Hi and welcome to Jon's Model Kit Review. On this channel my goal is to share my passion for historical scale modeling. My primary focus will be on historical military vehicles with an emphasis on WWII era aircraft. I will do my best to give honest reviews of the kits I feature and aftermarket parts used in the builds. I may also post videos that are not specifically model related but are relevant to the "military history" theme. All constructive criticism is welcome and I will use it to improve future videos. Thanks for watching!
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I don't always comment but I certainly always watch your vids. In this case, I don't know how it slipped past when you first released it. Really glad, it popped up in my recommendations though. There's no getting away from ICM's quality in their more modern kits and the detail and fit seems to be second to none. The only drawback for me is that 1/32 scale is just too big for the space I have available. If only they produced more in 1/48 scale.... Always enjoy your content Jon. 👍👍
I built this kit in 1986 and I loved this build. There were a few of us in our club that declared this kit as the best 1/48th P-47 in the plastic model world back then. This made the Monogram lovers get a little mad over this but as the years went by, they recovered! On my build I did not use the kit's engine, cowling and propeller. I kit bashed it by using Monogram's P-47D engine, cowling and the propeller came from Hawk's 1/48 P-47D. I wanted to build Robert Johnson's P-47D shown on the kit's boxart and at the time Hawk made the correct shape paddle blades for the curtiss electric propeller used in the later builds of the P-47D and N's. The one from the Monogram razorback was too pointie for the earlier P-47's. All and all, I really like the overall look. I added a few small details like clear wingtip nav lights, seat belts and throttles in the cockpit, brake lines on the landing gear, fuel lines from the drop tanks and sway rods. You can see my build by doing a search for, Otaki P-47D iModeler Bob T. Here's a little tidbit on my build, Robert S Johnson saw my build displayed on our club's membership card and signed my card! You will see this in the article I posted in the iModeler's site.
Hey Jon, one of my old time favorites - Otaki I recognized the instruction, inside color scheme and that nice smooth plastic service, ( they typically didn't have a lot of detail) looks like the kit had a nice pilot figure. Not sure about the " Aldi" name, if that was a transitional kit ? My Otakis were circa 80's. While there are sink marks , they could actually be metal stress points due to the stress on the metal plates . The P47 was like a flying locomotive and crazy with torque and power., and armour. Pilots had a tough time flying her. The color of plastics deja vu, and nicely scaled panel lines. Back in the day, I'd build the Otaki kits over Tamiya due to price and ease of painting. Just a few clean up points as you referenced Cheers Bob
Right on, Bob! I think Arii later bought out Otaki. From other comments on this video, it seems AMT also used several Otaki molds for their 1/48 aircraft. Cheers!
Hello Jon, good video and concrete review of a kit that, despite its age, looks good to experiment with or reintroduce into the hobby, I find enough details, regarding the cowling, it looks disproportionate, however, it could just be the fault from the age of the mold, well, more than anything it should be cheap, if so, it's worth it, greetings friend, until the next video.
I love these kits as they are cheap and a fun build without a lot of fiddly small parts. I build mostly Japanese WWII planes and these give me a cheap and fun way to do a lot of different camo schemes.
I would hesitate to call the Itaki/Arii kit cowling wrong. Especially comparing it to the Hasegawa 1/48 kit of the P-47. That kit has a known fault in the depth of the lower fuselage, fore to aft, making the cowling a bit "un-tall" also. A better option for comparison would be the Tamiya or new Mini-art kits. I like the old Otaki kits. I have built their Corsair, Spitfire VIII, Bf 109G and Fw 190.
Good point, Brett. I would have used the MiniArt cowl for comparison, but mine isn't glued together yet. I've built the Otaki Ki-100, and Ki-44 and enjoyed those builds.
In terms of airframe molding, it was better than the 70s Monogram P-47D, but the Monogram won on interior details and drop tanks and ordinance options.
For an early Japanese mold it’s not a horrible kit. Most imperfections can be overcome. Good practice kit to hone skills! I have an old fujimi Hellcat I practice on. Wondering if you have ever tried to build one of Tamiyas’ motorcycle kits. I like to cross over to other subjects from time to time and was considering it. Thanks!
Great ! Since I restore classic motorcycles (Jon's Motorcycle Rescue and Review is my other RU-vid channel), I haven't built a motorcycle model. However, I have built Tamiya armor and car kits previously and really liked them. I would expect the same good experience from a Tamiya motorcycle kit. A friend sent me an MPC motorcycle kit recently that I plan to review soon. Cheers!
