Martin B-26 Marauder - 1/72
Discussion
This was my latest completed model - the Hobby 2000 kit of the B-26 that I picked up at Antics Models in Gloucester a few years ago.
As with most of the Hobby 2000 kits I think this is a reboxing - in this case of the early 2000s Hasegawa kit.
It went together really well on the whole, and came with a mask set included in the box - pretty much essential in my opinion for these older aircraft with plenty of glazing. The only real issue I had was with the decal size & spacing around the nose - I just could not get them to fit as depicted on the box, so tweaked it slightly to suit. Nobody looking at it in my display cabinet is likely to notice. Went with a more weathered look on this one as most of the photos tend to show them.
This was the first aircraft with gun turrets that's I'd built since I was a kid- and despite taking every precaution my adult brain could muster, I still broke the nose machine gun off approximately 3 seconds after sealing up the nose. Fortunately I had not fitted the waist guns in their 'deployed' position as I didn't trust myself not to break them... So I had a spare that I was able to butcher and stick back onto the nose - literally the final thing I did before taking photos and shutting it away behind glass!
Really pleased how it turned out though - one of my favourite WW2 'twins'.
As with most of the Hobby 2000 kits I think this is a reboxing - in this case of the early 2000s Hasegawa kit.
It went together really well on the whole, and came with a mask set included in the box - pretty much essential in my opinion for these older aircraft with plenty of glazing. The only real issue I had was with the decal size & spacing around the nose - I just could not get them to fit as depicted on the box, so tweaked it slightly to suit. Nobody looking at it in my display cabinet is likely to notice. Went with a more weathered look on this one as most of the photos tend to show them.
This was the first aircraft with gun turrets that's I'd built since I was a kid- and despite taking every precaution my adult brain could muster, I still broke the nose machine gun off approximately 3 seconds after sealing up the nose. Fortunately I had not fitted the waist guns in their 'deployed' position as I didn't trust myself not to break them... So I had a spare that I was able to butcher and stick back onto the nose - literally the final thing I did before taking photos and shutting it away behind glass!
Really pleased how it turned out though - one of my favourite WW2 'twins'.
Very, very nice.
One of my favourite WW2 aircraft.
It definitely is a reboxing of the very good Hasegawa kit.
I've only built the mid 1970s Airfix kit, which for its time was one of their best - but rather outdated now.
Hobby 2000 only issue kits from other manufacturer's moulds. Initially they were issuing Hasegawa kits but they have also released kits from Academy and Dragon.
One of my favourite WW2 aircraft.
It definitely is a reboxing of the very good Hasegawa kit.
I've only built the mid 1970s Airfix kit, which for its time was one of their best - but rather outdated now.
Hobby 2000 only issue kits from other manufacturer's moulds. Initially they were issuing Hasegawa kits but they have also released kits from Academy and Dragon.
Eric Mc said:
Very, very nice.
One of my favourite WW2 aircraft.
It definitely is a reboxing of the very good Hasegawa kit.
I've only built the mid 1970s Airfix kit, which for its time was one of their best - but rather outdated now.
Hobby 2000 only issue kits from other manufacturer's moulds. Initially they were issuing Hasegawa kits but they have also released kits from Academy and Dragon.
I've got a 70's boxing of the Airfix kit in the stash. If I remember correctly it's got so many rivets, that when I come to sanding them down, they're going to be filing down my sanding sticks One of my favourite WW2 aircraft.
It definitely is a reboxing of the very good Hasegawa kit.
I've only built the mid 1970s Airfix kit, which for its time was one of their best - but rather outdated now.
Hobby 2000 only issue kits from other manufacturer's moulds. Initially they were issuing Hasegawa kits but they have also released kits from Academy and Dragon.
I'm pretty sure that the Airfix kit isn't a "rivet monster". It came after that period in Airfix's history where they festooned everything with excessive rivets. It does have raised panel lines, of course, which was the norm in the period it was originally issued(1973/74).
I've built it twice - once back in the 1970s and again about ten years ago.
You might be thinking of Revell's even earlier kit (1966).
I've built it twice - once back in the 1970s and again about ten years ago.
You might be thinking of Revell's even earlier kit (1966).
Eric Mc said:
Very, very nice.
One of my favourite WW2 aircraft.
It definitely is a reboxing of the very good Hasegawa kit.
I've only built the mid 1970s Airfix kit, which for its time was one of their best - but rather outdated now.
Hobby 2000 only issue kits from other manufacturer's moulds. Initially they were issuing Hasegawa kits but they have also released kits from Academy and Dragon.
Thanks Eric.One of my favourite WW2 aircraft.
It definitely is a reboxing of the very good Hasegawa kit.
I've only built the mid 1970s Airfix kit, which for its time was one of their best - but rather outdated now.
Hobby 2000 only issue kits from other manufacturer's moulds. Initially they were issuing Hasegawa kits but they have also released kits from Academy and Dragon.
I've been impressed with the Hobby 2000 (re)releases I've seen so far - they typically have very good instructions and often seem to come with mask sets and extra decals. If the original kit was half decent, they seem excellent value for money.
Squirrelofwoe said:
Thanks Eric.
I've been impressed with the Hobby 2000 (re)releases I've seen so far - they typically have very good instructions and often seem to come with mask sets and extra decals. If the original kit was half decent, they seem excellent value for money.
I've been impressed with them too. A few years ago Hobby 2000 re-released the Dragon 1/72 Panzer IV Ausf G kit, which was previously very hard to find, for around 20 pounds. A nice kit to build with excellent detail for 1/72, and with excellent instructions.I've been impressed with the Hobby 2000 (re)releases I've seen so far - they typically have very good instructions and often seem to come with mask sets and extra decals. If the original kit was half decent, they seem excellent value for money.
Over the past couple of decades, Hasegawa kits had become very expensive in comparison to other manufacturers - especially in the UK. Hobby 2000 seem to be able to produce and sell these kits for lower retail prices compared to Hasegawa.
In more recent years, even Airfix kits are not too far off Hasegawa prices.
In more recent years, even Airfix kits are not too far off Hasegawa prices.
Eric Mc said:
I'm pretty sure that the Airfix kit isn't a "rivet monster". It came after that period in Airfix's history where they festooned everything with excessive rivets. It does have raised panel lines, of course, which was the norm in the period it was originally issued(1973/74).
I've built it twice - once back in the 1970s and again about ten years ago.
You might be thinking of Revell's even earlier kit (1966).
I've just read similar on Britmodeller, so you're right which is good news for my sanding sticks! It's in one of the deeper layers of the stash, but I might try and find it out and take a look later I've built it twice - once back in the 1970s and again about ten years ago.
You might be thinking of Revell's even earlier kit (1966).
I must have looked at it when I bought it at a show 10+ years ago, but my older memories must have taken over and lied to me!
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