Viper Enforcer Posted July 28, 2005 Share Posted July 28, 2005 Hey there Newbe Yep, I am almost done with my final review. I've been preoccupied with other priorities. There are still some other little things I have to tie up, but this is the meat for the most part. As I predicted, a further inspection of the Academy kit would only turn up more problems. Now that this is posted, people will know when my recommendation if "not". It has went from a in depth review, to a "Buyer Beware" issue, now that people know what they are getting in this kit. I read in the other forum that someone still thinks that Academy's F-16 is more accurate than Hasegawa's, but this proves otherwise in the shape/profile department. That was the big shock for me during my review! Mike V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viper Enforcer Posted July 28, 2005 Share Posted July 28, 2005 Yep, the Academy kit is off. Some of the errors are correctable, some are not. However, I am still going to build the Academy kit as a nice block 42 aggressor. It's only for a shelf sitter so I really am not all the concerned about the errors other than the ones that can be corrected without too much difficulty. For the audience that's going to be viewing this model, they wouldn't particularly know whether the wheel well detail is corret or not. I'll know it, but again, since it's not going to be shown anywhere except my home, I'm not going to be that particular. Hell, where I live, there's no modelers anyway (or none that I've come into contact with in the last five years) so the only place that the kit may be devalued is here in cyberspace, and we here on LSP are not of the bashing ilk that inhabit other modeling forums so it'll have to stand on the merits of my skills as a modeler and not the accuracy of the kit entirely. P.S. I'm scratchbuilding an AN/ALQ-188 pod and may, (read that as MAY) see if someone will cast it in resin for me so that I may make it available to others. It's not a huge priority though so someone else may get one done ahead of me. TimC. Yes it is, and even more so after further inspection. None the less, guys will know what the kit is all about now, so it's up to them, though I do not recommend it. That's not to be said that a decent Viper can't be built from the Academy kit, since we all know that a good amount of skill can eliminate or reduce the multitude of errors to date. Like I also said, if someone is not the slightest bit concerned about accuracy or quality, then by all means. We all know most outsiders or audience wont' be able to tell what's wrong with it, much less tell it from a F-18, F-15, and so on. Yes, the kit already stands on its own merits being "it is what it is". Build it how you want to, as like me, I am sure you build for you, and not anyone else, unless (like me again), you build for clients. I already heard (2 months back) about a 184 pod, Cheek mount data link pods, & a wing mounted ACMI Pod in 32nd. I'd like to see an ARDS Pod as well, but that's probably asking to much. Look for it in a few months. Mike V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habu Posted July 28, 2005 Share Posted July 28, 2005 Well, like you said, even if the Acad kit turned out as good as the Hornet kit, it still wouldn't top the Tam kit. And again, you're right, this kit isn't even as good as their Hornet! Academy's gamble didn't pay off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K5IKL Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 Well, I was wondering which one to get. Now I know..... Cheers, Jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habu Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 If you've got more comparo pics Mike, you know I'd like to see them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menelaos Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 ... ...hmmm what now?... the Tam Viper is expensive...the Acad Viper ist off.... hmmm.... ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viper Enforcer Posted July 30, 2005 Share Posted July 30, 2005 If you've got more comparo pics Mike, you know I'd like to see them. I'll post some more this weekend. I have a few compadres that want me to make a correction set for the Acdemy kit. That would just be to invovled and would take the price of the kit, a Black Box Cockpit, and the correction set to well over that of the Tamiya kit. I'll probably just do some of the simpler stuff, like wheels, gear doors, tail dorsal, and possibly a GE nozzle, as the kit one is so crude. Mike V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habu Posted July 30, 2005 Share Posted July 30, 2005 aeeeight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viper Enforcer Posted July 31, 2005 Share Posted July 31, 2005 It's been brought up to me that my review showed no photo comparisons to the real jet, and thus the fact that I already checked the Tamiya kit was not good enough. Here is an example I have showing all 3 intake side profiles, noting the wedge splitter/spacer clearance and RAM Duct. The Academy and Tamiya intake pics were flipped horizontally in order to have the pose. It doesn't change anything aspect on shape, even though it looks weird with the gun on the right side. I have some more in work for later. Mike V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habu Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 Advantage: Tamiya on the above Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 ... ...hmmm what now?... the Tam Viper is expensive...the Acad Viper ist off.... hmmm.... ....... Howabout the Kangnam F-16 kits ?? I have the F-16 A (unbuild and FS ) ,and altough I'm not a jet builder,it looks well detailed to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vernon Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 I think you'll find it compares almost exactly to the Hasegawa kit. I think we've only got one Kangnam kit on the site and that was the F-16XL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Matt Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 Howabout the Kangnam F-16 kits ?? I got the F16XL Kangam through Lucky Model ( Cheap as chips)...pretty much the same kit as the Hase it seems to me...some of it even interchangable. the Hase has higher res parts...hence why I'm trying to resin cast copy some of the Hase stuff to use on the Kangam. Kangam has recessed panel lines. Cheers Matt. Ps Not that I'm professing to know 1 millionth of what Viper enforcer knows"....its just my FWIW Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viper Enforcer Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 I think you'll find it compares almost exactly to the Hasegawa kit.I think we've only got one Kangnam kit on the site and that was the F-16XL. Well, not exactly. I picked up a F-16A, as well the "Most" inaccurate F-16XL kit when I was in Korea last. Both kits are not that alike the Hasegawa kit, even though they do look simular. There are notable differences in the details, like an weakly detail cockpit and softer plastic in the Kangman/ACE kits. There are also some shape deficiencies of the F-16A, but not on the level to the Academy kit. The XL has been covered before in this forum, and is quite bad. A lot of work is required to get a baseloine correction. Mike V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Netz Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 http://www.e-hobbyland.com/tafbl501scki.html Here's about the best price you might find the Tamiya F-16 for. A bit pricey, but you'll invest that much into the Academy kit before your done. Curt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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