevens International for the review sample! Stay tuned for this build in segments.

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