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Hobby Boss kits


Lowbrow

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For those who saw my introductory thread, I survived surgery and should be kicking around for a while longer...to ponder topics like this, apparently.

 

I've looked at a few photos on line, read some reviews and still didn't "get" Hobby Boss kits. So I picked a couple up Monday, the P-38 and Razorback P-47 both in 1/72nd.

 

I must confess, I still don't really "get" Hobby Boss kits. The strongest most immediate reaction I had upon opening the boxes was a vaque sense of insult. Can't say why exactly, that just the first emotion that hit me.

 

Anyone have any insights on this topic? I assume all their kits are like this? A kind of cross between a diecast and a proper scale model assembly kit.

 

I wonder if those early pre-WWII hobby pioneers who carved their models from semi vaguely roughed in blocks of wood felt the same way upon opening their first fully plastic Frog kits?

 

 

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Good to see you're still with us!

 

I like Hobby Boss kits. Some are more accurate than others but all can be built in a matter of minutes and you can crack on with the paint and stickers. They're not a replacement for Airfix, Tamiya etc but are a bit of light relief when you become bogged down on the tricky bits of more complicated kits. New techniques can be tried on them without worrying too much if they don't work.

 

And, to be honest, a lot of them are half decent representations of the subject. I built the bubble top P-47 and, while I admit to knowing very little about the type, it captures its brutish look quite nicely, I feel.

 

John.

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1 hour ago, Lowbrow said:

I assume all their kits are like this? A kind of cross between a diecast and a proper scale model assembly kit.

 

HobbyBoss seem to have a lot of 'Easy Assembly' kits in 1/72, and a couple in 1/48. I haven't looked at them closely because they aren't really my 'thing'...but I DO recall when the label first appeared in the U.K. there was an article in SAMI that went to some pains to distinguish between that kind and the more traditional kits (now generally regarded as well detailed and decent fitting but frequently riddled with silly inaccuracies) in the HobbyBoss inventory. Apparently, the item numbers are the key, but I can't remember what the identifying sequences are. Also, I believe the 'Easy Assembly' feature is now writ large on the box top...

 

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I like Hobby Boss & have built quite a few of their 1/35 vehicles, Land Rovers aplenty. There are of course some inaccuracies & the odd warped panel & bad fit & of course mistakes. But doesn't that describe any / all kits?

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There are two distinct families of Hobbyboss kits.the easy kit's are for those wanting a quick build that takes minutes and

suit  beginner's and those more into painting than assembly all bar four kit's are to 1/72 scale,some of the early ones are

awful the Spitfire's in particular have horrific canopies,some of the later kit's are really well thought out and build well,the

other kits in 1/72 scale mainly Jets and Helicopter's are more complicated and more akin to other model companies product's.

The two kit's you mention are easy kit's so I can understand your disappointment on seeing what's in the box,I love most of the

easy kit range here's an early release of the Wildcat

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234991695-hobbyboss-wildcat-172-easy-kit/

And the newish issue Buffallo

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234991692-hobbyboss-buffalo-172-easy-kit/

Their 1/48 kits get mixed reviews but I've built a good few and love them,and their armour is superb build what you have you may be pleasantly 

surprised!

 

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Obviously I have a great deal to learn yet. Was completely unaware they had two levels of kits. That Buffalo looks fantastic, I'll definitely be getting that one....same for the Wildcat, frankly.

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The Spitfire isn't that bad, provided you sort out the canopy, prop and wheels.  Most Spitfire fans have the relevant spares to do so and they're quick and easy to do, plus cheap.  I've built quite a few.

 

This one's had a fair few additions to bring it up to scratch as a whiffed pre war early cannon Spit, but you see what I mean when i say that with a little bit of work, you can get a decent model out it it.

 

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17635561_1900987480117379_18465710226551

 

Edited by The Wooksta!
Facebook is a load of old Tottenham! A right steaming pile of Hotspur!
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10 hours ago, Lowbrow said:

Obviously I have a great deal to learn yet. Was completely unaware they had two levels of kits. That Buffalo looks fantastic, I'll definitely be getting that one....same for the Wildcat, frankly.

Glad to help in some way,beware the Wildcat all three boxing's are based on the same mold's it's main failing is a poor insert for the 

rear bottom fuselage a lot of scraping and test fitting needed.the Buffalo is a beauty one of the best cockpit glazing's I have come

across,I recently built their 1/48 "Dora" which was trouble free and great fun.

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235015986-deadly-dora-hobbyboss-fw-190d-in-148/

Also  just starting one of their Armour kit's in 1/35.

