I’ve never built a Hobbyboss kit, but I’m considering one for the Battle of Coral Sea GB. Before I pull the trigger, I wanna be sure I’m not walking blindly into a nightmare.
Thanks for the input, y’all.
I have not yet built one, but from what i have seen, generally, yes. But like all companies, they have good and bad. Which kit are you thinking of.
1/48 F4F-3 (Late)
Sounds really detailed from the description (like to the point that I’ll be stretching my modeling legs so to speak). It’s also a good price and comes with markings for a plane that was on the USS Lexington. Also, I’ve always wanted to build a wildcat, but have never built a navy plane for some reason. Basically, as long as it’s not a completely awful kit, it’s kind of a perfect storm situation.
Really good. That company is part of the Trumpeter organization.
I’ve built a few, good stuff.
In 1/48, they’re pretty decent…some better than others. They do seem to have a “simpleness” to them, for lack of a better term. A bit basic in some areas(pit/gear bays), but pretty much always look pretty good on the outside. Most seem to have accuracy issues…some more than others…but that’s being nit-picky.
Thanks for the input. I thought I remembered hearing that they were part of another company, but couldn’t remember which one for the life of me.
Their “late” -3 is O’Hare’s aircraft from February; “F-15”.
“Basic in some areas” sounds like “well suited for my current skill level” to me, fermis. Lol. Beyond that, I’m not gonna get very nit-picky on my first go at this plane and first GB. Not unless the other kids in the GB won’t play with me because of it.
Of course we wil and it’s a good kit.
“F-15” was lost in late March during a ferry flight in Hawaii from Lexington to Yorktown.
At Coral Sea, VF-2 the Lex fighter squadron is thought to have had black codes anyways.
Get into the research; it’s very enjoyable.
You will be interested to know that until very recently building a -3 was a chore, involving resin wing sets grafted to -4 kits.
Trivia- The Wildcat was the most successful fighter in WW2.
I was just getting into the research. Started reading about O’Hare. I actually watched a documentary about wildcats a couple of months ago that talked about him a bit. Didn’t recognize the name at first though. I do enjoy the research that comes before the build, just feel a little out of my comfort zone researching the goings on on that side of the planet. Lol.
I’ve built quite a few Hobbyboss kits over the years and have found them to be basicly good kits. Simple cockpits with minimum details. Low parts count. Fine panel lines. Never had any major problems with them.
Jim [cptn]
They are better than revell / monogram.Also they have a wide range of a selection.They are very good kits For the price.
I have built a couple, and they were very nice. These were not the Easy Assemby kits. However, a friend has built one of those and was quite satisfield with it. Said it did not have the detail of other HB kits, but fit was good and it built into a nice model he intends for a diorama.
I’ve just wrapped up their 1/48 Ta 152 and it was an absolute pleasure to build. However, this kit and others lack accuracy from time to time. Overall kit dimensions are ok but you may find minor things missing panel lines, detail, etc… I wouldn’t hesitate to buy one if I needed one.
Google is your friend, you can search for reviews on just about any kit. I’ve only messed with their 1/48 scale armor and their 1/35 Commando. As kits, they are good. There are some complaints about shape accuracies of their 1/48 Sherman, but the T-34 and KV are well received. So, even in my small sampling, Hobby Boss has some good and some not so good.
I’ve read that their 1/48 scale armor kits are downsized Trumpeter kits from their parent company.
I recently built that Wildcat kit that you mention. It was a good kit with a great amount of detail, although there was a tricky point in the construction with the underside of the fuselage right beneath the cockpit attaching to the upper halves. But take your time at that point and you won’t be disappointed.
Those are very good kits. I have a couple of Wildcats from HB at a bargain price from Squadron. They have a good amount of details and make great looking models. I recall reading a review listing some minor shape issues on the cowling but IMO too minor to be concerned. I also have several other HB kits which are excellent. I just completed a 1/48 Demon that came out looking fantastic so pull the trigger on this one without hesitation.
That isn’t saying much, from my experience [:P]
Hobby Boss have some excellent models. Their 1/32 Spitfire is comperable to the Tamiya in same scale. The Hobby Boss is actually more detailed, and half the price.
Old thread,but I try one of their Corsairs,did not like it,Tamiya’s 1/48 Corsair much better and cheaper.