Hi,
I was just wondering what everyone’s opinion of the re-release of the ‘Monogram 1/48 F-80 Shooting Star’ was?
Ken
It’s a decent older kit and nice to see out again.[;)]
Yes, I agree. I am looking forward to picking one up when it becomes available.
It is an old kit but still the best in 1/48 scale. I built several when they first came out and all were a fun build. I even modified one with the Academy RT-33A nose section to make a RF-80.
It’s a decent kit for it’s day.
Regards, Rick
It’s a fine kit, always had been… I wish they’d have come out with a T-33 version as well…
[dto:] The Academy kit of the T-33A is almost useless. A T-33 from RM would be great.
Not familiar with that one, although that shouldn’t be a surprise, eh? I’ve got a T-33 conversion in progress, but it’s going slower than any other WIP since I don’t have a diorama idea yet… The conversion consists of a 14mm curved stryene strip added to each fuselage half just forward of the wingroot, and two F-80 cockpits strapped together. The canopy is a vac-form (made a copy of it for another badly-needed conversion, an F-15 Reporter from the Mongram P-61) …
I’m glad to see it coming out again. This kit has great potential in the hands of a modeler with or without the use of aftermarket accessories.
There was discussion a while back by one of the now seemingly defunct modeling companies to use this kit as a base to create the entire family of aircraft that used this airframe, including T-33s and F-94 variants.
A 1:48 scale F-94 would be sweet, especially if it was detailed like this:
RF-80
I guess now we’ll all have to hope that the aftermarket mfrs start to release conversions for such projects.
Academy came out with the T-33A, RT-33A, and F-94B. I would love to have a RM release of the F-94C. Any thing would be an improvement over the Academy kits.
Were the Academy kits 1/48th?
Honestly, after starting this friggin’ Model Craft F-82 Twin Mustang, I’m pretty sure that there are NO bad/junk kits from anyone, anywhere… 'Cept the Aurora P-61… That one will always stink on ice…
What is left of my Academy RT-33A is in my parts box. If you need anything to help with your conversion let me know. I’ll see if I have it available.
I’ll keep ya in mind, Berny… I have two more Mongram F-80s in the stash now…
I think testors did a 48th scale T-33. Pretty sure I built it back in the day.
EDIT: Yep, found one, this is the kit I built when I was a wee lad.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Lockheed-T-33A-Trainer-airplane-kit-Testors-1-48-sealed-/280587774876
Yes they were in1/48 scale. They were released around 1989-1990.
The Testors kit was actually a re-release of the Hawk kit from the 60’s. They had a chrome-plated version that I first built back around 1963.
Mark
I remember FSM did a nice article some years back on converting the Monogram kit to a WWII P-80 version.
I had a couple of those chrome-plated kits, the P-51 and the Bearcat… Never saw the T-33 “chromed” though I’d have surely bought it if I had…
I have some fond memories as a kid with the T-33… There was one in the park of this town that my aunt & uncle lived in, and me & my cousins would go down there and “play B-17” in it… The canopy was busted open by vandals, so the cockpit was accessable ( had to sit on a bucket since the seats were missing), and the engine was gone, so a few 10 & 12 year-olds could fit in the “waist” as gunners quite easily, lol… A couple inspection panels were missing, and a stick poking out of each side became a .50 Cal, and a pair in the tailpipe became the tail-gunner…
I still have a couple of the ol Monogram F-80’s still in it’s orignal shrink wrap when I bought them at K-Mart when I was just a lil guy… Wow the memories…
My LHS has a few HobbycrapT-33’s, and a RT-33… Also a few re issues by Academy… All for around $15 or so…They are not the best but they are the only game in town so far…
On a side note, I heard this a while ago(not sure on this forum or ARC) that Monogram/Revell was going to take three kits, completely re do the tooling which included engraved panel lines…
One was the B-25 and the other was the P/F-80… Then again this could also be here say… It would be nice though
Flaps up,
Mike
Rangers Lead The Way
It would be nice to see them put recessed panel lines just for the simplicity of replacing any removed during sanding… but otherwise the kit really needs no revamping. It has a great cockpit, wheel weels, gun bay, dropped flaps, removable tail section with engine and dolly stand for the tail… even an excellent seated pilot in proper flight gear of the era, and a selection of wing tip tanks and choiceof iron bombs or napalm for ordinance…
The Hobbycraft T-33 was reboxed by Academy. They are the same kit.