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AGM-114 Hellfire Missiles - 1:72 Eduard Brassin


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AGM-114 Hellfire Missiles
1:72 Eduard


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The AGM-114 Hellfire is an Air-to-ground missile originally developed for anti tank operations. The missile has since been developed for precision targeting of other vehicles, buildings and personnel. It is available in a Laser designated, and radar guided version. 
 

 

AGM-114 Hellfire (6724-148)

This set from Eduard gives a complete set of 8 missiles which is the normal load for the combat helicopters deploying the missile. There are clear noses for the Laser version and solid ones for the Radar one. Photo-etch is used for the missiles fins, rear rocket motor, and launcher parts. With two launchers and eight missiles these are a mini kit in themselves. A small sheet of decals provides all the markings you will need for the missiles. As is usual with Eduard all the parts are first class.

 

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Conclusion

These sets will enhance an already impressive model. Recommended. 

 

 

Review sample courtesy of
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  • 10 months later...

I ahve read this review, and felt the need to reply, this is NOT a good review

Had actually you know, BUILT any of the flipping missiles…

This is why open-box reviews are not particularly helpful.

You see, assembling these missiles is IMPOSSIBLE!

Look, I have built many, many teeny tiny models I my life, I am not a fat-fingered bumble-bottomed goon.

The kit consists of (well, you’ve can look at the link above) dozens of tiny resin parts, each stuck to their moulding block. The T-Mounts are formed such that you really have to guess exactly what is meant to be kept, and what cut away.

The other parts of the rack mount are covered in flash by design, that you need to cut away.

See, this looks great, but is purely a render:
Image
You can see the way various parts are almost lost on the mounting blocks!

See the forward fins, these are 1mm by 1.5 mm…and attached at 3 points on the PE sheet, two of these points are where it glues onto the missile itself, requiring them to be cleaned off absolutely or you’ll be trying to attach the fin using a vanishingly small contact area…

There is barely enough clearance to get my specially-purchased PE designed mini cutters in to chop them off, then you have the IMPOSSIBLE task of holding such a small part firmly enough to clean up the left over mounting pin…we are talking about something that is literally 1/10 of a mm in width.

Then once you have fiiiiiinally cleaned up ONE, you ten have the fun task of gluing it onto the missile…there is so little clearance that when pinched tightly with my smallest, most precise German tweezers, I have less than 0.2 mm exposed to apply the super glue, and of course I can’t allow ANY to get anywhere NEAR the tweezers, for the rather obvious reason that if any glue gets that close, it will thereafter be a permanent part OF the tweezers, and decidedly NOT attached to the missile itself. 

So after an hour (no I am not kidding) I had attached 4 of the small fins, leaving what I thought would be the easier, larger fins for last.
Well, it seems that whilst there was a tiny slot for the small find, there isn’t for the rear ones, further, see that tiny slit towards the end of each of the larger fins, well that extends damn near the entire width of the fin, so when you finally detach it from the PE sheet, it will bend at that point, in all sorts of random directions.


And then, trying to hold the missiles so I can glue the larger fin on I knocked off the smaller ones because THERE IS NO ROOM TO HOLD IT.

I gave up on the missiles and try to assemble one of the mounts…but again, the assembly is so finicky, the attachment points so small, that I cannot imagine any human on this planet who could go start to finish and do a complete set of 8 missiles without stuffing up half of them!!

I have decided that since I used the Apache missiles, I will only mount 8 Hellfires, using their mount, and have ordered some styrene strips in order to cut out my own missile fins!

It seems they jsut took their 1/48 design...and shrunk it!
 

Please if you are going to review something, you need to include all aspects of that product before giving it a recommendation!

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15 hours ago, TooOld4This said:

I ahve read this review, and felt the need to reply, this is NOT a good review

You might disagree with the conclusion, but that doesn't mean it isn't a good review.  Modelling skills vary between modellers, and if you've given up building the missiles, I bet you a pound to a pinch of snuff that someone will make a superb job of them.  Also be aware that if we did a build review of everything that came over the threshold we'd need some sort of time-dilation device to get it all done before the next kit comes along and supercedes it.

 

Secondly, to join a forum and post this sort of diatribe is bad form and makes the Moderators wonder whether you're just here to make trouble. :hmmm:

 

Lastly, the key tenet of this site is Polite and Respectful", and this is borderline neither. :shrug:

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16 hours ago, TooOld4This said:

my smallest, most precise German tweezers

My own needle nosed forceps came from my LHS.  I was impressed enough to have bought two pairs; one for modelling, one for clinical use (and they sterilise very nicely).  Perhaps you should seek out similar.

 

16 hours ago, TooOld4This said:

if any glue gets that close, it will thereafter be a permanent part OF the tweezers

CA glues should, in my professional opinion, never be used without immediate access to a bottle of Acetone; this will free stuck fingers (but not eyes!  Medical attention required PDQ!) with ease.  It also works on inanimate objects, and also on Epoxy Resin to clean up fingers and work surfaces, and as a bath for metal parts wrongly/badly joined.  For CA it's quick. for resin much slower and for all metal assemblies only.

