Heya folks!
In a recent rant I mentioned how much the hobby really needs a new tool version in 1/72 of the F-106 and F-102. Someone made the comment that they didn't theink the kits were too bad, or at least not as bad as I made them sound. Yeah, I know... In to- days electronic age I COULD just find the post and put a link to it here, but I'm lazy. :) I think the exact words were along the lines of "what's wrong with them?"
Well, not ranting here, just being observational. I'm working on a
106 right now, using the 106B conversion to make the two seater, and I've got a Deuce on the line up for the next kit. I'm able to sit here and really go into just what's wrong with the kits. Please note, I'm not slamming the person who asked the question, I'm just answering it! *BIG SMILEY HERE FOR THOSE WHO ARE CLUELESS* :)The Deuce:
-No evidence of the rockets in the missile doors
-Only the early falcons provided (yeah, slightly better ones are in weapons ktis for $everal Dollar$
-No significant detail to the weapons bay
-No cockpit to speak of
-No control column
-Inaccurate seat
-Very little detail to gear bays and gear
-No styrene injection molded two-seat available (yeah, I've GOT the RVHP two seater!)
-Only one wing version avail.
-Only one canopy version available
-Only one tail version available
-Only late 'coke-bottle' fueselage version available
-No IRST available for deployment ahead of windscreen
-Canopy only single peice, not two piece
-No inflight refueling probe provided
The Dart:
-Only two styles of Falcons provided
-No gun version provided
-No Genie provided
-No significant detail to weapons bay
-Cannot accurately build the kit with Falcons recessed
-No styrene injection molded two seat version available
-No cockpit detail provided (Heck, Hasegawa didn't even give you a stinking instrument panel!)
-Inaccurate seat
-No Control sticks/yoke
-Super thick canopy only single piece, not two piece
-Only one canopy version available
-Very little detail to gear bays/landing gear
-No IRST provided
-Only one wing version available
-Inaccurate/missing antennaes
-No inflight refueling receptacle provided
Really folks, this just hits the tip of the iceberg on these birds. A good modern kit would also likely include an engine and have the ability to show the back of the aircraft off for engine repair. It would probably also have a radar antennae included, there's BAGS of room under that huge cone for either bird to have a radar displayed with the cone off. And think of the possibilities for decals. The aftermarket has only scratched the surface of the ANG/USAF versions of the Deuce/Dart. Heck, the Deuce served in Vietnam in ADC Grey and in SEA Camo. It also flew for The Turks and Greeks (although not in combat against each other). The Dart even has a SEA Camo in TO 1-1-4, granted I would venture to say without contradiction that there never was a Dart in Camo like that. :)
We really could use new birds in this scale. Monogram has both the Deuce and Dart in their 1/48 scale line and it would be quite simple to pantograph the kits down just like with the F-4 Phantom kits. And the aftermarket guys would love us for buying them! Besides, think of all the different versions you could build of the 102 alone! Two different wings, two different fueslages, two different tails, two different canopies... The mind boggles! It would be _SO_ easy to set the molds up so that you could provide the hobby with ALL of them!
Please, someone out there provide us with good kits, don' just "Mach 2" us and say, "oh, there's this one crappy damned kit of it that no one buys, we don't need to make one." The reason that no one buys it is because it _IS_ crappy! We want a nice new kit that isn't made from 60's technology with the inherent approach to detail. I'm not asking for a $30 kit that falls together out of the box. Just something that's more accurate and actu- ally fits together with less problems than the ones we've got.
Thanks for your time... :)
-andyh