In true Czech
fashion this Special Hobby release of the stocky Polikarpov I-152 bi-plane
contains a box full of multi-media goodies that add up to a satisfying package
depicting one of the fringe fighters of the 1930's through to World War II.
Instructions are
comprehensive and are presented clearly and simply in small booklet style. There
are many marking profiles depicted but the Aviprint decals provided in this
boxing are limited to a total of five aircraft - Soviet and Finnish. The colours
are clean and clear and the printing is sharp and glossy. The injection molded
plastic parts have quite clean and sharp engraving. The effect of fabric over
stringers and fabric over ribs on fuselage, wings and control surfaces is subtle
and particularly well realised on the fuselage. Casting seams are occasionally
heavy but clean up can be done without losing much in the way of detail.
Click on
images below to see larger images
There is a comprehensive collection
of resin parts that cover off many of the smaller items you'd normally expect to
see in plastic - i.e. the cockpit. Castings are clean with what would seam to be
easily removable plugs. Sadly my boxing seems to be missing the resin bomb and
rocket components. Maybe these are not intended to go with the ski version. One
of my resin mounts for the skis had become broken but perhaps these parts could
be fabricated from wire as they are designed to fit the white metal landing gear
struts provided with this edition. These metal castings will take only a little
more cleaning than the resin parts and hopefully will provided additional
strength to the model when mounted on the smooth resin skis. When all these
extras are added to the plastic components you should end up with a nicely
detailed kit.
Two versions of vac-formed canopies are included and you get two of each so if
you butcher the first you can take a deep breath and attempt to do better with
the second. The canopy will need a little polishing to get the best from it but
is reasonably well defined. The PE frets include a seat and harness that give
you an alternative to the resin seat and harness casting, instrument panel (and
acetate backing), engine cowling shutters and further supplementary details for
rudder pedals etc. These engine shutters once installed largely prevent any
effective view into the
empty engine bay. The PE is cut by Eduard.
This is a nice package of an
exotic subject. As stated you get an interesting variety of parts that are all
neatly and carefully bagged with cleanly printed instructions and colour schemes
contained in a box with an attractive painting of the subject. The lack of
positive fastenings such as pins and tabs will mean that greater forethought and
test fitting will be required in assembly but I expect that this is part of the
appeal and challenge of these good non-mainstream kits.
A recommended kit of a small and widely used fighter.
This kit can be purchased here: http://www.hlj.com/product/SPH48060
I would like to thank HobbyLink
Japan for providing this
review sample.
Nick Moore
|