I have built several of the Tamiya motorcycle kits. They are very nice kits. A few little parts. I have a couple in stash still. They build into a nice model. Good selection of subjects, from Police bikes, to the Honda Gorilla to race bikes and several large scale subjects. If you happen to be a Honda fan, Tamiya has a Honda RC-166 kit Take care and................................ MODEL ON!
You're welcome, Jeff! Thanks for the kits. My nephew and I just built the B-17 kit this week. It was his first model kit, and he loved it. He stuck with it through the entire build, decals and all. Cheers!
@@jonsmodelkitreview4624 Ya be very welcome!! Yeah, nice!! Gotta dig that! And tell ya nephew, Jeff says....................MODEL ON!! Maybe a pix in the next review, huh, huh, yea, yea, wink, wink, nudge, nudge..............
Good morning from Az! Another fine review! Jon, ya seem ta have the knack for picking crowd favorites. Are ya any good at lottery numbers? Your reviews give an honest and unbiased look at the kit. And with what ever short comings the kit may have, you show it's still possible the build a fine looking kit with out a complete "rebuild" of every part. Very inspiring. And I despise sink marks! Got a Revell White tanker semi. The tank has 8 huge sinks spaced evenly down the body! Looking forward to the paint video! Maybe a British paint scheme? Maybe it's just me but there is something appealing about foreign markings on aircraft. Ya know the P-47 was a really big plane. Jon, maybe a short video on the size comparison to earlier and later WWII air craft? The P-47 and Typhoon were huge compared to the 109 and the Mig's. The Corsair as well! Jon, Sorry bout the broken part. I checked the sprue's before I packaged it up. Will check closer. And to all.............. MODEL ON!!!!!
Thanks, Jeff! No brand is immune to the dreaded sink marks. My Hasegawa P-47D had some, too. The size comparison is an interesting idea. It's a good thing the P-47 was tough since it was a huge target! Likewise the Corsair and Hellcat. Cheers!
Good Morning ☀️ THE JUG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Really JON, your videos / post on SATURDAYS is something I look forward to… COFFEE and MODEL KITS… I’m trying the technique of gluing the upper half of the wings to the fuselage to eliminate the seem …. It worked great on the 1/72 vintage MONOGRAM P-51B model… I’ve not built a OTAKI kit… I’ll look on €Bay and see what’s available, they do make a 1/48 CORSAIR and a HELLCAT ….. I’m a big F4F WILDCAT fan…. Ordered a 1/72 HASAGAWA 1/72 F4F-3 late WILDCAT THATCH / O’HARE Markings rare kit !!!!!! My plan is to make the O’HARE aircraft….. Looking forward to seeing your finished THUNDERBOLT …. Now to finish my COFFEE and start my SATURDAY……… MODEL ON ……… CHRIS 🇺🇸
Thanks, Chris! I've built several of the Otaki kits and enjoyed each build. Most have similar pros and cons to this kit (though not as many sink marks). Enjoy your build day!
Otaki, Arii, and don't forget the AMT/Ertl boxings lol. That's when I first built these kits in the late 80s/early 90s timeframe. Always thought these 70s Otaki molds were solid kits, along with the T-Bolt I also have fond memories of building the AMT/Ertl Corsair and Arii Hellcat. The only small complaint I had with them was the fixed (closed) canopies.
Yup! This video CONFIRMS that I've "been doing it right" for over FIFTY YEARS of modeling 1/48 Aircraft, 1/35 Armor & Military subjects, 1/24-1/25 Automobiles, "high-end" plastic and brass HO Steam-era Locomotives & Trains, the occasional 1/144 Ship, AND 54mm-120mm Figures...
I've been using ARTIST's PASTELS on my models for over FIFTY YEARS- NEVER been disappointed by the very same techniques as Jon has just described in this video. SO much better than all of THOSE MESSY, OVERDONE WASHES. The ONLY washes I EVER USE are "PIN WASHES"; ANYTHING ELSE is just a waste of time, money & effort... UP the PASTELS...👍👍👍
I just finished one but the only issue I had was that the decals although they appeared intact, fell apart when I took them out of the water. I used aftermarket decals and ended up with a 1943 56th Fighter Group aircraft with some sexy nose art. It was a nice simple build which I enjoy time to time. If you can get it for under $20 with reasonable shipping I'd say go for it. However, some eBay prices are so outrageous you'd be better off just picking up a Tamiya kit.
