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1/48 - Fairey Firefly Mk.1 by Trumpeter - released


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1 hour ago, The Tomohawk Kid said:

I'm staggered that folk can come to the conclusions they have on this thread, based on a couple of scratchy images taken from odd angles and almost certainly taken on a cell phone and compressed when the images were uploaded!

 

Thomo.

Standard practice nowadays. Along with rubbishing kits as "fatally flawed", hopelessly inaccurate" and, "completely unbuildable" . Usually based on nothing more than pre-production, preliminary CADs and, well before any plastic has been pressed between tool steel.

 

Allan  

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Unfortunately Trumpeter has ‘form’ and our hopes/expectations are framed accordingly. As others have said above they can sometimes get it right but on British subjects it appears that it’s more miss than hit.

 

Even if you know nothing about the subject you’re  cadding (is that a thing btw?!) then comparing your rendering to a photo could be productive in showing you that something is askew.

 

I am the first to applaud any manufacturer cutting metal on a subject that interests me. Minor hiccups I could forgive (c.f. The ‘omissions’ in the new Airfix Phantom), but when something like the Vampires happen, then as far as I am concerned they are not worth my time to correct. This is a shame as it is a very interesting subject markings wise. Hobbycraft also stuffed it up many years ago, so maybe third time lucky for someone else?

 

Trevor

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When I look at the image of the Trumpeter display model. I’m not sure if I’m looking at an off tool test shot, an SLA printed assembly of parts or WHY.  So any comments on it are just supposition given we don’t actually know what it is.

 

A bit bit like commenting on Revell’s Placeholder model of the 1/48 Beaufighter.. 

 

 

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24 minutes ago, Max Headroom said:

Unfortunately Trumpeter has ‘form’ and our hopes/expectations are framed accordingly. As others have said above they can sometimes get it right but on British subjects it appears that it’s more miss than hit.

 

Even if you know nothing about the subject you’re  cadding (is that a thing btw?!) then comparing your rendering to a photo could be productive in showing you that something is askew.

 

I am the first to applaud any manufacturer cutting metal on a subject that interests me. Minor hiccups I could forgive (c.f. The ‘omissions’ in the new Airfix Phantom), but when something like the Vampires happen, then as far as I am concerned they are not worth my time to correct. This is a shame as it is a very interesting subject markings wise. Hobbycraft also stuffed it up many years ago, so maybe third time lucky for someone else?

 

Trevor

 

For me no kit is better than a poor/incorrect kit particularly if puts somebody else off of kitting the subject or another potential manufacturer misconstrues lack of sales or interest in a poorly rendered kit as a lack of interest or demand for the subject.

 

As others have stated, Trumpeter and Hobby Boss have a bit of poor form in this area which makes people wary of any announcement by them, especially on Britmodeller of a British subject.  The sad thing is Trumpeter/Hobby Boss (and yes, I class them as different arms of the same beast), can do things really well when they try hard enough, but when they don't, people feel badly let down.  A good example of this is their Vampire, I was so bitterly disappointed when that came out, they might have well as kitted a Noratlas because it certainly wasn't a Vampire.

 

That said, I'm not willing to criticise this kit before it's released, I suspect many hope that the comments will get back to the kit designers and the corrections will get made...   ...maybe.  I'd rather wait until we see the plastic before criticising.

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6 hours ago, Max Headroom said:

Slightly off topic but does the Griffon ‘power egg’ nose have the same dimensions as that for the Lancaster I/III/VIII/X? I only ask because there is a distinct similarity there, prop and ‘cheek scoops’ excepted and marrying a spare Lanc nose may assist in any perceived error?

 

Trevor

The Lancaster power-egg contains a Merlin engine though. The Griffon is substantially bigger (longer anyway - displacement went from 27L to 37L but there was only a 5% increase in frontal area).  The overall arrangement of the Lanc power-egg is similar to the nose of the Firefly, but I think if made some measurements you'd find the similarity is superficial.

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6 hours ago, The Tomohawk Kid said:

I'm staggered that folk can come to the conclusions they have on this thread, based on a couple of scratchy images taken from odd angles and almost certainly taken on a cell phone and compressed when the images were uploaded!

 

Thomo.

Sounds like Danni and the Venom again.

 

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2 hours ago, NAVY870 said:

Sounds like Danni and the Venom again.

 

 

2 hours ago, Wez said:

Is this the sequel?

Danni And the Venom II - Steve and the Firefly!: Return of the Hideously Deformed Frankenkit. (Please read in over-excited US telly voice-over style for full effect)

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Doing some preliminary ferreting for the Carriers Ahoy group build and my intention to use a Novo Mk.I, I found these Ian Huntley drawings.

 

27703766809_d16ca17730_b.jpg

 

39450368602_afbe7d8294_b.jpg

 

I seem to have most of his various articles on dissecting the Firefly from old copies of SAM.

 

Trevor

 

 

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I have the Special Hobby 1/48 Firefly I in the stash which is lined up for a build later this year.  I think I'll stick with it but can someone tell me, when did the double rockets come into use as both kits have them? 

 

I have seen photos of Fireflies in pre BPF Roundel and Bar markings (they came in in March/April 45) with four rails per wing, I assume these were single rockets per rail and that the double ones would have only two rails per wing, still giving a total of four rockets per wing, but when did that happen and does anyone have a photo of a BPF Firefly so equiped?

 

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12 hours ago, airbus320 said:

My oh my, what have they done with the elevators...

