The Little World

We often buy a set of decals to match a kit we have – but in this case I have reversed the procedure. I had a leftover set of Israeli Air Force markings for an Academy kit and I purchased a Hobby Boss substitute to use them up.

The original Texan became an RCAF Harvard in wartime markings with additional cold-weather Canadian fittings. This Hobby Boss Texan will joinn the Heyl Ha’Avir in either bomber or trainer colours – I haven’t decide which yet. I am kind of favouring the former as a companion to the Macchi Veltro of the Royal Egyptian Air Force. Long time to go until the coats of paint so we will see.

The box art is suitably lurid…to attract the kid market. Well, it attracted me*. Privately I wonder whether the business of taking four studio tabletop shots and Photoshopping them onto stock shots of skies is all that effective in selling a product. Particularly if the shopping is not all that well done  – watch your lighting angles between the model and the sky, Guys.

And what are the economics of this vs getting an illustrator to paint a suitably dramatic battle scene? With a yellow sky…

But the inside of the box is reward enough. Standard Hobby Boss protective packaging – top and bottom moulding technique, a separate block for the rather complex wheel arches, and a decent moulded canopy. I can see clear deliniations for the framing, but I don’t expect much in the cockpit for details.

The instructions are also standard HB and you are unlikely to stumble due to too much detail. The colour call out is good, though, and they seem to have a deal with GSI Creos regarding the colour paint specified. I agree with this…One small mysterious difference – the colour call-out shows the tail markings for ROK Air Force but the decal sheet says US Air Force. Politics somewhere.

If I save the decal sheet for this one, what am I going to put them on?

* I was also attracted by the price tag – $ 13.95 is good value for a standard 1:72 kit.