1/72 - Lockheed P-38 Lightning family by RS Models - P-38D/G/H/J, F-4(A), F-5A/B/C released

[TheKinksFan]

2 minutes ago, Work In Progress said:

rival product from somewhere else. It's pretty much an admission of defeat, if that's what they've done

They are not rivals, Academy a big Korean company, RS model a small short run kit manufacturer from the other side of the world. RS is just content if they can make some profit, that's what matters. 

[Tbolt]

4 hours ago, Work In Progress said:

Maybe it is just Academy plastic with new parts and details. As I said, it's possible. But it's unusual for a kitmaker to jettison its own fairly recent tooling and margins in favour of buying in bagged shots of a rival product from somewhere else. It's pretty much an admission of defeat, if that's what they've done

 

If it's cheaper to use the Acadamy kit than design new tooling for late P-38's ( I dont know how the RS kit breaks down ), then it's probably just a financial decision. I still find it amazing that we still haven't got a decent P-38 series in 1/72nd, it would be such a good seller for someone like Tamiya. Anyway I'll be getting at least one F-5.

[TheKinksFan]

3 minutes ago, Tbolt said:

I still find it amazing that we still haven't got a decent P-38 series in 1/72nd, it would be such a good seller for someone like Tamiya. Anyway I'll be getting at least one F-5.

Yes it is very strange. Academy's kit is already 20 years old, the newest kit that is not a short run kit. I'm pretty certain I wouldn't enjoy building a RS kit, but if these F-5s are based on the Academy kit, they go together well, so I think I'll get one. 

[Botan]

From my point of view, RS just made a conversion set, plus saved clients a trouble with searching and buying basic kit.

[TEMPESTMK5]

9 hours ago, Tbolt said:

 

If it's cheaper to use the Acadamy kit than design new tooling for late P-38's ( I dont know how the RS kit breaks down ), then it's probably just a financial decision. I still find it amazing that we still haven't got a decent P-38 series in 1/72nd, it would be such a good seller for someone like Tamiya. Anyway I'll be getting at least one F-5.

 

9 hours ago, TheKinksFan said:

Yes it is very strange. Academy's kit is already 20 years old, the newest kit that is not a short run kit. I'm pretty certain I wouldn't enjoy building a RS kit, but if these F-5s are based on the Academy kit, they go together well, so I think I'll get one. 

Good morning 

I totally agree with you I think that we really need a decent P-38 series in 1/72 , I hope that Airfix will do it one day because I don't think that Tamiya will downscale  it's 1/48 kit .. 

 I think that I will buy at least one of these RS/Academy F5 too.. 

 

Best regards  

Patrice 

[TheKinksFan]

1 hour ago, TEMPESTMK5 said:

Good morning 

I totally agree with you I think that we really need a decent P-38 series in 1/72 , I hope that Airfix will do it one day because I don't think that Tamiya will downscale  it's 1/48 kit .. 

Good morning Patrice, yes it seems unlikely that Tamiya would release 1/72, when they don't even bother with a new Spitfire mk I. Everyone is releasing 1/72 Lightnings, but not the right ones, not the original good looking P-38! Arma Hobby would be my preferred manufacturer, but would of course be more than happy with an Airfix kit. 

 

[TEMPESTMK5]

19 minutes ago, TheKinksFan said:

Good morning Patrice, yes it seems unlikely that Tamiya would release 1/72, when they don't even bother with a new Spitfire mk I. Everyone is releasing 1/72 Lightnings, but not the right ones, not the original good looking P-38! Arma Hobby would be my preferred manufacturer, but would of course be more than happy with an Airfix kit. 

 

I agree with you I think that Tamiya is no longer interested in WWII kits in 1/72 scale when it would be nice to see some new P47 Thunderbolts too ...

 

Best regards

Patrice  

   

[JFM148]

On 23/04/2024 at 10:13, TheKinksFan said:

👍 I hope you are doing well Juan. 

Thank you !  Yes, I am very well.  Hope you're well too.  🙂

[J.C. Bahr]

I'm hoping Arma will do the early Lightnings justice as well.  Not going to hold my breath for Tamiya.

