1/72 A-20/Boston kit

[walkerccw]

Hello again.

 

I am researching to purchase a 1/72 A-20/Boston kit. I am just getting back into modelling, so keep this in mind with your answers. 😨

I am looking for a kit that goes together easily, minimum filler. Specific accuracy problems (rivets,raised/engraved panel lines, etc) are not a concern. Here is what I have found:

 

Airfix: Early Bostons: Very old tool difficult to put together.

Revell: Early Bostons/P-70: Old tool ok to put together.

Matchbox: A-20G (my favorite version): Matchbox tooling medium difficulty.

MPM: A-20G (my favorite version): New tooling. when I saw how many parts were in the box, I almost passed out.

 

The Revell kit on Ebay is almost the same price as the new MPM. ($35).

The Matchbox kit is more expensive than everything. ($40 plus).

 

Let me hear your thoughts.

 

CCW

[brewerjerry]

Hi

    the newer revell release is a re box of the mpm kit

 

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/revell-04278-boston-mkv-a-20j--134592

 

 

scalemates is a good place to check a kits history 

 

 

   cheers

      jerry 

Edited April 28, 2019 by brewerjerry

[Steve N]

I've always been fond of the old Revell A-20..built a couple of them as a kid.  Goes togetger well and looks the part.  Fairly simple, with raised rivets that were standard for the day, but reasonably accurate and goes together well.

 

I've also built a couple of the Matchbox A-20Gs.  To me, it's too simple and toy-like.  It also has some accuracy issues, namely the engine nacelles, which are noticeably oversized.

 

SN

[Seahawk]

Normally I would have said the MPM kit, reboxed twice by Revell (Boston IV/V, P-70) is the only show in town, which is a pity because it is a bit of a beast to put together: the horrible fit of the transparent nose and the mismatch between wing and wing root undersides are the stuff of legend.  Given your priorities and preferences (easy to put together, not bothered by rivets or raised panel lines), I'd be inclined to go for the older Revell kit: it will look the part but it is an old fossil nowadays.  And you'll probably need replacement transfers.  And no A-20G option.  Can't recommend spending money on the Airfix or Matchbox kits.

Edited April 28, 2019 by Seahawk

[tempestfan]

As the others have said: Go legacy Revell, its most recent incarnation should be #4345. Besides that I think the Airfix has a funny nose shape and some other shape issues, it has half- relief engines moulded into the cowlings and IIRC all controls separate to move. The Matchbox engines are separate but apparently patterned on some wood screws and oversized by a good margin.

For sake of completeness, Frog also had a Boston which may have been boxed by AMT in the US, but I‘d rate it even lower than the Airfix.

 The Revell may limit you in markings options though as it has the full collector ring exhausts that I think was not used on any of the mass produced versions used by the USAAF, but only on the export DB-7A and B and possibly on late A-20As. At least that’s what I recall from about 15 years ago when I tried to look into the A-20/Boston in some detail.

[Mark Harmsworth]

I have recently built the MPM Boston Mk IV / V and I confirm it's a challenge to build. There have been several builds here in the last couple of years and as far as I recall they all mention problems.  Definitely the worst part for me was the nose which MPM have as three transparencies but if you are planning a solid nose A-20G that shouldn't be an issue. There is a lot of work to get the wing to fuselage join to look decent and I would say it fails on your key tests of easy fit and minimal filler (in fact it misses those by a mile and then some). Detail is good though (!!)

Mark

[Seahawk]

22 hours ago, MarkH206 said:

Definitely the worst part for me was the nose which MPM have as three transparencies but if you are planning a solid nose A-20G that shouldn't be an issue. 

You might reasonably think that.  However I'm currently building one with the 12-gun nose and that needed shims of about 1.5mm (top) and 0.75mm (bottom), tapering to zero at the nose, to marry up with the main fuselage halves which to all appearances had fitted together properly.  Fit with the Turbinlite nose was however much better.  

[walkerccw]

Thanks for all of the comments. I will go with the Revell kit. Either the A-20C or the P-70. I will also get a set of aftermarket decals.

