Hobby boss A26B “Intruder” —> Modeling News

[Tony T]

11 hours ago, Karl H said:

Must be the rarely reported on A-26 with the R-2600 engines. 

 

Is it only me that likes propeller planes with turning airscrews?  Whatever happened to them and why?

 

Tony 

 

[Rick Griewski]

I always modify my models so that the propeller(s) turn.  Less likely that my ham hands brake off the blades

[Rick Griewski]

Thanks Dave,  I saw those posts.  I was looking for a build by someone who bought the kit.  BTW a fire bomber will be my choice. 

 

Rick

[Oldbaldguy]

You know, if you ignore the long scoop on top, the cowlings in this kit look a lot like the ones on the recent B-26K Counter Invader restoration but only sort of like all the other B-26 cowls.  So ya gotta wonder if.....

[bdthoresen]

21 hours ago, Karl H said:

Must be the rarely reported on A-26 with the R-2600 engines. 

Yeah Karl, I noticed that to. Most of the shapes are close enough to be massaged into place, but the engines are going to have to be replaced. That is the biggest issue I see so far. The other problem I see is the engine nacelle shape is a bit bulbous, rather than tapered like the original. 

I will still build one, having spent a bit of time around A-26s throughout my career. Love those birds....

 

THOR    

[Juggernut]

No, just no...

[DeanKB]

14 minutes ago, Juggernut said:

No, just no...

I can't remember building a kit that came with the wrong engines in the box before?

[VMA131Marine]

A couple of other things about this kit I haven’t seen mentioned:

1/ it has dual controls - these are only appropriate for the Counter Invader or a firebomber

2/ the wheel hubs are most like those on the B-26K. They are not correct for a WWII or Korean War aircraft

3/ there is no provision for the ventral turret seen on WWII aircraft

4/ the gunner’s periscope doesn’t not protrude through the aft canopy as it should.

 

Of these items, the omission of the ventral turret seem to be the most egregious and difficult to correct.

Edited April 14, 2020 by VMA131Marine

[Dave Williams]

It looks like they included the lower part of the gunner’s periscope, for the not included ventral turret, and omitted the top part of the periscope that goes with the included top turret.

[cbk57]

Those engines are pretty silly, if they are going to half ass it, they should have just done a engine front molded in one piece.  Less tooling still half ass, probably fewer complaints from serious modelers who still have to replace the half ass engines.  I don’t have strong feelings about the A-26 in general so I probably won’t buy one but I know it is a great looking plane and I am disjointed for those who wanted a more serious effort.

 

From what I gather on this discussion HB did not make a good effort of the exterior either.  I find that their biggest fault.  I have felt for a long time if a manufacturer wanted to cut corners, I understand that, but get the exterior right and then half back the interior.  The serious modelers are more apt to redo or replace what they want anyway.  I think it perfectly acceptable to design a simplified injection molded kit.  However if they gave me the keys to the el cheapo design team, I would say get the outside right and fudge the rest.  Who cares how bad the cockpit is, because unless it is awesome modelers are likely to scrap it.  Same with the engines, landing gear etc.  But if the exterior is garbage there is no point in buying the kit to begin with.  

 

I love Tamiya first and foremost as they get the whole deal right but I understand and see plenty of room for cheap basic kits that have lots of room for improvement.

Edited April 14, 2020 by cbk57

[DeanKB]

These kits are built to a budget - if they tried to built it "Tamiya style", the costs would by higher. Probably so high that the cost would be prohibitive to most modellers, and the company would be making a loss.

 

The number of people who decide not to buy because it's too basic, or wrong, will be very, very small compared to how many would buy because the price is low.

[Tnarg]

The hard part for any manufacturer and designer is getting the shape correct. It seems pretty easy, but if you mess up, it just doesn't look right. Too often they try to pull off the old trick of calling it a 700 part kit or like they did in the 1960's calling a five transistor radio a seven transistor radio when two of them were only diodes that didn't do anything. That was back in the stone age when no one had heard of phase locked loop synthesized receivers or software defined radio and people actually listened to radio instead of their playlist on the phone. Give me a plane with 20 parts and make them correct.