[Piotr Mikolajski]

On 4/23/2024 at 6:14 PM, Work In Progress said:

But it's unusual for a kitmaker to jettison its own fairly recent tooling and margins in favour of buying in bagged shots of a rival product from somewhere else.

 

RS Models releases short run kits, made from resin moulds, if I remember correctly. Such moulds are short lived so RS Models doesn't have to jettison anything, after several hundred injections moulds are junk anyway.

  

On 4/23/2024 at 6:14 PM, Work In Progress said:

It's pretty much an admission of defeat, if that's what they've done

 

Not at all, RS Models reissued recently F-5A (#72278) and P-38G (#72280), both still in stock.

[TheKinksFan]

Still no photos of the parts, only a drawing of the decal sheet: https://www.rsmodels.cz/p/426/92289-f-5c-lightning

 

Does the shark moth decal have wrong shape, when comparing to a photo? Or is it just the angle of the photo? Colour photo: https://www.americanairmuseum.com/archive/aircraft/42-67119

 

Foxbot have both Ginger Snap and Dot + Dash in their Pin Up sheets 72-066 and 72-067. RS versions of the pin-ups look a bit rough, especially Ginger Snap.

Edited April 25 by TheKinksFan

[TheKinksFan]

7 hours ago, Piotr Mikolajski said:

RS Models releases short run kits, made from resin moulds, if I remember correctly. Such moulds are short lived

Looking at these pics, I wouldn't be surprised if you told that the moulds were made out of soap: https://www.mojehobby.pl/products/P-38G-Lightning-50595676.html#gallery_start

 

Maybe there is special hell for modellers where you have to suffer all eternity cleaning parts like these.

[Piotr Mikolajski]

To be honest this P-38G looks much better in the flesh than on these photos but of course this is not the standard we are expecting nowadays. Unfortunately P-38s are not the subject many companies are interested in. I would say it's quite the opposite, a few manufacturers said they will not release it - tooling whole family will be expensive for sure while predicted return on investment is not the highest one. I have older release from RS Models (92127) and since there is no other option around I'll keep it.

[Mike]

Can we dial back the insulting comments on the sprues please? 

 

They're a limited run company that makes some unusual subjects that you've already noted aren't produced by others, so if you go into it with your eyes wide open, it shouldn't be an issue.  I've just finished building their Messerschmitt P.1101 in 1:48, and although it wasn't shake-and-bake, it was a fun and interesting model.  It depends what you want out of your hobby.  If you just want to cut parts from a sprue and put it together without any other activity, then you know what to do - Pray that a company creates your niche model without regard for its cost or likelihood of selling enough to make them a profit.  If you don't mind a bit of part-cleaning and fettling in the pursuit of a model that you will probably not find made by another company, then have at it

[TheKinksFan]

52 minutes ago, Mike said:

Can we dial back the insulting comments on the sprues please? 

 

They're a limited run company that makes some unusual subjects that you've already noted aren't produced by others, so if you go into it with your eyes wide open, it shouldn't be an issue.  I've just finished building their Messerschmitt P.1101 in 1:48, and although it wasn't shake-and-bake, it was a fun and interesting model.  It depends what you want out of your hobby.  If you just want to cut parts from a sprue and put it together without any other activity, then you know what to do - Pray that a company creates your niche model without regard for its cost or likelihood of selling enough to make them a profit.  If you don't mind a bit of part-cleaning and fettling in the pursuit of a model that you will probably not find made by another company, then have at it

I have built one RS Models kit, Reggiane Re 2005, and have four other kits in the stash, BFC-2, Caudron C-445, Cr. 714 and MB 151. They are all really nicely molded, practically flash free. So I am just surprised that these Lightnings are so different, maybe the moulds are made from another material, or very worn. That's all. Maybe I should have added an emoji, so that everyone can recognize a joke.

 

Plastic doesn't have feelings, as far as I am aware.

