Damon Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 (edited) Hello, I appologize if this has been discussed before, Can anyone give me an idea on the best 1/72 SAAB Tunnan kitset to build out there? I understand that manufactureers like Heller, Airfix ,Matchbox have produced kits and Revell has re used the molds from Heller.Any information or opinions welcomed. Thanks. Edited July 29, 2012 by Damon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Kunac-Tabinor Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Hello,I appologize if this has been discussed before, Can anyone give me an idea on the best 1/72 SAAB Tunnan kitset to build out there? I understand that manufactureers like Heller, Airfix ,Matchbox have produced kits and Revell has re used the molds from Heller.Any information or opinions welcomed. Thanks. Hi Damon - the Heller model has been reissued by Airfix, and IIRC the revell one is the Matchbox tool. From memory - the heller model is more delicately mooulded, where the matchbox one is from the Trench Digger panel line era. Both have some shape issues I believe, but nothing to be overly worried about. Maestro make some upgrades for the kits. I think IPMS Austria also releaed a resin kit with lots of added goodies a few years back - but its probably impossible to find now. It was meant to be the most accurate model I beleive Hellers had parts for the photo recce version nose too. Both feature the dog tooth wing of the later versions - so for an earlier model you'll need to do some wing work. Cheers Jonners 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upnorth Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 The IPMS Austria resin kit was gorgeous and I still kick myself for not buying one when I had the chance. The Heller/Airfix Tunnan has a bit of an edge over the Matchbox/Revell kit when it comes to finer details. The Heller kit hasa cockpit to speak of and some decent detail in the gear wells. I've built the Heller kit twice and find it a quite satisfying build straight from the box. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damon Posted July 29, 2012 Author Share Posted July 29, 2012 Thanks for the info Jon. I'll lookout for the heller molded kits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aerobat Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Just in case it makes a difference, the Matchbox based kit is the later J29F. It has a slightly larger aft fuselage for the afterburner on the F model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exdraken Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 (edited) Hello all, there is one listed at ebay.de at the moment! Edited August 11, 2018 by exdraken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wizball Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 This is the Airfix rebox of the Heller J/S29 that I completed recently: This is with Pavla cockpit parts and wheels, unfortunately I really cannot recommend them since I found them pretty crude, poorly moulded and ill-fitting (OK, the last part MAY be my fault), I'd get the Maestro Models etch if doing it again. The kit parts are also pretty crude, but workable. Decals are from a Flying Aero Decals sheet that I think still is available. This is a link to the Rebell Hobby page with a bunch of J29 stuff: >CLICKY< (the webshop owner also owns Maestro Models) and he also sell the Heller model in a retro bag. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don McIntyre Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 The Heller kit also comes with optional bits to produce the recce version of the J29. It's a nice little kit as long as raised details don't cause you to get the vapors… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solar Panel Phil Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 Perhaps odd to add to this post 6 years down the line - I have the Heller Tunnan and it looks a nice kit for its time. I also recently got hold of the MMP Scale plans No 36 on the 'Flygande Tunnan' by Dariusz Karnas and when comparing the model to the 1/72 scale plans the Heller kit comes out as significantly smaller - yet from other reviews it is considered reasonably accurate...has anybody else (perhaps our Swedish friends) noticed this? I'm mindful of the various caveats I've read about using scale drawings (and I presume these drawings are the same as those appearing in Mikael Forslund's main MMP book) , but from what my eyeballs are telling me the Heller kit is more of a 'flying keg' than a 'flying barrel'...any views? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Fleming Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 My first check would be to measure the drawings against known dimensions (length/wingspan etc) to check their accuracy. Erros often creep in in publishing. I have one publication from a respected aviation publisher with a strong modelling background where the plan view, and front and side elevations are all different scales Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John R Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 A Tarangus version has just appeared in RFI https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235039686-saab-29a-tunnan-172/ John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aardvark Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 All J-29 Tunnan at the best in 72nd scale!!! Because, 1. Tarangus made J-29A Tunnan modification. 2. Heller (Airfix repackaged) made J-29E/S-29C Tunnan modification. 3.Matchbox (Revell repackaged) made J-29F Tunnan modification. But all this Tunnan and what a difference J-29A/J-29E/S-29C/J-29F????? First off all S-29C it's photo reconnaissance aircraft. So, if you want photo reconnaissance and first (before the advent of JAS-39) combat jet aircraft from neutral Sweden, also with the original African camouflage and UN insignia, then you undoubtedly need Airfix/Heller! But if photo reconnaissance don't need.....so let's go to the fighter's! J-29A/B is first fighter version with clear wing without dog tooth. First prototype J-29A have top olive green camouflage, next aircraft was natural metall or silver. J-29E was new wing with dog tooth. But this aircraft was maked only ~20 examples!!! J-29F was finish version Tunnan, and have new wing with dog tooth as J-29E, but he it had a modified engine, so its lower fuselage was larger than all the early modifications. But which model is better if you just need Tunnan and do not care about its modification? Judging by the pictures that I saw on the Internet, the Tunnan IPMS Austria looks best from the outside, but it's a resin kit, rare, and so now there is a lot of money. If we talk about inject models, then the best will be Tarangus, because he have inside panel line. Next it's Heller/Airfix, but he have resed panel line. And in the last place is the Matchbox / Revell because it has inside