 

Chris

Oh my! They are so wrong. Looks like whoever designed that part of the kit was going strictly off drawings and didn't look at any photographs. They will take some fixing.

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Amazing isn't it? A company gives us an interesting subject and although 98% of it looks good, everyone concentrates on the 2% that isn't. It looks pretty much like a Firefly to me (mind you I haven't finished counting the rivets with my magnifying glass yet).

And (covers head for the incoming flak) I like it and will probably buy it.

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1 hour ago, Gorby said:

Amazing isn't it? A company gives us an interesting subject and although 98% of it looks good, everyone concentrates on the 2% that isn't. It looks pretty much like a Firefly to me (mind you I haven't finished counting the rivets with my magnifying glass yet).

And (covers head for the incoming flak) I like it and will probably buy it.

Please do,

but may I ask why?

If this would be only 1/48 Firefly model on the market or better that other offerings, I would understand, and buy it myself also.

But we have AZ models and Special Hobby offerings,

and so far I don't see anything on this pictures that would put Trumpeter in front of them.

Ok, AZ models is a bit heavy on panel lines, Trumpeter is probably better in this department,

but Special Hobby is a beauty.

I don't know the price for Trumpeter but it is unlikely that it will be less then 30 Pounds,  so it will not be cheaper that the competition.

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That's a 10 second job to fix the elevators. I think the kit looks pretty nice overall, I'd like to see one closer up and I'd consider getting one. Special Hobby MkI is okay but I'm not a great fan of their plastic and slightly vague instructions.

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48 minutes ago, Zagor said:

Please do,

but may I ask why?

If this would be only 1/48 Firefly model on the market or better that other offerings, I would understand, and buy it myself also.

But we have AZ models and Special Hobby offerings,

and so far I don't see anything on this pictures that would put Trumpeter in front of them.

Ok, AZ models is a bit heavy on panel lines, Trumpeter is probably better in this department,

but Special Hobby is a beauty.

I don't know the price for Trumpeter but it is unlikely that it will be less then 30 Pounds,  so it will not be cheaper that the competition.

 

I'm inclined to agree. Special Hobby that seems to make an effort and cares about what they do is more worthy of my money than a faceless giant that clearly doesn't give a toss so long as the boxes turn over.

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The deciding factor for me is likely to be price. Wonderland have the Trumpeter kit for £45. The Special Hobby kit is being offered on the internet for up to £10 less. I can put up with the oddities of a low volume product, so the decision is easy to make without having to think about accuracy. 

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At £45 from Hannants versus £33.80 for Special Hobbies version- I'll stick with SH.

 

If I could get the Trump version cheaper then I would give it a go

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On ‎05‎/‎03‎/‎2018 at 10:03 AM, Grey Beema said:

I have the Special Hobby 1/48 Firefly I in the stash which is lined up for a build later this year.  I think I'll stick with it but can someone tell me, when did the double rockets come into use as both kits have them? 

 

I have seen photos of Fireflies in pre BPF Roundel and Bar markings (they came in in March/April 45) with four rails per wing, I assume these were single rockets per rail and that the double ones would have only two rails per wing, still giving a total of four rockets per wing, but when did that happen and does anyone have a photo of a BPF Firefly so equiped?

 

Don't think anyone will find one: fairly confident the twin-rocket installation was strictly post-WW2.  The WW2 fit was bombs or drop tanks or 8 single rockets, complete with launch rails and massive blast plates.  Post WW2 (and possibly with the Griffon variants) came rocket stubs, on much more modest mounting plates, which could accommodate the 2-tier installation.  From photos it looks as if the 2 innermost pairs of rocket stubs could be replaced by bombracks.

Edited by Seahawk
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1 hour ago, Zagor said:

Please do,

but may I ask why?

If this would be only 1/48 Firefly model on the market or better that other offerings, I would understand, and buy it myself also.

But we have AZ models and Special Hobby offerings,

and so far I don't see anything on this pictures that would put Trumpeter in front of them.

Ok, AZ models is a bit heavy on panel lines, Trumpeter is probably better in this department,

but Special Hobby is a beauty.

I don't know the price for Trumpeter but it is unlikely that it will be less then 30 Pounds,  so it will not be cheaper that the competition.

The Special Hobby kit may be good, but having done a special hobby model in the past that was more of a trial than a pleasure, I feel less inclined to subject myself to something similar.

 

My point is that EVERY time we get a new release, ten seconds later we have to rip it to pieces. 99.9% of modellers either wouldn't know, or more importantly don't care about minor errors. I'm not an aviation historian, I just want something that looks pretty much like the aircraft in question and is enjoyable to build. If you want the most accurate representation, then each to their own, but we are staggeringly lucky to have the range and quality of models available to us, why always concentrate on the negative.

 

The prices quoted above are new, I'm not in any hurry so in a couple of years I'll look at a second hand or reduced one. When I see one for about £20 I'll be interested.

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In all fairness this doesn’t look like a mis-shapen lump like some of Trumpeters other works however the elevator cock-up here is typical of their poor research and/or lack of attention to detail. A thirty second google search for ‘firefly elevators’ would suffice to show how they look!! I’ll be interested to see how the rest of the kit compares to plans and photographs.

 

My main bugbear here is that in the act of producing a modern yet inaccurate model of rarer subjects they will drive away manufacturers who otherwise would be willing to spend the time and effort to do them properly!

 

Fingers crossed Trumpy don’t try to tackle the Scimitar, Firebrand, Venom etc....

 

Chris

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