MPM Beaufighter (ex-Hasegawa)

[dalea]

According to Scalemates, MPM is to release 3 different boxings of the Hasegawa Beaufighter, Marks I,VI and an Australian 21. If I recall the Hasegawa one was quite a bit smaller than the Airfix one. Has any body measured a completed one for comparison?

[PhantomBigStu]

Unexpected, but welcome, suspect I might pick them up as it will probably be cheaper than airfix plus conversion peices and decals  

[Beard]

6 hours ago, dalea said:

Has any body measured a completed one for comparison?

 

Yes, they have:

 

[dalea]

Thanks for that but see the end of that thread.

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

Link to box art

 

These Hasegawa re-pops will also include Quickboost exhausts and BOA decals

[gavingav1]

I have never understood hasegawa's marketing, all those years they didn't make this kit available but now the airfix new tool is available then they re-issue , same with the a-1 skyraider, it's an open goal for the 1/72 single seat skyraider market but hasegawa do not issue the kit , they mustn't want the money .

[stevehnz]

MPM Skyraider anyone?

Steve.

[71chally]

14 hours ago, dalea said:

Thanks for that but see the end of that thread.

Yes, it went a bit quiet that thread sadly, my final understanding was that the Airfix kit was over scale.

[Tbolt]

5 hours ago, 71chally said:

Yes, it went a bit quiet that thread sadly, my final understanding was that the Airfix kit was over scale.

But the OP said that the Airfix matches the HP kit which he believe is sized correctly, which makes the Hasegawa too small, that what I got from that thread anyway, don't know if it is correct.

[occa]

22 hours ago, 71chally said:

Yes, it went a bit quiet that thread sadly, my final understanding was that the Airfix kit was over scale.

Your understanding is wrong in this case, The Airfix kit's wing span is only a half mm off while the Hase is 3mms too short, similar as with the length of the fuselage where the Airfix might be a half mm too long while the Hase is 3,5 mm too short.

[occa]

11 minutes ago, Tbolt said:

But the OP said that the Airfix matches the HP kit which he believe is sized correctly, which makes the Hasegawa too small, that what I got from that thread anyway, don't know if it is correct.

From my own measurements you are correct ...

[gavingav1]

14 hours ago, stevehnz said:

MPM Skyraider anyone?

Steve.

somebody will produce one sooner or later, the old fujimi and airfix kits are well past their sell by date, the hobbycraft kit was ok but hasnt been seen since the nineties and the hasegawa kit is lost without trace and even if reissued will likely cost an arm and a leg, airfix should copy tamiya's lead and do a a-1h/j and release in seperate airforce/navy boxings .

[gingerbob]

On 9/27/2017 at 7:05 AM, dalea said:

Has any body measured a completed one for comparison?

See also: Beaufighter span

[VMA131Marine]

On 9/28/2017 at 2:11 PM, gavingav said:

somebody will produce one sooner or later, the old fujimi and airfix kits are well past their sell by date, the hobbycraft kit was ok but hasnt been seen since the nineties and the hasegawa kit is lost without trace and even if reissued will likely cost an arm and a leg, airfix should copy tamiya's lead and do a a-1h/j and release in seperate airforce/navy boxings .

Hasegawa 1/72 A-1H Skyraider: December release in Japan.

 

https://hlj.com/product/HSG02262

 

It's not cheap though: £23.64 GBP plus shipping

 

Edited October 5, 2017 by VMA131Marine

[Graham Boak]

On 28/09/2017 at 6:26 PM, occa said:

Your understanding is wrong in this case, The Airfix kit's wing span is only a half mm off while the Hase is 3mms too short, similar as with the length of the fuselage where the Airfix might be a half mm too long while the Hase is 3,5 mm too short.

 

We've been through this before.  As said in Gingerbob's link above in post 13: compared to the Terry Higgins drawings in last year's Airfix Magazine, the Hasegawa rear fuselage is at most 1.5mm short.  That's only just noticeable (by some) over the distance concerned.  Similar comments were made, although not by me, about the span, but over the greater distance it is even less visible.  Not having the Airfix one, I've no comments to make on its accuracy or dimensions.

[occa]

6 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

 

We've been through this before.  As said in Gingerbob's link above in post 13: compared to the Terry Higgins drawings in last year's Airfix Magazine, the Hasegawa rear fuselage is at most 1.5mm short.  That's only just noticeable (by some) over the distance concerned.  Similar comments were made, although not by me, about the span, but over the greater distance it is even less visible.  Not having the Airfix one, I've no comments to make on its accuracy or dimensions.

Plans are not fully suited for exact measurments, even small distortions can cause a mm error ...

There was a thread where I posted the photo comparisons over a scale sheet but I can't find it ATM.

