Can’t think of the last
time I did a “suck & blow” machine, but twas probably 25 or more years
ago, and then a Me-262. At this year’s Bay Colony Show, Bob Don challenged
anyone to beat his Sabre build. The list included Furies and Canadair types.
I’ve always enjoyed the BundesLuftwaffe Sabre color schemes, particularly
those adorned with the Hartmann black and white tulip petals.. The kit I
purchased was for the Japanese JAASDF photo recon Sabre. For those interested in
that version, the kit includes beautifully done resin parts for the camera
bulges, and a very comprehensive decal sheet with US style numbers for many
different individual aircraft. Well worth saving, if as I, you opt for a
different bird. I made purchase of the Eagle Strike Luftwaffe’s Sabres Pt. II
decal. The sheet had markings for 3 different Luftwaffe planes, with national
markings and complete stenciling for 1. Ok, so how’s the kit?
Click on
images below to see larger images
Hasegawa’s Sabre Mk6
is cast in the usual medium gray, easy to work styrene. Surface detail is
engraved panel lines, nicely done, and just prominent enough to show case your
favorite panel line treatment. Cockpit is rather decent, with a relief cast
instrument panel, stick, rudder pedals, detailed floor and side panels, and a
very nice seat and rails, with separate head rest. The area inside the canopy
just behind the seat is well executed, with separate details, including a clear
cast beacon. (Instructions call for this to be painted “clear” orange.) I
found the cockpit to be complete enough, in my case calling only for scratch
built seatbelts and buckles, arm rests, and seat cushion. Altogether, the
assembled and painted cockpit came off quite well. I’ll also mention here that
the wheel wells, dive brake interiors, and all necessary covers are crisply and
fully detailed. Such being the case, I was pleased to leave the dive brakes
open. Gear struts, activators, and all covers are fully detailed and nicely
cast. Hasegawa even includes FOD (Foreign object damage) covers for the intake
and exhaust outlet. A nice touch, and well done. The glass parts are very clear,
distortion free, and moderately thin. Separate windscreen and sliding bubble,
along with lenses for the undernose landing lights, and the above mentioned
beacon are included, as well as a glass reflector for the gun sight. By the way,
the crisply cast wheels feature unflattened tires, so you may want to file them
flat yourself. Far as the lights are concerned, I used MV lenses for nav lights,
landing lights, and the tiny lights in the tail fairing.
This kit went together
with few problems, and I used no putty in the construction. I knew I was going
to use the supplied nose intake FOD cover, so I filled the intake with bee bee
sized ball bearings, cemented in with super glue, and that proved to be the
trick as far as holding the nose down onto it’s gear. I would not hesitate to
recommend this kit to all but perhaps the rank beginner. In the pictures
supplied, I had not glued on the canopy as yet, as I wanted to show off the
interior without it. As an aside, I think the Sabre series of airplanes are just
about the prettiest of all the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s jet fighters,
employing a genuine symmetry and purity of line. In my opinion, the esthetics of
the bird belie it’s deadly purpose.
Have fun,
Hal
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images below to see larger images
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