Black Box

1/48 F-105G Thunderchief cockpit set

Product # 48015 for Monogram kit

Product Article by Steve Bamford

 

 

 

This is the new 1/48 resin cockpit for the old Monogram F-105G.  The masters for this set were done by Master Modeller Mike Kirchoff.  The set consists of 34 pieces of the typical cream coloured resin common to all Black Box sets.  The part that really stands out in this set is the cockpit tub when compared to the kit parts.  Unlike some Monogram cockpit tubs with good detail...the F-105 kit has very faint side panel detail in the cockpit tub.  

The kits seat is also not a match for the detail laddened work of perfection Mike Kirchoff has created for this Black Box set.  The seats in this plane are a complicated affair requiring 6 resin pieces per seat.  Another lovely point about the seats is they both have different placement of their seat belts....always a nice touch when the seats aren't copies of each other.  The instrument panel in this Black Box set is beautiful and well worth it and is the exact same size as the kit instrument panel so swapping them should be easy.  One minor area of concern is the fit of the seats in the cockpit tub.  Both seats measures 12.3 mm wide....where as the cockpit tub opening for the front and rear seats measures 11.5 mm wide.  So the seats are .8mm too wide.  This was no doubt caused by slightly soft resin cockpit tub being removed from the molds a bit early and the tubs getting pinched a bit during their removal from the mold.  PLEASE do not sand the seat to make it fit.  Simply hold the cockpit tub upside down over a steam kettle (careful not to burn yourself with the steam) for 10 or 15 seconds or however long it takes to soften the resin...then carefully widen the seat opening in the cockpit tub by .8mm a reasonably tiny amount.  

instrument panel......about twice the size of my thumbnail

The sidewall detail on the Monogram kit is pathetic at best...the detail in this Black Box set will greatly improve this area as well....same can be said for the rudder pedals and control stick.  Yup...this set is a huge improvement over all the kit parts for the cockpit.  Now all we need is for Revell/Monogram to re-release their F-105G, but I'm sure this will eventually happen.

Steve Bamford

Cockpit tub....loaded with detail

 

(click on pictures below to bring up full screen pictures)

Forward part of cockpit tub Rear part of cockpit tub Two seats Rear instrument panel

 

Front instrument cover and parts for the seats Sidewall details Misc pieces Front and rear center Console

 

Photos and text © by Steve Bamford