I wonder if this was an original Lindberg mold, or if it was something they picked up somewhere. Lindberg was big on play value features like retractable gears and movable surfaces. With the solid gear doors it reminds me more of something Hawk would have done. All that aside, it is the only game in town, and if you want to complete your shelf of X fighters or Thunderjet variants I guess it makes sense.
I built one of these around the same time you did, Jon. What great memories you just brought back. I was working on a collection project that would include proportions of major WW2 aircraft according to a ratio of one model = 3,000 manufactured airframes. I ran out of space and time and never finished "The Project", but I was so excited to see a British type other than a Spitfire or Hurricane to add some additional flavor to my collection.
MONOGRAM? Awesome Jon, back in the day, those were my go to kits fun and accurate builds - unlike today's kits that are uber detailed and have three clear sprues of just scale " relief tubes" in the cockpit for a variety of cockpit locations and painting instructions.. Plus hand painted, looks great , the Humbrols used to be able to do that. For fighters, 1/48 is a great scale, 1/72 is just about to small. I've never built a Typhoon, as you referenced the Spitfires and Hurricanes kind of get all the press and attention. It is odd that a Hasegawa kit would have problems over an older Monogram Cheers till the next build Bob
The TYPHOON was a WEAPON / TOOL ….. It served its purpose……. I think it was a nice looking aircraft…. I’m a HAWKER HURRICANE fan, Big and rugged ……… I have a book called HAWKER STORMS …… the history of HAWKER AIRCRAFT CO. CHRIS 🇺🇸
GOOD AFTERNOON…. from OHIO…. I’ve been looking forward to this episode!!!!!! I have THIS KIT IN THE STASH…. I wanted to see how you built this…. This was one MONOGRAM better kits… JON, I watch many MODEL BUILDING CHANNELS…. Not being BIASED…. I always look forward to your post/ subjects… Your videos and HOW-TO post really helped me be a BETTER MODEL BUILDER…. THANK YOU SIR ……… you inspire me… I’m spending my Saturday building my models…. I have a VINTAGE MONOGRAM 1/72 P-51B Mustang that needs the next step in finishing, weathering ( JONS technique ) And decals…… MONOGRAM ON….. CHRIS 🇺🇸
I' ve built this one almost 20 years ago, before my retirn to the hobby. A nice and very simple kit ideal for beginners. As usual and as you said, Monogram decals were always superb, and performed very good. Nice video!
Hi Jon. Much, much earlier indeed! 1968. (Scalemates) Interestingly, the original instructions show an instrument panel decal was included. And there are only 3 steps to construction. Everything goes in the starboard fuselage at once! Stands up pretty well for an old kit. Certainly much better than some other kits of the period. (Not a blobby moulded head and shoulders on a flat area under a hazy canopy) Cheers Matt 🦘🦘🦘
Good Morning from Az 6:10 here. Jon, I dig the pilot. Gives the model a bit of scale as well. You have forced me to buy a re-pop of the 60's Monogram Me-109. And yes I paid extra for the kit in original box art with the patch! As always, Dig the video. I remember seeing these kits on the shelves. Thank you for the high point of my internet day!! Take care all and.................................. Model ON!!
Good for you! That Me-109 is a little on the rough side. I built a couple as a kid. I still have a completed one on the shelf. The prop is broken, I'm 62 now.
Another great monogram classic! As a kid in the early 80’s this was top of my monogram line on the bedroom shelf. For the time this was a subject I craved. Looked great next to my monogram JU-87 tank buster! Thanks!
Nice! I didn't build this one as a kid, but I had the model shelf with many models on it. Most didn't last that long - they were pure temptation to my younger brother, whom I shared a room with. Cheers!
Built that kit as a kid, it was from that late-60s/early-70s era when Monogram was pushing forward the state of the art in 1/48 aircraft. They're quite nice for what they are.
Good morning Jon, this is another one of my started older kits. I'm in the process of converting it to the car door version using Koster's vacuform conversion kit. What was I thinking!😅
Over all it is A nice looking kit. And sometimes older and easier is the way to go. Especially if you just finished a build that fought you from start to finish.
Amen! The surface detail is nice but it is nearly impossible to get the finished kit assembled and straight without major surgery to the kit parts. Mine is together but not 100% straight - even with surgery. Cheers!
One trick I learned from the Revelle model club hand book for creating Battle damage like bullets and flack is to use a ball bit on your dremel tool to thin the area from the inside being careful the not go totally through , you thin from the inside to the out so not to change seams and rivet. On inside paint it bright silver then push it through with a pin or nail depending on the size damage you desire and boom you got a beautiful bullet hole in your wing!
