In Box Review of Hobbycraft of Canada 1/48th Scale
U.S. Seversky P-35A Fighter
Kit no. HC1553
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1993
I paid $14.95 for my kit at a local shop back in the 90's that went out of business.
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1993
I paid $14.95 for my kit at a local shop back in the 90's that went out of business.
HISTORY:
The Seversky P-35 is an American fighter aircraft built by the Seversky Aircraft Company in the late 1930s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, the P-35 was the first single-seat fighter in United States Army Air Corps to feature all-metal construction, retractable landing gear, and an enclosed cockpit.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter
National origin: United States
Manufacturer: Seversky
First flight: 15 August 1935
Introduction to service: 1937
Retired: September 1952 (Sweden)
Primary users: U.S. Army Air Corps, Swedish Air Force
Number built: 196 (inc. export)
Unit cost: U.S. $22,500
Developed from: Seversky SEV-3
Variants: P-43 Lancer
The Seversky P-35 is an American fighter aircraft built by the Seversky Aircraft Company in the late 1930s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, the P-35 was the first single-seat fighter in United States Army Air Corps to feature all-metal construction, retractable landing gear, and an enclosed cockpit.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter
National origin: United States
Manufacturer: Seversky
First flight: 15 August 1935
Introduction to service: 1937
Retired: September 1952 (Sweden)
Primary users: U.S. Army Air Corps, Swedish Air Force
Number built: 196 (inc. export)
Unit cost: U.S. $22,500
Developed from: Seversky SEV-3
Variants: P-43 Lancer
THE KIT:
Hobbycraft of Canada was based in Ontario, Canada. They were a prolific model company that manufactured all manner of model subjects in the popular scales. They went out of business.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a P-35A being chased by a Japanese Zero.
It is olive-drab over a gray undercarriage, with a white band around the cowling. It has black wing walk and early war U.S. roundels that are a blue circle with a white star with a red circle in the center. There is a black serial no. 21 over 34P on the rudder. It has 2 Japanese kill markings under the cockpit.
It was with the USAAF 34th Pursuit Squadron, 1941.l
The Zero appears to be overall white with a black cowling.
One side panel says the kit contains one 1/48th scale model kit, in English and French and kit was made in South Korea. This is followed by 2 color box arts of other aircraft kits that Hobbycraft manufactures: kit no. HC1573, a Vampire Mk. 1 WWII jet and kit no. HC1552, a USAAC P-35.
Hobbycraft of Canada was based in Ontario, Canada. They were a prolific model company that manufactured all manner of model subjects in the popular scales. They went out of business.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a P-35A being chased by a Japanese Zero.
It is olive-drab over a gray undercarriage, with a white band around the cowling. It has black wing walk and early war U.S. roundels that are a blue circle with a white star with a red circle in the center. There is a black serial no. 21 over 34P on the rudder. It has 2 Japanese kill markings under the cockpit.
It was with the USAAF 34th Pursuit Squadron, 1941.l
The Zero appears to be overall white with a black cowling.
One side panel says the kit contains one 1/48th scale model kit, in English and French and kit was made in South Korea. This is followed by 2 color box arts of other aircraft kits that Hobbycraft manufactures: kit no. HC1573, a Vampire Mk. 1 WWII jet and kit no. HC1552, a USAAC P-35.
There is a listing of the features of the kit: detailed cockpit and landing gear, engraved panel lines, authentic markings, cement and paint not included, in the 2 languages.
The other side has a profile of the P-35A in the Swedish Air Force version decal option. On the left side is a brief description of the model and that it was made in South Korea in two languages.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
The kit contains 3 light-gray trees and the clear tree in a sealed clear cello bag, black vinyl tires in a sealed clear cello bag, the instructions, decal sheet, a postcard to use to order a catalog and a sheet of CAUTIONS about the kit.
Trees are alphabetized, but not illustrated in the instructions. They do have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees.
Light-gray letter A tree holds: fuselage, cowling, cowling guns, spinner, wing guns and their underwing blisters, tail wheel doors etc. (10 parts)
The kit contains 3 light-gray trees and the clear tree in a sealed clear cello bag, black vinyl tires in a sealed clear cello bag, the instructions, decal sheet, a postcard to use to order a catalog and a sheet of CAUTIONS about the kit.
Trees are alphabetized, but not illustrated in the instructions. They do have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees.
Light-gray letter A tree holds: fuselage, cowling, cowling guns, spinner, wing guns and their underwing blisters, tail wheel doors etc. (10 parts)
Light-gray letter B tree holds the wings (3 parts)
Light-gray letter C tree holds: dashboard, cockpit floor, seat, bulkhead, joystick, engine parts, backrest, elevators, air scoop, landing gear legs and their pants, propeller, main wheels, tail wheel, elevators, cowling etc. (40 parts)
The clear tree holds the canopy parts (4 parts)
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that is accordion-folded into 6 pages in 8 1/2' x 11" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, over a one-sentence history of the P-25A and international assembly symbol explanations in 5 languages, including English.
Bottom of the page has Hobbycraft's address in Ontario Canada and MADE IN S. KOREA.
Page 2 through 4 gives a grand total of 8 assembly steps.
Page 5 is painting and marking instructions for the box art scheme as a 4-view. (already described above)
Page 6 is painting and marking instructions of a J9 version with the Swedish Air Force. It is in a mottle of green over tan, above a gray under- cariige. It has a large number 16 on the sides of the cowling and on the rudder. Under the cockpit there is circle that can either be yellow, red or blue with a black eagle in flight on it.
An alternate black wasp or a white charging ram can also be opted for on this circle under the cockpit.
Small black serial no. 2124 is to the rear of the fuselage sides.
It has a black 8 before the fuselage roundel.
It is how it was seen in Sweden, with Unit F8 in 1942.
A choice of serial numbers: 2106, 2124, 2158 & 2160 is on the decal sheet to use on the Swedish version.
There is also an alternate logo for the U.S. P-35A that is a black triangle outlined in white with a white eagle on it. However, other than being on the decal sheet, marked as a BONUS, no other info is provided.
The decal sheet, postcards are to be used to order a catalog and suggest new kits are included, along with a sheet of CAUTIONS about the kit in multiple languages, including English.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, over a one-sentence history of the P-25A and international assembly symbol explanations in 5 languages, including English.
Bottom of the page has Hobbycraft's address in Ontario Canada and MADE IN S. KOREA.
Page 2 through 4 gives a grand total of 8 assembly steps.
Page 5 is painting and marking instructions for the box art scheme as a 4-view. (already described above)
Page 6 is painting and marking instructions of a J9 version with the Swedish Air Force. It is in a mottle of green over tan, above a gray under- cariige. It has a large number 16 on the sides of the cowling and on the rudder. Under the cockpit there is circle that can either be yellow, red or blue with a black eagle in flight on it.
An alternate black wasp or a white charging ram can also be opted for on this circle under the cockpit.
Small black serial no. 2124 is to the rear of the fuselage sides.
It has a black 8 before the fuselage roundel.
It is how it was seen in Sweden, with Unit F8 in 1942.
A choice of serial numbers: 2106, 2124, 2158 & 2160 is on the decal sheet to use on the Swedish version.
There is also an alternate logo for the U.S. P-35A that is a black triangle outlined in white with a white eagle on it. However, other than being on the decal sheet, marked as a BONUS, no other info is provided.
The decal sheet, postcards are to be used to order a catalog and suggest new kits are included, along with a sheet of CAUTIONS about the kit in multiple languages, including English.
There is no pilot figure included. Detail is engraved. Flaps are all molded solid.
Recommended.
Recommended.