Dave Williams

What were the differences between the earlier white box kits and the production kits, other than obviously the box? Any differences in the plastic parts? Also, I’m glad that Tamiya’s gives us paint masks, but why can’t they make them precut? Trying to exactly follow the printed lines with a blade, including curves and perfect circles for landing lights, can be a challenge.

I also have the ProModeler kit. The level of detail in the cockpit and main gear wells isn’t even close. Also, the Tamiya kit actually has oil cooler detail in the nose of the boom instead of just some blank holes. Also, the PM kit says it’s a F/G/H model, but there aren’t different parts in the kit to cover the variant differences like there are in the Tamiya kit.

Got mine today. To be honest, no comparison to the Academy and Hasegawa kits. As much of a step past those two kits as they were above the ancient Monogram kit.

So, how does the landing gear work on that? Need more than the nose gear and left MLG.

Especially compared to the Modelsvit kit? How’s the accuracy of the Trumpeter kit? I know that the Trumpeter kit is easier to build, with the one piece fuselage, and has a less detailed interior (you can’t see much anyways), and it seems that it lacks a lot of the lumps and bumps, especially on the ECM tail cone option, which is completely smooth on the Trumpeter kit. The gear legs on the Trumpeter kit seem a bit spindly too, and I wonder if it will hold it up. Also, I’m aware that some of the decal options in the Trumpeter kit are for the bombers and not the K missile carrying versions that both kits represent. My first impression is that the Trumpeter kit is a little more simplified, but is it a fair option to the Modelsvit kit? Looking for specific comments on the kits, not generic comments on either company. TIA.

How dare you try to bring this thread back on topic after it’s drifted off! If we always stayed on topic, we’d miss out on the experience of the Me262 slat well slap fight in the “in stock at Sprue Brothers” thread and other fun stuff! Mine’s on the way from Scalehobbyist, but won’t arrive until next Wednesday.

Given Tamiya’s known secrecy, I doubt that Tamiya would let information leak out via a “friend” in Japan. Either it’s wrong, or someone who works for Tamiya just violated the heck out their confidentiality agreement and will likely be fired. Yes, Tamiya showed a P-38 nose CAD, but it was during a tour of their offices, and it’s very likely they did this on purpose, plus it basically came from Tamiya directly. Whispering an upcoming release to someone and expecting them to “leak” the info on the internet doesn’t seem like their MO. Is it possible? Sure, they already have the engine from their Corsair kit. But I won’t believe it until Tamiya officially announces it, or “leaks” it from a source that clearly is Tamiya itself.

Scalehobbyist usually has better prices, so they are the benchmark for me. Their price is $59.

Don’t see the prices dropping generally unless a place has a sale on the kit or temporary sales like 20% off for a short period of time. Yen price is fixed in Japan (usually printed on the box) and Tamiya USA has set a retail price of $80 in the US with MAP pricing. The price that is currently showing from my HLJ order is $46, but shipping is going to be more than from a US source.

Scale Hobbyist is showing the kit in stock and available to order right now. They say orders will hold so they don’t arrive until the 20th or later, but for where I am, it wouldn’t arrive until at least the 20th anyway.

It looks taller and the top looks more domed than the turret.

The C/D tires will work as they are the same size as the J/S. The wheel hubs are different between the Navy/Air Force versions, though. The Navy B/N has the narrow tires.

The big problem with the exhausts is they are cast solid behind the internal nozzle petals, so the “hole” forward of the nozzle is much smaller than the diameter of the exhaust itself.

The landing page was hacked. You can bypass the landing page by going to store.spruebrothers.com More info in the ARC thread. http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?/topic/310276-whats-wrong-with-sprue-brothers-website/