WOW-The Revell A-20C on Ebay is $30+ with shipping!! The P-70 is a little less: $23 + shipping.

 

Keep the comments coming!

 

CCW

Edited April 30, 2019 by walkerccw

[Giorgio N]

The MPM Boston looks great in the box but it's really a difficult kit to build. I met the same problems mentioned above when building mine, from the wing roots to the nose cone to the transparencies... I may add the cockpit parts and the rear of the nacelles to the list. The landing gear is also not the easiest of assemblies...

I've also built the Matchbox kit and if memory does not fail me, it was a simple build. of course at the end you're left with a kit with a weird combination of raised (fuselage) and recessed (wings and tailplanes) panel lines, very little detail and oversized nacelles. To be honest I'd never spend the money some dealers ask for this kit, I'd rather go through the self-inflicted flagellation of building another MPM kit !

Still, if you don't mind accuracy and a toylike appearance and find by accicent a cheap enough Matchbox kit, this will satisfy your need for a simple to build A-20G

 

Just for completeness, High Planes from Australia offered a range of Bostons, including a very interesting DB-7 with smaller engine nacelles and tail. These however were old school short runs, that require a lot of cleaning to every part before assembly, so they are not really somthing that would fit your requirements

[Sydhuey]

MPM's are the best  1/72 whether its DB-7B Boston III, Boston IIIA/A-20C, Boston IV/A-20J or A-20G,  though as said difficult to build, the A-20G is the easiest, the glass nose versions don't have the best nose fit. I think I have about 20+ A-20/Boston kits , Airfix, High Planes, Frog , Revell, Matchbox and all the MPM , and the 1/48's AMT and Italeri  .

[walkerccw]

I keep going back and forth on which kit to buy based on price. When I was building kits years ago, it was easier to make decisions based on price. I could get a Revell kit for $12 and the other kit (MPM, Tamiya, etc) would be $40. So I would buy the Revell kit knowing if I really messed it up it was only $12.

 

The A-20 MPM and Revell kits are almost the same price. So it makes it more difficult to make up my mind. I am still leaning toward the Revell kit for ease of assembly. I do not want to throw the MPM kit against the wall if it gets too difficult.

[Work In Progress]

The old tool Revell A-20 does not command that price. It normally sells for about £10 at shows and £12-ish on eBay. Find a cheaper vendor, there are plenty of old Revell kits knocking around. Either that particular eBay vendor is deluded about the value of what he's selling, or it's the new tool (i.e. MPM) kit in one of its Revell boxings. 

I can see several old tool Revell kits on US eBay right now for about $12-16 US, which is about equivalent to what they sell for here. Look at item 113732724406 for a start.

Edited May 1, 2019 by Work In Progress

[Sydhuey]

The Revell  A-20C/P-70 kits are an old kit , the Revell A-20J/Boston IV is the MPM kit, in my collection the Old Revell, High Planes, Frog , Airfix and Matchbox kits will never be build, to old , Rare , inaccurate, or to much work (High Planes), I only use all the MPM versions now, DB-7B Boston III, A-20C/Boston IIIA, A-20B, A-20G and A-20J/Boston IV, they have assy problems but far superior to the others. 

[walkerccw]

Sydhuey,

 

If your modeling skills were were of a lower level and it had been a while since you built a kit, , would you still get the MPM kit?

[Sydhuey]

If you want to do a Boston III/IIIA, A-20C, P-70  I'd go with a version of the Revell kit , nice enough model externally with little internal detail , but quite adequate for most collections and a straight fwd model. 

[Chuck1945]

I built that Revell kit around 1967-68, if you want an early A-20, it will look the part and go together ok. If you are worried about “modeling skills”, just get the old Revell kit (or Matchbox if one is available) and build it. If you are looking to improve your modeling skills the MPM kit will give a challenging experience.

 

I remember building the DML Ta 152C without major difficulties; 10 years later I was reading on-line somewhere that was unbuildable kit.