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235017437-135-trumpeter-challenger-2-enhanced-armour/

 

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I've done their MS.406 which, with a little filler to the nose grille, doesn't look to bad. Their MiG-3 is also currently considered to be the best representation of the type at the moment, again, with a little bit of work can be made into a stonking model. :)

 

http://massimotessitori.altervista.org/sovietwarplanes/pages/mig3/hobbyboss-honza/hobby-review.htm

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11 hours ago, stevej60 said:

 

Bloomin' 'Eck! Those are wicked... :like:

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5 hours ago, Lowbrow said:

I have it in mind to do one of these early flat canopy two bladed prop Spits. What's the best source for canopy and prop? The old Hasegawa kit?

One of the newish Airfix Spits will sort you out. It has the 19 Squadron machine on the box top. It also comes with a three blade prop and blown hood so can still be built as yer aktuell BoB plane.

 

Trevor

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The best source for the 2-blade prop, and the flat-topped canopy, and indeed the rest of the Spitfire, is the new Airfix tooling.  Like Max says, buy the right boxing and you get these spare, but if you can get the Airfix why bother with the Hobby Boss anyway?

 

I second the love for the MiG 3.  I also have both the Texan, which is ok but you are better off with the Academy or the Heller, and the Typhoon.  The Typhoon needs a new canopy, but is otherwise OK.  Providing that you aren't interested in detailing the cockpit, and are not obsessed with having to glue upper wing halves to lower.  In this case the Airfix is clearly superior.

Edited by Graham Boak
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I was given a Hobbyboss, easy assemble P-38 about a year ago, and not to look a gift horse in the mouth, I built it and enjoyed it enormously. It did require quite a bit of work to make it look half-way decent, but I learnt a lot from the build. I also used an Eduard PE for a Hasegawa P-38, which worked quite well. Although, I'm not sure that I would actually buy one in the future.

Please excuse the dust.

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Steve already explained well the two different lines of HB kits so no need to go over the differences again (BTW, love the wildcat and the buffalo !).

Speaking of the easy kits, I love them ! Granted, they are not kits as most of us are used to but are aimed at beginners, they follow a certain philosophy and must be taken for what they are. However they all feature nice panel lines, detail may be basic but what's there doesn't look too bad, they build easily (but all those I built need some filler) and can be great for those modellers who want to focus on painting rather than assembling. Accuracy varies and it's best to check each subject (asking here is usually a good way of finding out the good and the bad), some are awful but others are very good. IIRC the P-38 you bought is considered a good one.

These kits were also cheap when they first hit the market, now prices have increased however (a common problem to all Hobbyboss kits and chinese kits in general) and they are not as good value anymore.

Here's one of their Bf.109 I built for the GPW GB last year. I did introduce a lot of extra details. something that goes against the philosophy of these kits, but I like them so much that I have another dozen of various subjects in the stash

 

 

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My first Hobbyboss kit was the Corsair.  With the addition of Eduard seatbelts, Superscale transfer and replacement spare stores from a Tamiya, I maintain it can easily pass at a quick glance for the Tamiya kit.  And I finished it in 10 days or so, instead of not finishing it in 10 years.  I went out and bought another, alas not built yet.

 

Encouraged, I took a look inside the boxes of the first 10 or so Quickbuild kits released courtesy of a friendly retailer.  Only time for a quick 5-second Yes/No assessment of each kit.  I'm afraid I didn't find any more that remotely matched the Corsair: combination of outline inaccuracies, some pretty gross (Georgio's "awful" hits the mark), and crude (sub FROG) details.  So I can understand your vague feeling of insult. However the Wildcat was one of those I rejected and you can see that, nevertheless, some can be scrubbed up quite well. 

 

From reading since then I understand from reading that some of the newer quickbuild releases stack up quite well, notably the He 162, Morane MS406, Dewoitine D.520 and MiG-3.

 

Of their more complex kits I have the Panther.  Not a type I know well but I'm content with it, albeit with a few Quickboost improvements.

 

Gorbygould: love that Lightning, especially the paint finish: really does look like painted metal wiped over with the occasional oily rag.  

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My grandson (12) built their Me262 and did a pretty fair job on it although some of the tiny bits made me question its 'beginner' status. I have done the He162 and found it a trouble free build, and have the Mustang, MS406, Dewoitine 502, Mig 15UTI, MC200 Saetta and Wildcat among their easy-build its in the stash - all look good.

Their 'proper kit' Lynx helicopters are just lovely in the box and I have three of them.

As a relaxing build , I reckon they are great.

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4 hours ago, Horatio Gruntfuttock said:

Their 'proper kit' Lynx helicopters are just lovely in the box and I have three of them.

 

However, when they first came out, those who know their Lynxes noted that each of the different boxings contained a different mishmash of features found on several different marks.  IIRC not one Mark could be accurately represented without combining bits from at least 2 kits.  I expect a search will pull up the exchanges at the time.

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