f5guy

Being a jet guy, I will never ever build this kit. But I've always had a soft spot for the B-25 strafer version, and yours looks fantastic! Great job ;-0) Fred K.

Its always nice to see an aggressor F-5E get built! Good job ;0) Fred K.

Wow! That is a nice line of goodies! Fred K.

I built one of the RofG releases many years ago, and if memory serves me correctly, it was 95% the Hasegawa kit, but there were indeed some slight differences, and different ordnance. I did use a Black Box cockpit set in it, which was designed for the Hasegawa kit, and it fit perfectly. I had one of the Ace kits and it was a bad copy of the Hasegawa kit. I used it for parts. The Kittyhawk kit is quite nice overall, but has a number small errors, and a pretty weak cockpit for 32nd scale. Their Tigers (E & F) really need a resin cockpit set! Anyone????? Personally, I'd go with the KH kit first, then Hasegawa, then RofG. From the prices that are being asked for the Hasegawa kit, you could get a much more detailed (except perhaps, the cockpit) KH kit. Fred K.

Sure thing Marcel ;0) I was looking at their 32nd BRU-55s just yesterday, and they sure do look nice! I have also purchased some of their 72nd scale Russian ordnance, and found the same thing... very nice! I sure wish that they did cockpit sets. The Kittyhawk F-5E/F and Trumpeter F-18E/F come to mind...... Fred K.

Hi everyone, About a month back I posted a question (here or ARC, I can't remember!) asking if anyone had used Reskit's 32nd F-18 Hornet exhausts for the Academy Legacy Hornet. I didn't get any replies, so I decided to take a chance and ordered three sets, plus some F-105 wheels. After about two and a half weeks they arrived yesterday. I just test fitted one of the exhaust nozzles, and unlike the Aires set, which are too small, Reskit's actually fit! I ordered directly from Reskit. The items arrive quite timely from the Ukraine, and were well packed. The Hornet cans were $20 and fit nicely. The Aires cans are $35, and are too small. Go figure! The quality of the sets is very nice, and I can give Reskit a big thumbs up! They have some really neat items in all scales, so check them out. And no, I am not associated with them, just a happy customer Fred K.

There is absolutely no way that I can finish a 32nd scale kit in 6 months heh heh Fred K.

This is exactly why I've decided to pass on this kit. I was looking forward to the B3 as well, but after seeing some test shots, and all of the insanely overdone engineering on it, it fell off of my radar quickly. I've got more kits than I'll ever build in my lifetime, and don't have the time to build a completely over-engineered kit full of spars and ribs that will never be seen. I'm sure that the handful of folks who will choose to build it with all of that detail visible will be happy, but for the rest of us, I feel that it's just more useless parts to monkey with, not to mention a higher parts count, which increases the cost of the kit. That being said, I am looking forward to seeing what some of you guys do with it Fred K.

Yup..... me too! Thanks for the goodies Gary ;0) Fred K.

Nice! Looking forward to the C! Fred K.

I need three Harold. Please contact me. Thanks, Fred K.

That's what I understood, at least for the original Navy F-5E/Fs. Of course once the ex-USAF jets showed up, they did have radars. I just checked through my photo archive and came across a pic of F-5F 160966 landing, and it does not have the counterweight, so it would seem that what I had read about those three original Topgun F's not having the counterweight is indeed correct. HTH, Fred K.

You're correct..... I forgot about the RF... Fred.

Hi, The counterweight is for the F-5F only , and is located at the very rear of the aircraft's underside just in front of the exhaust cans, in the groove between the engines. It is used to counter-balance the weight of the radar in those longer nose of the F. See the pic of the Swiss F in the link directly above this post. I have been told that the three original Topgun F's BuNo's 160964, 160965, & 160966 did not have the counter-balance weight due to the fact that they had their radar's removed, and the weight was not needed. HTH, Fred K.

Any news regarding a resin cockpit set for the E or F? I heard that KASL was doing one, but have not heard anything more. These kits REALLY need cockpit sets, but it seems like they're being totally ignored. Maybe if we could convince Aires that they're really an F-14, or BF whatever..... Then there would be tons of resin released! Fred K.