 

Notice this are my actual measurements on the respective kit's parts not just readings from the boxes:

 

Wing Span: 57 ft. 10 in. = 17,64m

- in 1/72 = 245 mm

 

Airfix:

fuselage width 21,0 mm  

one wing 112.5 mm 

^^ adds up to 246.0 mm means it is 1 mm too long

this makes the Airfx wingspan 0.41 % overscale (1/71.7)

 

Hasegawa:

fuselage width 21.0 mm

one wing 110.9 mm

^^ adds up to 242,8 mm means it is 2.2 mm too short

this makes the Hasegawa wingspan 0.9 % underscale (1/72.65)

 

 

Length: (Late TF.X with nimble nose): 41 ft. 4 in. = 12.59 m

- in 1/72 = 175 mm

 

Airfix:

fuselage 145.4 mm

rudder 15.8 mm

(^^ makes 161.2 mm without the thimble nose)

thimble nose 13,7 mm

^^ adds up to 174.9 mm in total

so the Airfix length is practically spot on

 

Hasegawa:

fuselage (with rudder included) 157.2 mm

thimble nose 14.0 mm (had to ask a friend for that)

^^ adds up to 171.2 mm in total means it is 3.8 mm too short

this makes the Hasegawa length 2,2 % underscale (1/73.6)

[71chally]

4 hours ago, gingerbob said:

See also: Beaufighter span

That was the post that I was looking for thanks, it's enough to convince me that I'm not going to worry about the scale of the Hasegawa/MPM kit.

[JWM]

Here perhaps also some important remarks:

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234988073-beaufighter-comparison-build/&page=2

Cheers

J-W

[occa]

Sorry, had to correct a few measurements but now everything is right.

 

Conclusion:

Compared to the data given here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Beaufighter

http://www.aviation-history.com/bristol/beaufite.html

The Hasegawa is by 3.8 mm too short in fuselage length and by 2.2 too short in wing spam

The Airfix is spot on in length and a mm too long in span.

 

Error margin is +/- 0.1 mm

 

Edit:

I've heard that the main length deficiency of the Hasegawa lies between the rear fuselage and the fin so there should be a way to correct it to make it more accurate.

[Michael louey]

Hi,

 

Just to add to this topic. The comparison should be about more than length and width. I had a talk with the original owner of High Planes a long time ago and he told me he thought the Hasegawa kit was anemic. I.e. if you check the fuselage cross section, the Hasegawa kit will look a lot less "plump". He said he had built the Hasegawa kit to check the opposition but didn't display them together as there was so much disparity in look if seen side by side. I've added a post to another similar thread (post 23) with links showing the High Planes (which I think the Airfix looks more like) and the Hasegawa. I plan to start an Airfix kit soon so it will be an interesting 3 way comparison.

 

 

 

Michael

Cheers

[occa]

9 hours ago, Michael louey said:

The comparison should be about more than length and width.

I agree, comparing the wing spans and lengths with that of the real thing were just the easiest way to prove my point.

 

Cheers,

Martin

[TonyTiger66]

This is a very interesting thread. 

 

I’ve been trying to improve a Novo repop of the Frog Mk. XXI for a couple of years now. With all the aftermarket expenditure, an MPM repop of the Hasegawa may make my model even more of a folly than I suspect it may be already .

 

From the things I’ve read here so far, maybe although a very basic kit, the FROG Mk. XXI is quite good  in terms of dimensions in 1/72?

 

I hope so. I’ve probably gone a little overboard with a very old kit (replacement engines, wheels, cowls, exhausts,  u/c and doors, given it an interior, Vac form canopies, more)  , I hope it will make a fair representation  .

 

Meanwhile, with the discussion of the High Planes kits, especially for those wanting a Mk. II; I would really recommend that people should buy/try at least one High Planes Beaufighter. 

 

There is a bit more clean up needed at the start, but after this they build into a very nice model

(just my opinion).

 

I did the Mk.II around 9 years ago and can say I really enjoyed building it. I mainly have short-run kits, so I’m used to the clean up stage; I realise it’s hardly there with e.g. Hasegawa, but it can make a nice change. It’s quite a relaxing part of the build.

 

I feel many will disagree on that last point (possibly other points too) !

 

Best regards

TonyT

 

PS: Does anyone know if the SBS replacement propellers are significantly (visually) more accurate than those provided by Hasegawa or Airfix?  If they’re simply accurate?

 

I’m considering purchasing a couple for the Novo kit mentioned above.

 

 

[Beard]

While browsing a well-known auction site last night, I stumbled across some MPM Beaufighters for sale so, I assume, it's been released.

[593jones]

19 hours ago, Beard said:

While browsing a well-known auction site last night, I stumbled across some MPM Beaufighters for sale so, I assume, it's been released.

Hmm, much as I'd like a Mk l, at those prices they can keep them!

 

Dave (the cheapskate)

Edited December 13, 2017 by 593jones

[Beard]

32 minutes ago, 593jones said:

Hmm, much as I'd like a Mk l, at those prices they can keep them!

 

Dave (the cheapskate)

 

It'd be cheaper to buy an Airfix MkX and an Alley Cat conversion set.