Hasegawa P-40E cockpit query

Has anyone seen the new 1/48 Hasegawa P-40E yet? If so, can anyone comment on the cockpit? The Hyperscale review claims that it is very good indeed, while others that I have read claim the instrument panel and seat are good, while the rest in barely adequate. I want to build a Kittyhawk IA, so I realise that I'm going to have to use an Ultracast seat with a Sutton harness. However, on such a state of the art kit, I was hoping not to have to buy a full resin cockpit - the Cutting Edge one costs more than the kit itself!

Reply to
Enzo Matrix
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Well, you can quite clearly see the cockpit floor and sidewalls in the Hyperscale review pics.

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Do they look "barely adequate" to you? The parts look fine to me (I also have the kit) , although as with almost any kit cockpit a resin set will be better. I think it's one of their better kit cockpits and if this one is "barely adequate", then many of their others must be pure crap!

Dave

Reply to
Dave Williams

Enzo,

I think it was my email you read about the instrument panel and seat v/s the sidewalls-so I won't repeat that. I did want to let you know that the seat in the kit doesn't have any harness molded in, it comes on a photo etch fret, so you can scratch or use a photo etch Sutton harness with the kit seat.

Steve

Reply to
Rabbi

To me they look similar to the cockpit parts in Hasegawa's Bf109s. I tend to replace those with resin parts. I was hoping that the P-40 cockpit would be more along the lines of that of Tamiya's Spitfire. However, I am heartened by your comment that it is one of their better kit cockpits. I must admit that I've very much looking forward to the kit. Thanks for the reply, Dave.

Reply to
Enzo Matrix

Thanks Steve. I have some PE Sutton harnesses that I'll use.

Reply to
Enzo Matrix

in article snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com, Enzo Matrix at snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote on 2/27/05 7:00 AM:

You should have no problem making a convincing cockpit from the kit parts. I think it is one of Hasegawa's better efforts. Ultracast seats however, will dress-up any cockpit. I prefer them over kit parts with PE accessories.

MB

Reply to
Milton Bell

I like the etched seats that come with most Eduard sets. They could probably clean up if they were to release sets of etched seats the way they do for seatbelts...

...though I'm still undecided on etched seatbelts...they seem a bit too thin to me. I think straps made with masking tape or lead foil and Waldron buckles look much better.

Reply to
Rufus

in article vhvUd.70977$tl3.28962@attbi_s02, Rufus at snipped-for-privacy@mchsi.com wrote on 2/27/05 8:24 PM:

More or less agree. I think PE belts work fine in 1/72. For 1/48 or larger I still prefer individual PE buckles and fittings threaded onto a lead foil "belt." Still, those new prepainted belts from Eduard are tempting and are easy to use and a lot of modelers seem to prefer them. Ultracast seats with molded in belts are very nice too and seats are often the worst part of a kit supplied cockpit.

MB

MB

Reply to
Milton Bell

Yes...which now gives this etch-junkie an idea...what if you made them thicker by applying masking tape to the back side and painting it? Or applying a layer or two of double face tape and just painting the edges? Hmmmnn...especially liking the doubleface tape idea...sort of defeats the purpose in that you'd have to match paint the back/sides, but in

1/32 it could be a workable solution.

As I'm getting back to my 1/32 Tomcat project I'm noting just how bad my eyes are getting...starting to wonder about my skills with a detailing brush. Not very pleased with the way my cockpit is shaping up so far...but I've also noted that I also need to get some new brushes.

Reply to
Rufus

Rufus wrote in news:vOwUd.71302$4q6.32661@attbi_s01:

Rufus, one word Optivisor. My eyes suck and the Optivisor is a Godsend. I have two a low medium with a loupe and a high mag (thier highest). It takes a little getting used to but I now mode with the thing on my head all the time and just flip it down when needed. There's also a light attachment.

Lens Plate # Magnifies Focal Length

2 1 1/2 Times 20 inches 3 1 3/4 Times 14 inches 4 2 Times 10 inches 5 2 1/2 Times 8 inches 7 2 3/4 Times 6 inches 10 3 1/2 Times 4 inches

I have a #3 and a #10 plus the loupe and a light. Great stuff. Just put "optivisor" in your favorite search engine and have at it.

Luck

Reply to
Gray Ghost

Yeah - I was just mentioning that to a fellow builder just today. I had a magnifying lamp for awhile, but I never could adjust my eye-hand coordination to the depth of field under it. I seem to have the same problem with my glasses - can't make up my mind if things are better with or without them. But I'd like to try an Optivisor to see if I'd warm up to one.

Reply to
Rufus

Rufus wrote in news:p9QUd.15829$r55.5154@attbi_s52:

Same deal. I have a few staionery magnifiers but I find them normally to difficult. Believe me, once you try it you will be surprised. I had two eye surgeries last year and thought I was going to lose all of my previously very good close vision. I had visions of selling off 2500+ models and supplies and weeping the whole time. But I think I may actually have better close vision now with the Opti than before.

Just a note: There is one basic headset, that is the deal that sits on your head. Than you have the "plates". Mine has two lenses one for each eye. A newer type has one continuous lens all the way across. It would help eliminate some of the tunnel vision effect, but I'm not sure how uniform the magnification will be all the way across.

I'm tempted to get just one of those plates just to see how that works.

BTW, the "plates are interchangeable, they use screws to hold them in, at least mine do. BUT, that doesn't mean that they are easy and convenient to swap. I have 2 seperate headbands and two separate "plates", a #3 and a #10, so I have both setup on my bench. I don't use the #10 that much, I have the loupe on the #3. If I get a single piece lens I'll probably go with a #2 or #3 and swap out the 2 lens #3. The long focal length (and relatively deep depth of field) is really important.

Good luck.

Reply to
Gray Ghost

in article mFTUd.78638$4q6.3547@attbi_s01, Rufus at snipped-for-privacy@mchsi.com wrote on 3/1/05 12:08 AM:

I'm well into my second Optivisor, a #7, and simply couldn't build models with out it. I highly recommend it.

MB

Reply to
Milton Bell

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Better optical quality than the Optivisor, IMHO, and easy to swap lenses

- but heavier on the pocket, too.

Reply to
Serge D. Grun

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