Hobby Boss 1/32 B-24J - Initial Observations

[Lee White]

I can't help but wonder if the answer for the wing lies on our R/C bretheren's toolbox, namely a wire cut foam replacement that is then glassed. The foam is then removed with lacquer thinner.

[John1]

2 hours ago, Maxim said:

To be honest I think it's sloppy research and they have ensured that any other company that would contemplate giving us an accurate B-24 is now gone. Their focus is on the Chinese market where most people wouldn't know any difference. Hobby Boss and Trumpeter are known for the sloppy research across most of their products. They are more intent on flooding the market with their kits than providing an accurate representation of a subject. Seeing the balls up with the B-24 I'd rather put my money into the HKM Lancaster or WNG Lancaster.

You pretty much nailed it.   Why is it a small outfit like WNW seems able to pretty much get 100% of the details correct on their subjects yet major outfits like HB/Trumpeter fail to get even basic items replicated properly? 

 

Seems to me the answer is that HB/Trumpy just don't really care if they get even close on details.   They are certain there are enough people who will buy their marginal kits, so they have no need to worry about missed details.    

 

Given that they are still in around, churning out crappy kits, one has to assume that their business plan is working. 

Edited December 23, 2018 by John1

[CATCplSlade]

WNW focuses on a particular niche whereas HB/Trumpeter does not. When you specialize in one thing it allows you to be more detail-oriented.

 

Trumpeter gets good marks on a number of their items, especially their modern Chinese and Soviet armor. 

 

And all of the Asian manufacturers focus priority on their home markets -- even Tamiya. The U.S. is a small fraction of the market. 

 

Merry Christmas, Negative Nancies.

[Mikester]

I'll revisit my earlier comment that some people have a negative bias against Trumpeter.  They've put out some absolutely gorgeous kits in 1/32 but some people still stick with the "everything they do is garbage" rhetoric.  Yeah, some of their kits have been a disappointment but that's true of nearly every other manufacturer out there.

[Out2gtcha]

I think there definitely can be a tendency to down manufacturers like Trumpeter because of previous indiscretions.

 

However, even from someone like me who isn't a rivet counter, and as someone who agrees, Trumpy makes some great kits, including the SU-30 that I have always loved, the frosted turrets and wing profile seem like research mistakes that could have just as easily been avoided, as made.

I'm just not sure if its lack of access, or technology, or a willingness to let certain things pass to get the product out?

 

I'm not fully sure but I think I can live with the wing, & will probably wait till Brassin come out with the inevitable line of cool stuff before diving into mine. 

I think both the engines and turrets can be fixed or replaced.

[Guest Maxim]

31 minutes ago, Mikester said:

I'll revisit my earlier comment that some people have a negative bias against Trumpeter.  They've put out some absolutely gorgeous kits in 1/32 but some people still stick with the "everything they do is garbage" rhetoric.  Yeah, some of their kits have been a disappointment but that's true of nearly every other manufacturer out there.

 

Actually Trumpeter deserve much of the negativity about their brand due to bad research. Don't get me wrong as I have bought many a Trumpeter/Hobby Boss kit and everyone of them has errors that could have been avoided and they continue with the same type of errors as in the B-24. Except the Avenger in 32 scale  most all of their kits have basic shape errors  or incorrect canopies shapes etc. I can fix most things but canopies I cannot.  Other manufacturers can get close more often so why can't they. They continue with the sames errors and show no improvement.I own all the Trumpeter  1/200 ships and all have errors in the hull shape etc but I'll live with that as I build waterline which removes the hull shape errors.

[Alburymodeler]

At the very least, they could have just copied the Hasegawa (or even Academy) 1/72 scale kits and had a better result. As I stated before, the 1/32 Liberator does not figure in my purchase plans anymore. Life is too short to attempt a kit where the most salient feature is totally cocked up.