 

Just make the outside of the kit correct. Limit the parts inside. Save on research and tooling, but do it right.  Even make the inside perfectly smooth so someone can go nuts filling it up with plastic strips to scratch build the interior easier... because they want it done right. (A smooth interior also means no surface sinks in the outside of the plastic). No one will see it but they will "know it is there". I can see engines. Don't screw them up. I can see wheel wells At least don't make them too ugly. I'd rather add wires than try to deal with stuff that is just wrong (thick plastic lines that purport to be wiring or tubing). As for interiors, I'd love them to be perfect, but Barracuda does interior parts for Tamiya. Yahu does instrument panels for that latest PZL P.11 kit. I think we are stuck with getting it perfect using media outside of the normal injection molded plastic.

 

Tnarg

[DeanKB]

3 minutes ago, Tnarg said:

The hard part for any manufacturer and designer is getting the shape correct. It seems pretty easy, but if you mess up, it just doesn't look right. Too often they try to pull off the old trick of calling it a 700 part kit or like they did in the 1960's calling a five transistor radio a seven transistor radio when two of them were only diodes that didn't do anything. That was back in the stone age when no one had heard of phase locked loop synthesized receivers or software defined radio and people actually listened to radio instead of their playlist on the phone. Give me a plane with 20 parts and make them correct.

 

Just make the outside of the kit correct. Limit the parts inside. Save on research and tooling, but do it right.  Even make the inside perfectly smooth so someone can go nuts filling it up with plastic strips to scratch build the interior easier... because they want it done right. (A smooth interior also means no surface sinks in the outside of the plastic). No one will see it but they will "know it is there". I can see engines. Don't screw them up. I can see wheel wells At least don't make them too ugly. I'd rather add wires than try to deal with stuff that is just wrong (thick plastic lines that purport to be wiring or tubing). As for interiors, I'd love them to be perfect, but Barracuda does interior parts for Tamiya. Yahu does instrument panels for that latest PZL P.11 kit. I think we are stuck with getting it perfect using media outside of the normal injection molded plastic.

 

Tnarg

Couldn't agree more!

 

Which is fine by me. 

 

I mean, I bought shedfulls of AM for Tamiya's Mossie - gun bay, wheels, exhausts, nose guns, gun barrels, both engines & a Big Ed set.

 

 

[Mark P]

Look at the decal sheet. There it is spelled HobbyBoos at the bottom. That is a good clue that if you can't spell your own company name properly it is unlikely you can replicate a kit...

 

Mark Proulx

Edited April 15, 2020 by Mark P

[wunwinglow]

22 hours ago, Tnarg said:

The hard part for any manufacturer and designer is getting the shape correct. It seems pretty easy, but if you mess up, it just doesn't look right. Too often they try to pull off the old trick of calling it a 700 part kit or like they did in the 1960's calling a five transistor radio a seven transistor radio when two of them were only diodes that didn't do anything. That was back in the stone age when no one had heard of phase locked loop synthesized receivers or software defined radio and people actually listened to radio instead of their playlist on the phone. Give me a plane with 20 parts and make them correct.

 

Just make the outside of the kit correct. Limit the parts inside. Save on research and tooling, but do it right.  Even make the inside perfectly smooth so someone can go nuts filling it up with plastic strips to scratch build the interior easier... because they want it done right. (A smooth interior also means no surface sinks in the outside of the plastic). No one will see it but they will "know it is there". I can see engines. Don't screw them up. I can see wheel wells At least don't make them too ugly. I'd rather add wires than try to deal with stuff that is just wrong (thick plastic lines that purport to be wiring or tubing). As for interiors, I'd love them to be perfect, but Barracuda does interior parts for Tamiya. Yahu does instrument panels for that latest PZL P.11 kit. I think we are stuck with getting it perfect using media outside of the normal injection molded plastic.

 

Tnarg

Yeah, what Tnarg said. Get the shape right. Then, add stuff if there is any money left over. But get the shape right, please!