SB2C

[EvilCarrot]

2 minutes ago, GrahamF said:

HPH are just trying to provide what their customers want, we also have two IM kits on the way [ Aircraft ] but it's a slower burn project but will pay dividends because some kits are out there for years and years.

 

Graham

 

I'm willing to believe that HPH are doing their best, but watching Brian's struggle with the Tigercat really put me off of that kit. Reading about their other releases it seems that these types of issues are not uncommon in HPH kits. Comparing that to the test build I've just seen of the Iconicair Spiteful it clearly shows that with a little more effort these kits can be put out at a more affordable price point AND without said issues. Maybe the HPH kits are more complex with some more internal details, I don't know. I do know that if I had to choose which one I'd rather build, the choice would be obvious. (might even put in an order at some point, also quite curious about those plastic kits. But then again I already have way too much stuff...)

[nmayhew]

hopefully we will see some more close-up pics of the Helldiver so we can make a better assessment

 

 

[thierry laurent]

I will get one and hope it will have markings for an Helldiver from the Aeronavale based in Indochina! Otherwise, hopefully Berna will plug the gap! 

[DeanKB]

To me, HpH's kit's are superbly manufactured, with detail abound, with plenty of PE thrown in as well.

 

But, they seem to be designed without reference to building the bloody things. In the box, it looks for all the world like the best kit ever made. The surface detail is wonderful, everything appears to have been included in terms of detail - it's all there, every knob, every handle, every rivet, every panel line, every dial is included.

 

But then you start to build. The resin needs cutting & sanding, then it doesn't quite fit as intended - in fact, it's out by quite a bit. So, more sanding, more dry fitting - closer, but not quite. More sanding, until - hallelujah! - it fits!

 

But this is a resin kit, and resin kits tend to have parts like this, I hear you think? Yes, but my HpH Walrus needed this with every single part. All of them. 

 

I'm hoping that HpH's IP kits include not just a test shot, but a test build. I'm not convinced that their resin kits have proper test builds, because the results are so egregious as to surely be highlighted as needing more work before being unleashed on the fee paying public?

 

It's a shame, because I really wanted a Fw 189, and a Helldiver. But I also want what's left of my sanity to remain.

[DeanKB]

17 hours ago, CATCplSlade said:

 

You're a barrel of something, alright.

You know my wife?

[Out2gtcha]

I have many HpH kits, including the Tigercat and the infamous Walrus and unfortunately IMHO Deans assessment is spot on.   The kits are wonderful looking as to surface detail and inclusions in the kit, those are facts.  The details cant be beat, and you really dont need to add much of anything to their kits, and that includes PE.   Their new hard copy manuals are really a nice bump up, and the new IP decal process they have is really ground breaking and works to a tee. Plus generally their kits are very accurate (to my knowledge anyway) and you get kits that no one else is putting out. 

 

However..........................

 

When you have a $300 + kit that has issues, and I dont mean small fit issues, I mean a complete mis-mold at the factory issues to where panels on the upper and lower halves of wings dont line up. Im not talking off by .003mm or anything, Im talking off by more than 2mm or 3mm. Then things like one (random, sometimes both) nacelle filled at the tip completely with resin. Or having to drill two 1/8th" holes directly through a completed fuselage full of details you just put in. 

 

Then when engaging the manufacturer (respectfully) about a replacement or possible fix to basically be told "that's the way it is" tends to put one off a small bit.  Every manufacturer has some issues with their kits, but honestly if you have ever attempted to build an HpH kit all the way to fruition, you know even without any major issues that should have been taken care of at the factory,  the kits really tend to sap ones "modeling will".

The practice of putting a trillion and one very tiny parts, all on sections of resin "pool" sheets really makes for parts that may (or many not) be accurate in height or width, depending on which end is situated in the resin pool. The pool sheets are indeed very thin, but the act of taking off, sanding, shaping, filling and more sanding on the engine cylinders  alone (40 in total with 4 extra as you needed them as is natural with resin, some mis-formed) on my F7F was about enough to drive me round the bend.  And I have more desire/passion for that airframe than ANY other too. 

 

This is not meant to be disparaging to nor meant as a slight at HPH as a manufacturer, its simply my personal experience. 

[Kagemusha]

The Helldiver will no doubt compromise of plastic, resin, and etch, so there is the possibility the resin parts may well come replete with pool, I sincerely hope not. 

[LSP_K2]

As much as I'd like to have a big ol' Helldiver, I'm going to guess that I won't be able to afford it anyway. I'll certainly look forward to eventually seeing the kit though, one way or the other.