[Mikester]

23 minutes ago, Maxim said:

 

Actually Trumpeter deserve much of the negativity about their brand due to bad research. Don't get me wrong as I have bought many a Trumpeter/Hobby Boss kit and everyone of them has errors that could have been avoided and they continue with the same type of errors as in the B-24. Except the Avenger in 32 scale  most all of their kits have basic shape errors  or incorrect canopies shapes etc. I can fix most things but canopies I cannot.  Other manufacturers can get close more often so why can't they. They continue with the sames errors and show no improvement.I own all the Trumpeter  1/200 ships and all have errors in the hull shape etc but I'll live with that as I build waterline which removes the hull shape errors.

 

Swordfish, Me 262, Dauntless, Avenger, Skyraider just off the top of my head, all really good kits.  I'm sure there's more, I'll continue to judge individual kits on their merits rather than making broad statements based on who makes them.

[Guest Maxim]

Agree on all except the Skyraider, the windscreen and canopy are incorrect as is the prop. The Avenger is the best kit they have produced to date.

Edited December 23, 2018 by Maxim

[quang]

29 minutes ago, Maxim said:

Agree on all except the Skyraider, the windscreen and canopy are incorrect 

 

Internet lore dies hard

[mgunns]

What a contrast here.  Maxim, you slam Trumpeter's accuracy, shoddy research, inaccurate shapes to canopies, fuselage, hulls, and almost everything else that could be wrong with a kit, yet, you confess you own every Trumpeter 1/200 ship kit.  Why?  Bragging rights?  My stash is bigger than  yours?  I have built their 1/200 Arizona and converted another 1/200 Arizona to a 1/200 December 7th Pennsylvania, and you know what?  They look like the ships I want to model and I enjoyed the build, research and letting the small stuff go. The small errors, the incorrect hull shape, pale in the light of the fact there is a 1/200 Arizona model that the viewer is awe struck by.  Not once did I ever hear a judge say, the hull was not corrected.  It sure beats their 1/330 offereing and the ancient Revell kit.  I find it incongurous that you bought those models, knowing that all those show stopping erros existed and you still spent a fortune on every one of their 1/200 Kits!  Now, you want to slam the Hobby Boss B-24?  When built, it will look like a B-24, wings and glazing notwithstanding.  Instead of slamming Trumpeter and Hobby Boss how about stepping back from your computer and pontificating about what's wrong with the models and start building those 1/200 ships you have and enjoy the journey.

[LSP_Kevin]

OK fellas, let's all just stop taking pot-shots at each other, and focus on the kit. Everybody has their own take on where they sit on the accuracy continuum, and all of them are equally valid. Nobody's forcing anybody to buy or build any kit they don't want to, nor is anybody preventing someone from buying or building any kit they want to. We really need to start taking the heated rhetoric out of these discussions; our position has always been that level-headed, fact-based critique of a kit is perfectly acceptable, and in fact quite useful. On the other hand, heated rants and dismissive generalisations are neither useful nor welcome.

 

If folks wish to dissect the accuracy of a given kit in a dispassionate manner - especially if that leads to possible fixes - then we've served our unwritten charter perfectly. Anything other than that is going to lead to problems, so let's just all take a step back and ensure that when we post in a thread like this, we're not just venting.

 

Kev

[Pup7309]

3 hours ago, Alburymodeler said:

At the very least, they could have just copied the Hasegawa (or even Academy) 1/72 scale kits and had a better result. As I stated before, the 1/32 Liberator does not figure in my purchase plans anymore. Life is too short to attempt a kit where the most salient feature is totally cocked up.

Yes. HB seem to have got the surface detail right and if they simply upscaled and emulated the Hasegawa wings, turrets and engines everyone would be giving HB hi- fives. 

 

Not sure about the Academy kit, the Has is better IMO.

[Cheetah11]

 

 

 

How trivial the lack of oil canning on the HKM Lanc now seems after this lot.

[ade rowlands]

Oh well, I was waiting for the D model for a Coastal Command bird but between fluffing this and the P-40F Trumpyboss have been kind enough to help me save the best part of £200 this Festive season so thanks Trumpyboss. Though no doubt before I return to work on the 1st of January I will have spent more than I’d saved elsewhere through other stash additions brought about by being kept indoors by the crappy weather and the awful TV we endure this time of year. There had better be a Lego under the tree!