[Mike]

30 minutes ago, TheKinksFan said:

I have built one RS Models kit, Reggiane Re 2005, and have four other kits in the stash, BFC-2, Caudron C-445, Cr. 714 and MB 151. They are all really nicely molded, practically flash free. So I am just surprised that these Lightnings are so different, maybe the moulds are made from another material, or very worn. That's all. Maybe I should have added an emoji, so that everyone can recognize a joke.

 

Plastic doesn't have feelings, as far as I am aware.

Perhaps you should have.  Plastic might not have feelings, but manners cost nothing, and people are involved in designing and producing kits, so some element of manners are expected, as difficult as that might be for some.

[Dennis_C]

Hold on guys, I think I missed the point here. Do I understand right that RS models is issuing late reconnaissance Lightning with Academy plastic and conversion parts? That is a very interesting and great idea and I'm very interested now to get a kit!

[Ed Russell]

Unless they are really awful it is difficult to comment sensibly on the quality of the sprues. I have seen the RS ones in the flesh and they are not that bad. However we have sold a good number of RS Lightning kits and have received feedback that they do have some quite difficult fit issues. Two highly skilled modellers in our club have them resident of the Shelf of Life's Too Short.

[Giorgio N]

I have one of the early Lightning series from RS (the F-4A) and the sprues don't look too bad in the box. I have of course read the many horror stories about the fit of this kit and a first dry-fit showed that they are most likely true... not that other P-38 kits were all easy to build, the Dragon one for example is a well known nightmare too.

Other RS kits on the other hand were much better. I found their Re.2005 a very easy build, better fitting than several Airfix or Italeri kits of the same era (and it's a very nice kit in many other aspects). The P-39 is also not bad and with some care builds up nicely (not as nice as the Reggiane though)Their D.520 looks pretty good in the box while the P-51H looks a bit less refined. Guess that as with all companies RS have simply improved over time. I'm very tempted by the F-5B, the Academy kit is a good base with the exception of the radiators and having the base kit plus the conversion parts and decals all in one box is better than having to hunt around for the various bits. The kit also seems to sell for what I'd consider an acceptable price

[Piotr Mikolajski]

2 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

Guess that as with all companies RS have simply improved over time.

 

Yep. They started with resin kits, injection ones were later and I see difference between their earlier kits and quite new Heinkel He 46. This one is real gem, I'm still thinking about another one, this time Hungarian.

[Giorgio N]

2 hours ago, Piotr Mikolajski said:

 

Yep. They started with resin kits, injection ones were later and I see difference between their earlier kits and quite new Heinkel He 46. This one is real gem, I'm still thinking about another one, this time Hungarian.

 

I remember their early resin kits and had the FW.159. I never built it because I was not sure about being able to do a good job with the wing struts so I sold it but I remember this as quite a nice kit considering its nature and age.

[Dennis_C]

Looks like it's already on big H!

 

I've got a question - as I understand RS models would give us F-5B and F-5C versions. But there were also E, F and G versions. How different were they to B/C? As I understand each subtype had a different camera arrangement. Looks like even B and C boxes would have different noses inside.

Edited May 8 by Dennis_C

[Tbolt]

Has anyone seen the F-5B/C yet? I find it strange that RS haven't even shown us, or mentioned what we are getting in the box.

[Robertone139]

On 4/23/2024 at 4:19 PM, Tbolt said:

 

If it's cheaper to use the Acadamy kit than design new tooling for late P-38's ( I dont know how the RS kit breaks down ), then it's probably just a financial decision. I still find it amazing that we still haven't got a decent P-38 series in 1/72nd, it would be such a good seller for someone like Tamiya. Anyway I'll be getting at least one F-5.

What's wrong with the DML/Dragon kits?

[TheKinksFan]

2 hours ago, Tbolt said:

Has anyone seen the F-5B/C yet? I find it strange that RS haven't even shown us, or mentioned what we are getting in the box.

I agree that it is strange. The kits are available from several retailers, but none have photographs of the plastic parts. I will order a F-5C once another kit I'm waiting for becomes available.