[vince14]

5 hours ago, DeanKB said:

But this is a resin kit, and resin kits tend to have parts like this, I hear you think? Yes, but my HpH Walrus needed this with every single part. All of them.

Yes. That's the nature of resin kits. All the parts will need some degree of attention because they're, y'know, cast from resin rather than created from liquid plastic in an injection moulding machine.

 

There's a reason why resin kits are labelled as not for beginners. You need to understand how resin works, what types of cement you can use, even know that you'll need to clean the parts thoroughly before you begin and that you'll need to use primer on every single part before you start 'proper' painting. And, yes, you need to understand that you'll have to adhere to the 'measure twice, cut once' rule and for some parts you might spend a lot of time sanding to get it to fit. You need to understand that you must wear at least a dust mask (a respirator is better) when sanding those parts, because you really don't want to be inhaling resin dust.

 

But building resin kits really helps you improve as a modeller. I used to be a 'I don't want to do more than shake the box' type, but having spent a number of years now building resin and multi-media kits it's actually improved my plastic builds too.

 

[Out2gtcha]

Personally I don't attribute the downside of HpH kits to just being the "nature of the beast" so-to-speak.  Ive built a TON of resin kits for myself and for customers from Planet Models, to Silver Wings,  FM&P, & HpH, to Montex, RB Productions, Icaerodesign more I'm sure I've left out. All as has been mentioned have similar traits, and commonalities, and all parts to some degree need finish sanding or prep for paint sanding but none of them destroyed my will to continue on them like an HpH kit does, and none of them require the same type of work as an HpH kit does.

Silver Wings, FM&P, RB Productions, Icaerodesign and even Planet Models (at least the 3 that Ive built) were an absolute joy to build and assemble, and the parts normally fit (with the 1 memorable exception being the Planet Models XF5U) to near IM level. Wondrous kits, and I thoroughly enjoyed most all of them. 

Its way different building and HpH kit IMHO than any of the above mentioned kits. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I will continue to build and possibly even buy more from HpH as mentioned above, they put out subjects that cant be had anywhere else in our scale, and if you have the passion for a model or airframe, it can sometimes power you through an otherwise tough build.

[chrish]

When I built the HPH TA154 and then the Me (Bf?) 410 I enjoyed both from start to finish. I knew I wasn’t building a plastic kit and expected to be tested but both kits went together for me with very little trouble. I had more problems with decals than building the kits...but I always have trouble with decals, my kryptonite 

just my experience that these kits were really good. Enjoyable, are other kits worse than these ones?

My Ta 154 does have a twist in the fuselage, I thought was my fault but have seen a build on LSP where another modeller had the same issue and a fix for it

[MikeMaben]

On 7/15/2019 at 12:34 PM, Kagemusha said:

        Silver Wings have the Val and Kate as future releases. 

 

Yeah but they seem to have fallen off the face of the earth !!

 

    

 

 

[Alburymodeler]

Silver Wings has been very quiet of late.

 

[nmayhew]

8 hours ago, vince14 said:

Yes. That's the nature of resin kits. All the parts will need some degree of attention because they're, y'know, cast from resin rather than created from liquid plastic in an injection moulding machine.

 

There's a reason why resin kits are labelled as not for beginners. You need to understand how resin works, what types of cement you can use, even know that you'll need to clean the parts thoroughly before you begin and that you'll need to use primer on every single part before you start 'proper' painting. And, yes, you need to understand that you'll have to adhere to the 'measure twice, cut once' rule and for some parts you might spend a lot of time sanding to get it to fit. You need to understand that you must wear at least a dust mask (a respirator is better) when sanding those parts, because you really don't want to be inhaling resin dust.

 

But building resin kits really helps you improve as a modeller. I used to be a 'I don't want to do more than shake the box' type, but having spent a number of years now building resin and multi-media kits it's actually improved my plastic builds too.

 

 

and yet Graham at Iconicair says exactly the opposite ie it doesn't necessarily *have* to be like this with resin kits....

 

I have read enough on here to know that irrespective of the subject, I would never touch a HPH resin kit;

I'm not that good a modeller, and my life is too short and I have too many kits that I really want to build.

 

I am open minded about HPH's foray into the injection moulded world, but am hoping for something better than Fly's Hurricane for instance (again, life too short etc etc).

 

 

[vince14]

Maybe you all got unlucky, then, but I found building the HPH Hornet no more difficult than any other resin or multi-media kit ¯\_(ツ)_/¯