Yes, he appeared at my door bearing an enormous box this time. It was from my new favorite mail order house, HobbyLink Japan (www.hlj.com). If you haven’t been over to that site, you don’t know what you’re missing. The biggest item in this big box was the Tamiya 1/32 F-16CJ everyone seems to by buying. I waited impatiently until my man Bud H./Wibhi2 could get over so we could discover its treasures together. And treasures this kit has in spades.
Our biggest complaint was that it has that great engine, that can be displayed on a very detailed engine stand, but if you do, you’re leaving your airplane with nothing but a big jagged hole in the back. This is supposed to be a scale model display, not a maintenance diorama. They should supply a set of dummy turkey-feathers/afterburner section so the engine and the entire airplane can be displayed. And I hope with the inevitable PE turkey feathers from Eduard appear, we can do just that with it.
Also in the box was the Hasegawa re-release of its F-8E as the French F-8E(FN). Does anyone know the external differences, aside from the larger stab? I want to make an USN or Marine F-8E out of it for these new AVI Print AM decals I have for it.
But I think what I liked best out of this shipment were the delicate little pitot tubes for my 1/48 HAS F-86 and A6M3, along with a pair of the tiniest bits of tubing for 20 mm cannon I ever saw. They are by Fine Molds, and I highly recommend them. And HLJ in general.
Now, if I can just make some progress on this giant Trumpeter Spitfish. And, I’m pleased to announce, today I finished my first real WW I biplane in ten years, a Russian-operated Nieuport 17, Eduard Limited Edition, I/48.
TOM
WOW - Christmas in March. Hey my birthday is in a couple weeks - HINT HINT!!! LOL
Way to go on the goodies. Now for some pictures of the bipe - after the article is printed, of course.
I will have to go visit the HLJ site. Was on the squadron site last night and found an interior kit for a 1/72 B-17F (nose to after the waist and a 1/72 set of crew to include a gunner rolled up for the ball turret. Talking to the wife about those.
Again, keep us posted on the builds and post pictures when you can.
Kurt
Sounds like a pretty nice haul.
Regards, Rick
I guess that I am going to have to learn to speak Japanese so that I can talk to Santa. I learned some while I was at Kadena, but that was 27 years ago. The memory is fading fast.
Darwin, O.F. [alien]
The place is owned by Americans, and it took a week using the cheap shipping option. They have great prices on Hasemiya and other Asian AM makers, books, tooks and kits we never even hear of in the squadron catalogue. It really is a place to check out. A huge inventory too. I’ve found that even when they list things as out of stock, it’s not, and when it is, they get it within 24-48 hours. My Trumpeter RA-5 was listed as out of stock (they’re, of course, flying off the shelves everywhere) and then it was on it’s way to me to me 24 hours later. I’m still going through their exotic AM goodies in PE and white metal and things like the pitots and gun barrels. They are out of this world. They also have a full stock of CAM decals and CAM resin accessories. I just ordered a 1/32 resin seat for my F-16CJ by CAM which is on it’s way along with the Vigilante.
TOM
I think I’m jealous…
I don’t think, I KNOW I am…[:p]
BTW It’s my birthday TODAY (I believe UPS has a 24 hours delivery service…)
I just love it when those shipments you´ve been waiting for come in!!
Happy building /Johan
[bday][bday]…I hope the Bday model fae’s are kind to you today
If Tamiya were smart they would sell the engine and 3000 trailer as a seperate kit. I know I would drop at least $30.00 on that engine.As a jet engine Mech I would love to spend a few hundred hours Detailing that thing. One could only hope!!!
Fitz