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13 hours ago, Mike said:

You might disagree with the conclusion, but that doesn't mean it isn't a good review.  Modelling skills vary between modellers, and if you've given up building the missiles, I bet you a pound to a pinch of snuff that someone will make a superb job of them.  Also be aware that if we did a build review of everything that came over the threshold we'd need some sort of time-dilation device to get it all done before the next kit comes along and supercedes it.

 

Secondly, to join a forum and post this sort of diatribe is bad form and makes the Moderators wonder whether you're just here to make trouble. :hmmm:

 

Lastly, the key tenet of this site is Polite and Respectful", and this is borderline neither. :shrug:

Excuse me...?
I am critiquing a product I bought, that I thought i would share with the community.

I did so with humour and good intent.

 

I bought them based on this review, so why am I not entitled to respond back with my observations of actually assembling them?

 

I was only referring to the product in my review,  not sure where the "disrespect" you imply came from.

 

IF you're upset that I dissed the original post, well., all I said was:

 

"This is why open-box reviews are not particularly helpful"

A comment which is not directed at this review, but a general observation.

 

Yes, it would take a long time to assemble all kits that are reviewed, but these reviews do exist, and they do often point out useful information pertaining to fit issues, or other concerns, hence my comment and post.

 

I am attempting to point out what I believe is a flaw in the product design, one that Edaurd themselves have passed onto their design team, as I have also shared this feedback to them.

 

Finally, I agree there are always people out there who can build stuff like this perfectly, there are people who can carve the Taj Mahal in the head of a pin. 

 

But it needs to be pointed out that this is a problematic product to assemble. 

 

What's the problem?

 

 

 

 

Edited by TooOld4This
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13 hours ago, Chillidragon said:

My own needle nosed forceps came from my LHS.  I was impressed enough to have bought two pairs; one for modelling, one for clinical use (and they sterilise very nicely).  Perhaps you should seek out similar.

 

CA glues should, in my professional opinion, never be used without immediate access to a bottle of Acetone; this will free stuck fingers (but not eyes!  Medical attention required PDQ!) with ease.  It also works on inanimate objects, and also on Epoxy Resin to clean up fingers and work surfaces, and as a bath for metal parts wrongly/badly joined.  For CA it's quick. for resin much slower and for all metal assemblies only.

LHS?

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5 hours ago, TooOld4This said:

Excuse me...?
I am critiquing a product I bought, that I thought i would share with the community.

5 hours ago, TooOld4This said:

was only referring to the product in my review,  not sure where the "disrespect" you imply came from.

But you said in your original post.

On 4/4/2018 at 12:01 AM, TooOld4This said:

ahve read this review, and felt the need to reply, this is NOT a good review

Had actually you know, BUILT any of the flipping missiles…

So it was obviously taken as a criticism of the review, not the product. That's all.  :thumbsup:

 

Chris.

 

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You were not only critiquing the product, which I have no problem with but you siad "this is NOT a good review" and you had to further emphasis this buy putting the NOT in capitals. The in box review is just that, a review of what's in the box.

 

if you have the product and it does not build up well then we are all interested to hear that. However you went further than that and it's what I take issue with.

 

julien

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5 hours ago, TooOld4This said:

I did so with humour and good intent.

That's the only bit that made me laugh!

 

Has anyone else bought and built this set successfully?  Anyone got any images to share of the finished build?

 

Mike

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My initial thought was that you should get a free ship modeller with them to help you. I think there a valid point that with modern CAD and 3D printing you can just about design and manufacture anything at any scale, but can you realistically  put the bits together? I think modellers should be advised not to buy this sight unseen as they differ from many single piece resin missiles.

 

...says a man who bought some Reheat 1/72 seat belt buckles many moons ago and now can't even see them let alone use them.

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On 05/04/2018 at 20:30, Julien said:

You were not only critiquing the product, which I have no problem with but you siad "this is NOT a good review" and you had to further emphasis this buy putting the NOT in capitals. The in box review is just that, a review of what's in the box.

 

if you have the product and it does not build up well then we are all interested to hear that. However you went further than that and it's what I take issue with.

 

julien

Yes, that was actually a mistake...it should have read "This is NOT a good product" A comment I stand by wholeheartedly.

 

Apologies for that...I can see why t I drew the ire of the forum now!

 

l am still waiting to see any of these sets finished...2 complete sets of 4 missiles, mounted in the launcher, decals applied...

 

Anyone?

 

I don't see what making the fins out of PE parts does to enhance the model!

 

PE by it's very nature is featureless surface, great for netting, grids, grilles etc, but fins? Flat, featureless fins..why?

 

I believe these fins should have, could have, and would have been far better moulded onto the body of the missile, as Eduard did for a lot of their 1/72 missile range e.g. their Phoenix missiles, AA-8 Aphid, etc.

 

Thanks and I will post elsewhere later as I have re-entered the aircraft kit hobby after 30 years abscence.

Edited by TooOld4This
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