Aires

1/48 Hawker Typhoon Wheel Bay For the Hasegawa kit

Stock Number: 4399

Reviewed By  Floyd S. Werner, Jr., IPMS# 26266

MSRP: $23.50 Website: www.aires.cz Brutish is the only word that comes to my mind when I see the Hawker Typhoon. Its bulky wing and fuselage are perfect for the ground attack mission. The Hasegawa Typhoons are a beautiful rendition of this airplane but, like any kit, it could use some upgrades. The twenty four pieces of light grey and cream-colored resin are perfectly formed and blemish free. However, my example had a lot of the smaller parts broken off. This caused some problems, especially since a lot of the pieces are similar looking to each other. I was able to identify all the parts, so it wasn’t a big issue. The packaging could have been better, especially for the smaller, finely cast parts. The detail contained on the resin parts is very impressive with lots of undercuts and plenty of vertical relief. I am very impressed with the level of detail. It is definitely superior to the kit offering. The instructions are okay but they can certainly use some extra clarification. I had to do an Internet search for the proper location of some of the parts. A quick check turned up enough information, so I think it really isn’t a big issue. You will be required to thin the upper wing and the lower wing slightly to get the resin wheel well to fit. Aires strives for a realistic thickness, or thinness in this case, in its products. I personally find this approach to be exactly what I’m looking for. With some good detail painting, these wheel wells will come to life. Highly recommended. Thanks to Aires for the review copy.