Hobby Boss Kits

Spellbinder99 · May 05, 2008, 01:58:00 PM

Yes, the comments are about the 1/72 scale stuff. The 1/48 is full detail buildup kits. I have the 1/48 N/AW A-10 and it is quite awesome in my opinion. I have seen some build ups of the Rafale that look quite good.

Cheers

Tony

AeroplaneDriver · May 05, 2008, 05:37:37 PM

Thanks Tony! I'll stick with my plan for the RN FAA to re-eqip with Rafales then!

comrade harps · May 07, 2008, 12:51:24 AM

As soon as I saw that HB had released an N/AW A-10 in 1:72nd, I started researching and dreaming. I got colour, ordnance, country and scenario all decided for a maritime patrol Bahamas Defence Force PA-10C vs the Comlumbian NarcoComms at the weekend.

I've just about finished a HB TA-7C (or should I say the Brazillian naval EA-7N), complete with the supplied LANA pod, and I've been really impressed by it.

But now you've put me off. AHHH!

Still, I'm not really a detailer and even an N/AW easy kit with dodgy fuselage seems will suffice, but I'm suddenly less enthusiastic about it. But it must have the N/AW specific pods, surely (or the productionized sensor fit in the wings and undercarraige nacelles).

XV107 · May 08, 2008, 03:26:55 PM

Er... it doesn't, I'm afraid.

Some detail can be found here - http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10067145 - the assembly guide is your best bet as it shows the sprue layouts; the photos of the sprues are taken with them inside the plastic bags - which have writing on them, so it's a tad awkward to see.

Since I'm often too pressed for time to build anything (doesn't stop me buying, sadly, which is why I have a stash I dare not count...), I picked one up. Not too bad for a fun build would be my assessment.

I wonder if the reason is an attempt to lure younger modellers into the hobby? I'd guess that Hornets, F-15s and A-10s are quite popular; but in that case, why the relatively high price, which may have young uns handing their pocket money over for something else?

comrade harps · May 09, 2008, 05:39:52 AM

Bummer!

And I'm all out of unused LANTIRN and NightHAWK pods too.

Still, I've got a big RAF F-4 EMI recce pod for the centreline and a couple of Penguin missiles just waiting, so I'll just have to source some pods from somewhere else.

But a N/AW without pods? WTF?

Maverick · May 14, 2008, 05:57:51 PM

Modellversium has just put up a review of the A-10A with big shots of sprues & decals.

http://www.modellversium.de/kit/artikel.php?id=3395

Regards,

Mav

Maverick · May 25, 2008, 05:21:43 PM

Morning Gang,

IPMS Deutschland have got sprue & decal shots of the A-10A up. 'Typisch' Easy-Kit build with no stores as mentioned previously, altho the Hog on the Box Art is loaded!!

http://ipmsdeutschland.de/FirstLook/Hobby_Boss/HB_A-10A_72/HobbyBoss_A-10A.html

Regards,

Mav

viper29_ca · May 26, 2008, 07:58:04 AM

Hey there guys,

I am not sure what you mean by "EasyKit". Yes I know that most of their 1/72 WWII aircraft are designed more for beginners and are marked as an EasyKit, but no where on either of the A-10s or the F/A-18A does it say that its an "EasyKit". I have one of each in my shop and none of them say it.

The F/A-18A does come with both Blue Angel and Canadian Markings, which is a bonus. And they really aren't priced that badly, the A-10s at $28 and the F/A-18 at $23, considering that I have (or had) all of the A-7s in at one point or another and they are all at the $25 level...I would say these other kits are bang on for price.

Now I haven't had the A-10s or F/A-18 opened, but I can assure you that they are not part of their "EasyKit" line, or at least their boxes are not marked as such!

Maverick · May 26, 2008, 04:36:42 PM

Viper,

The sprue shots of the A-10 & Bugs both show traces of the 'Easy Kit' concept, whether noted or not. One piece fuselage main components, lower wings & tailplane attached to the lower strip of fuselage. That sounds like 'Easy Kit' from where I'm standing to say the least.

Regards,

Mav

viper29_ca · May 27, 2008, 09:05:29 AM

Mav,

I understand what you are saying, however,

If Tamiya or Hasegawa did the same thing, and charged twice as much, they would be considered saviors and pioneers in the business.

Considering that these 3 kits have more than 10 parts each, which can barely be said about Hobby Boss's actual Easy Kits, I wouldn't consider these in the Easy Kit class.

Maverick · May 27, 2008, 04:37:10 PM

Viper,

Whilst I certainly agree with your regarding the issue of someone like Tamigawa releasing a similar kit, it doesn't mean that I dislike the concept.