panel line which most resemble the trenches of the full profile for fleas. But this we do not consider the correspondence with the drawings, because I only have Airfix Tunnan. I suspect that if all these models are put into various drawings, we can expect many discoveries and not always pleasant ones. B.R. Serge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAGATIGER Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Hi there Well if someone interested I grab some early resin wings 1/72 from Houston last year but now I know not going to used so maybe we can agree some deal with them Best modelling Armando Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aardvark Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 On my PC I found a photo (I do not know from which site) where the fuselage of Heller/Airfix and Matchbox/Revell is compared. Matchbox/Revell has an error in main wheel bays. Its main wheel bays are very large. Photo from my PC, I post later. In addition, here's http://www.baecklund.eu/scalemodels/72/tunnan.html a good illustration of what will happen when assembling Matchbox or Heller, with funny Star Trak Tunnan: B.R. Serge 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aardvark Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 On 6/19/2018 at 2:31 PM, Aardvark said: On my PC I found a photo (I do not know from which site) where the fuselage of Heller/Airfix and Matchbox/Revell is compared. Matchbox/Revell has an error in main wheel bays. Its main wheel bays are very large. Photo from my PC, I post later. https://s22.postimg.cc/vql8igb81/Finishedmodels005.jpg On second photo compares fuselage Heller/Airfix v.s. Matchbox/Revell. B.R. Serge 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre B Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 On 7/3/2018 at 11:28 AM, Aardvark said: https://s22.postimg.cc/vql8igb81/Finishedmodels005.jpg On second photo compares fuselage Heller/Airfix v.s. Matchbox/Revell. B.R. Serge The normal way in Sweden to build an J29 with afterburner was to get the Matchbox/Revell kit, cut of the lower aft fuselage parts and mate it to the Heller/Airfix kit. That was before the new kit from Tarangus. To build an early J 29 is rather easy as it is mostly to cut of the "tooth" and sand it smoth. Most builders dislike the Matchbox/Revell kit because the wrong main wheel bays and deep panel lines. Cheers / André Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aardvark Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 .....and something about aftermarket for J-29 Tunnan. Ejection seat from Pavla v.s. ejection seat from Heller J-32 Lansen. This aircraft have same type ejection seat. (Black for compassion size KK-2 ejection seat from Modelsvit): N.B. Original ejection seat in Heller J-29 Tunnan have same size as ejection seat from Pavla. Main wheels Aries v.s. Pavla: B.R. Serge P.S. In next series you know something about aftermarket decal to which you absolutely do not need* to spend your money! _______________ *- unfortunately I have already spent my money on them! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 I've taken delivery of a Heller J-29F/S-29C kit & after discussion earlier in the later part of this thread ( with me so far) I offered its fuselage halves & wing halves up against the opposite pieces of the Tarangus J-29A kit. Apart from the saw tooth leading edge of the Heller kit, the various parts appeared to be millimetre identical so if the Heller kit is undersized as postulated above, so is the Tarangus kit. I've got the Mushroom Models book too but haven't yet compared its drawings to known dimensions. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre B Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 I am from Sweden and been building kits for several years including the J29 Tunnan from Heller more than once. I never heard or read anything (at IPMS Stockholm) that says that the Heller kit or the newer Tarangus kit would be anything but 1/72. I think this should be mentioned and well known if it was a fact. Especially as the newer HobbyBoss J29 soon was found out to be undersized (1/50 - 1/52)... Cheers / André 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Posted August 8, 2018 Share Posted August 8, 2018 On 05/07/2018 at 20:02, Aardvark said: .....and something about aftermarket for J-29 Tunnan. Ejection seat from Pavla v.s. ejection seat from Heller J-32 Lansen. This aircraft have same type ejection seat. Excuse me, but this is wrong. Lansen and Tunnan have different ejection seats. And the Lansen seats are a bit smaller, especially the headrest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aardvark Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 16 hours ago, Bjorn said: Excuse me, but this is wrong. Lansen and Tunnan have different ejection seats. And the Lansen seats are a bit smaller, especially the headrest. Can you see any dimensions from the technical documentation in support of your argument ? B.R. Serge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre B Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 (edited) 6 hours ago, Aardvark said: Can you see any dimensions from the technical documentation in support of your argument ? B.R. Serge Seat J32... https://digitaltmuseum.se/011023032165/katapultstol And J29... http://ipmsstockholm.se/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=3832 Same maker but not the same type of seat... Cheers / André Edited August 9, 2018 by Andre B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 (edited) 7 hours ago, Aardvark said: Can you see any dimensions from the technical documentation in support of your argument ? B.R. Serge Well, what do you need? They are different. I have been building Swedish subjects for twenty years, I have recently super-detailed two Lansens and right now I am building my third Tunnan in four years. I have seen these seats in real life at Swedish museums plenty of times. So I know what I am talking about. At a first look they might look similar, but they are different from each other. Tunnan had a Saab Mk. II seat, Lansen had a Saab Mk. III seat. Especially the rear part is quite different. See André's links in his post above and read more about them here: http://u-fr.blogspot.com/2011/01/early-swedish-ejection-seats.html?m=1 Edited August 9, 2018 by Bjorn 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exdraken Posted August 11, 2018 Share Posted August 11, 2018 Great Tunnan review and summary here! In 1/48 all is much easier! There actually only is the F model available ...or actually not availyble.... Neomega Resin kit is nice but not made any longer, Pilot Replicas kit is near perfect but they ceased trading unfortunately.... thats it! The Az kit is a joke.. and hobbyboss unfortunately a bit tiny... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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