Azur

1/72 F-91

Product # AZUA019 Azur from Hobby Link Japan

Product Article by Nick Moore on June 24 2010

 

This is a limited release by Azur in 1/72 scale of the Fairchild 91 with decals to mark it as either an RAF or a Spanish Nationalist aircraft. The plastic components of this kit have been seen before and are from the same molds as the Sword model of this aircraft. This release by Azur includes some very delicate and nicely detailed resin parts. You receive complete crew and passenger seating, instrument panel, control columns and yokes, two bulkheads, cockpit floor and the forward portion of the radial engine. So there's replacements there for chunky or very simplified plastic parts and some nice additions. Of course all of this interior detail is lost once buttoned up but never mind that. Amongst the plastic parts you will be using are fuselage halves with fine engraved panel lines plus wings and control surfaces with a restrained  rib effect. The vac-formed canopy is quite clear and robust with reasonably well defined framework. Casting quality and thicknesses of remaining parts is par for course for limited run plastic. Some of the parts show a little more flash and general wear than others but nothing extreme and nothing that can't be cleaned up with ease.

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The instruction sheet contains specifications and an interesting history of these aircraft covering their diverse use while backgrounding the two markings options provided with the kit. Decals are printed by Cartograf and look to be of good quality with some nice crisp noseart for the Spanish version.

While the overall form of this aircraft is somewhat unusual it is not exactly encrusted with detail so it is crying out for an immaculate build and paint job to really make it shine. All up this seems to be a good honest effort with some added value resin to fill out the interior. It should build into something of an interesting curiosity that will set it apart from the crowd. Recommended.

Some further information on the F-91 can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairchild_91

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYyfddMmuSY

This kit can be purchased here: http://www.hlj.com/product/AZUA019

I would like to thank HobbyLink Japan ( www.hlj.com ) for providing this review sample.

Nick Moore

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Photos and text © by Nick Moore