Hobby Boss is to be commended on releasing kits that will appeal to new modellers and also be 'quick builds' for those not so new to the hobby. Their decal choices are equally worthy, providing they don't then pump out the same kit later as a 'new' kit purely based on different decal options.

I don't, however, appreciate the Hasegawa concept of a 'bare' aircraft (ie: without external stores & I don't feel that the tanks of the Hornet count in this regard) and I'm disappointed that Hobby Boss have chosen this route.

Whether these modern aircraft are 'Easy Kits' or not, they are still quite a degree simpler than kits from other manufacturers on the same subject. This will lead some to instantly dismiss them as 'toy like' and unfortunately, you are quite correct about the pandering that many 'experienced' modellers give Hasegawa. Were they to release the kits, they would be considered ground breaking.

Regards,

Mav

viper29_ca · May 28, 2008, 08:27:18 AM

Yeah I agree that releasing these kits with no weapons is pretty much a kick to the groin. Even a meager weapons load, like that in the A-7 kits (mind you its the same weapon load whether you get the A-7A, all the way up to the A-7P), would have been better than nothing. Not that we all don't have a stash of extra weapons kicking around, but that's not the point. Maybe Hobby Boss is going to bring out weapon sets ala Hasegawa!! There has been question as to whether Hassy has their hands in HB for awhile now, the absence of weapons in these 3 kits, being one. If they came out with weapon sets, then I think the speculation would all but be over then.

The thing is, their 1/72 jets are reasonable in price, what makes their 1/48 (or at least some of them) kits so damn pricey!! I mean for not much more than their 1/48 F/A-18, I could have myself an Academy 1/32 F/A-18.

Maverick · May 28, 2008, 05:40:55 PM

Not being a quarter-scaler (i build either 72nd or 32nd aircraft), I'm not aware of pricing of Hobby Boss' larger stuff. That said, I rarely buy locally due to the usually inflated prices we pay for stuff here, prefering to use my nation's current good exchange rate against the States. The disappointing thing is that, even with postage, I still buy kits cheaper either from the States or Asia.

To think that a quarter-scale jet would price against a 32nd scale of the quality of Academy is daunting to say the very least. I have to wonder sometimes at the way companies have their pricing structures and that's another bone of contention with Hasegawa, which I really hope doesn't become an industry stanadard given all the fawning that modellers do towards them. Their F/A-18s are an example. All based on the earliest Hornet with extra sprues to note the changes between A/B/C/D, they are priced similarly (here anyway) against the Fujimi Hornets which are streets ahead in quality. Then they have the audacity to re-release the kit as 'new' just because of a decal change.

I don't know whether Hobby Boss will release weapons sets. I personally like the weapons sets released by Hasegawa but can't help but compare to Dragon who, with their Su-24, gave a complete sprue of one of their weapons sets for gear to hang beneath the big Sukhoi and then price it competitively.

Go figure.

Regards,

Mav

viper29_ca · May 29, 2008, 08:51:26 AM

Yeah I run a small hobby shop out of my home here in Canada, and it is cheaper for me to order all of my stock out of the US than it is to order from the suppliers here in Canada.

The actual prices are within a few bucks on either side of the border, but when I can have an order delivered from Texas to my PO Box in Maine, for $16-$20, and it only takes 4 days to deliver it, even with the price of gas, me driving an hr each way to pick up the order, I am still getting it cheaper than buying it from Canadian suppliers.

Not to mention that most Canadian suppliers won't even talk to you unless you have a nice shiny retail space that you are paying more money out in rent, than you are on your income of sales. That was the biggest factor of going to the US for my supplies, I would probably buy from local suppliers, but they either don't seem to want my money, or put exorbitant min. order amounts, that it keeps the small guy from buying from them.

As far as the pricing on HB's 1/48 aircraft, for their F/A-18 or A-10, with my normal markups I put on everything else, I would be selling them for $75CDN each. For an Academy 1/32 F/A-18 it would be about $160....so I guess they are still quite away apart, but still....$75 for a 1/48 aircraft kit, to me is very steep....then again, I guess I am used to the $30 Revell and Monogram kits! LOL.

Maverick · May 29, 2008, 05:37:08 PM

Speaking of markups, I had a similar experience a few years ago. Major wholesalers wouldn't play unless you had a shopfront or ludicrous monthly expenditure, but the one thing that left me rather gobsmacked was the rather blatant priceups of resin kits.

As an armour fan, there are many conversions & full models available of the most esoteric, but ranging it at a retail $100AUD plus they get a little bit 'warm' for many budgets (especially if 'converting' a $30 - -40 kit!). Anyhoo, imagine my surprise when I found that the distributor price was more likely $25AUD or thereabouts! It left a rather bad taste in my mouth for resin stuff at that point.

Regards,

Mav