Hello,
I was going to pick up Revell’s 1/48 kit of the Cessna A-37, but can’t find it in the local hobby shop. Before I order on-line, does anyone know if this thing has raised panel detail? I’d hate to have to sand and re-scribe with all the other projects I have going on, and don’t think I’d be happy leaving raised detail.
By the way, are there any other kits in this scale?
Thanks as always,
Mark
It has raised panel lines, but builds up nicely even if you don’t rescribe. It’s the old Monogram kit & is the only 1/48 kit available. Academy makes a very nice 1/72 kit with recessed panel lines.
Regards, Rick
I’ve built the kit years ago, and sorry to say it’s a raised panel line kit but it makes out to a really nice piece, if you want to take the time and rescribe then it’ll be right up your alley
Like they said, it’s a nice kit, even though it’s about 15 years old. And the price is good as well. It was one of the last of the Monogram kits with raised panel lines, and one of my big complaints is that the few places on the A-37 really has some subtle raised rivets, Monogram made the model look as though it’s afflicted with a plague of warts. But, they are easy to sand off. Because it is a small airplane, if you really want to, you can rescribe the panel lines, but before I’d do that, I’d simply sand them off since on the real things, with camo paint, the only show up as changes in color on a worn bird and not at all on a freshly painted one (I had a strange close-up encounter with four of them on their way to El Salvador, and they were right out of the paint shop.)
There are also lots of nice AM parts to dress this one up. And, Zotz/Albatross has a comprensive set of decals in a multi-sheet set that also has excellent painting instructions and camouflage diagrams.
One warning for those wanting to turn this into a T-37B or C: you’d just as well off trying to scratchbuild it. The differences in shape, due to different engines, are quite marked and even with some ingenious use of putty the subtle curves along the length of the wide-chord wing root and the intakes are totally different from the trainer, along with numberous differences in lumb, bumps and bulges, as well as the cockpit. It would be nice if someone would kit the T-37 in quarter-scale, since so many countries use it. The only kit I know of is the old Hasegawa T-37 in 1/72 scale.
TOM
Thanks Rick, Dennis and Tom!
I think I’ll go for it, anyway. What’s twelve bucks and a little sandpaper?
Tom, funny you should mention it-- I started off looking for a T-37 after seeing a really cool build (from scratch, I guess) of a Canadian one in FSM. Anyway, I’ll be happy with the A-37 for now, but you’re right, someone ought to release the T in 1/48.
Take care,
Mark
here is the built kit that you speak of friend. i assembled this one last summer and it went together well. some of the parts are a little “thick” for the scale, but over all a pleasurable experience. i found this one in the LHS and on the way out my eye caught a glimpse of the Black Box cockpit for this specific kit and i couldn’t resist. but, i purchased the resin cockpit before i cracked open the box, and the kit pit is pretty dang good just the way it is. good luck, and if you need to ask more questions about it, just let me know.
if you want to see more pics of the build, click on this link. later.
http://photobucket.com/albums/v47/saltydog322000/A-37%20Dragonfly/
I saw this kit in a LHS and thought about getting it again. My wife (then finacee) got this kit for me and it was a good kit (until my brother tossed a football on it, along with my F-4J [xx(]).
Saltydog…nice lookin’ Dragonfly. [:D]
Chris,
Brilliant job! You especially made the cockpit worth the extra money.
The Dragonfly is just a cool looking plane. It does seem right at home buzzing through the jungles. Thanks for the pics and the offer of help.
Take care,
Mark
“I saw this kit in a LHS and thought about getting it again. My wife (then finacee) got this kit for me and it was a good kit (until my brother tossed a football on it, along with my F-4J ).”
Carl,
I feel for you! The world of plastic is fraught with peril. Last week, I had chalked up a recently painted tail-wing as missing. It turned up a few days later in the dog’s tail.
C’est la vie.
Mark