In checking out the local shop, I noticed that both Hasegawa and Tamiya offered
> P-47D razorbacks in 1/48 scale. The Tamiya kit is almost double the price of
> the Hasegawa kit. Is the price difference worth it?
> Greg
You'll probably get a lot of opinions here. The Tamiya kit has better detail, more stores options, more kit options (props, cowl flaps, wing flaps, and intercooler doors) and has better fit. It is up the the individual to decide whether the price is worth it, but I think it is. My review of the Tamiya kit can be seen here:
The Tamiya kit is the better of the two. Order it from Hobbylink Japan = and even with postage it won't cost much more than the Hasegawa kit in = the UK.
Upgrading the Hasegawa kit to match Tamiya's standard is likely to cost at least as much, if not more, than the Tamiya kit. Its dropped flaps, superb cockpit detail and range of options easily justify the extra expense. Add to this the time you'll save in surface prep if you're doing a NMF subject, and Tamiya wins hands down.
For these reasons, the Tamiya kit offers the best value for money IMO. Although it's more expensive than the Hasegawa offering, it's still within my budget for a 1/48 subject. If you want to spend less, can live without Tamiya's features or can do them yourself, Hasegawa, Academy or Monogram all offer worthy alternatives.
"Is the price difference worth it?" Well, I'll tell you. It depends on what you want to have when you are done. If you are doing a collection of P-47's with the emphasis on the different units or aces' markings and camouflage, the Hasegawa is the kit to use. If you want to do just a single "Jug" with all the flaps dropped and everything hanging open, the Tamiya kit is probably your best bet.
Several got points have been made already. I agree with most of them.
The best reason I can give to recommend the Tamiya kit over the Hasegawa kit is the fit at the wing root. Hasegawa blew that when they released their razorback version. Very tedious to deal with the step at the wing root of the Hasegawa Razorback (the wing root of the Hasegawa bubbletop is much better.)
Tamiya uses an insert (the fits wonderfully) for the .50 Cal holes. Hasegawa's holes go right along the split of the upper and lower wing. Not that hard to deal with, but always a judging point at contests. Tamiya's .50 barrels are drilled out and look so much better than the Hasegawa barrels.
I'm not a contest expert (I've been to a few local ones), so please bear with me.....
I'm confused about your comment on the "judging point at contests". I assume you're referring to the fact that the guns on a P-47 were not centered on the leading edge, so the holes should not fall on the seam between the upper and lower wing halves.
How can that be a "judging point"? There is no "fidelity to scale" judging criteria in IPMS contests, I thought. (RC scale airplanes have to have proof of scale to show that their model is accurate.) Given that there's no requirement for supporting documentation, how can judges dock you for not fixing dimensional or molding flaws in a kit? Isn't this the old debate about how judges can't apply personal knowledge of prototypes to models, as they can't possibly have the same amount of knowledge about every type on the table?
Am I mis-understanding something ?
(I always thought that there was a subtle difference between static scale and flyign model scale modeling at contests: flying models are judged on how closely they match the prototype, whereas static models are judged on the craftmanship of the builder. )
The big difference between the Hasegawa kit and the Tamiya, Academy, Monogram, and even the Hawk kit i shtta the fuselage is about .040 too shallow and too short, the deficiency occurring height-wise at the top to bottom break line (about mid-fuselage), and the tail break line (about1/4 inch forward of the stabs). It is really obvious when you compare the various cowlingss from the front. Since the main atraction of the Jug is its bulk, and Hasegawa's is a little on the slender side, it's something to keep in mind. I didn't notice this until I had a few on the shelves, so I'm thinking iof shimming them with strip.
Hi is Luckyhobby's a mail order firm. I own a shop on the southwest side in Orland Park, and I carry both Tamiya and Hasegawa items. I will check my prices to make sure they are more in line with each other. Bill
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