Tamiya300060312 TAM60312-OS Hobby Model Aeroplane Kits, Grey

Incredible model, and an awesome version of this powerful warplane.I have just completed the build and I am blown away by the detail of this kit.Bear in mind you need to spend around 50% more on paints unless you are already stocked up with Tamiya, but at just over £80 this was an amazing bargain.One or two points to note; this is a kit for experienced model-makers. Although Tamiya have got to considerable lengths to get amazing detail into this kit, they have also made some amazingly sloppy and just plain stupid decisions when it comes to where to join spruces to delicate or visually prominent pieces of this model, such as the nose cone! I mean, come on... join the spruces to the parts that will be glued and positioned out of sight for goodness sake, not on a critically visual focal position such as slap bang in the middle of the nose cone! This happens again and again with this kit and requires lots of careful attention with scalpel, wet and dry paper and buffing to rectify. As if that wasn't enough, some of the pieces appear so badly fitting that I am sure they are from a different model kit and just handed over to this kit to make do. The wheel wells are perhaps the worst offenders. These seem to be designed to be modelled closed, even though the kit comes with die cast metal wheel struts. You have to cut apart the fused parts of the wheel well covers with a scalpel if you want to make the kit with wheels out. WHY? Surely 99% of all model makers will be wanting this option so why plan against this? Just sloppy, lazy decisions yet again.And as for attaching the now separated wheel well covers... All I will say is, "good luck!" Tamiya clearly do not want this to happen.Worst of all though is the ultimate sin with a model plane... the damn canopy does not fit! I kid you not... the clear plastic canopy comes in two parts and rear part sits on top of a supporting frame. Neither the canopy or the supporting frame fit to meet with the front part of the canopy - so you CANNOT fit this as a closed canopy as shown in the photo here. You will have to have the canopy open, which thankfully for me is how I intended it to be. Just be aware of this.So, overall an incredible model of an amazing aircraft. Decent selection of weapons, including the "bunker buster" which, quite frankly is a bit of a let down visually, (looks like a bulimic 2000 lb-er)

great kit

Absolutely top quality model kit from Tamiya ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the detail is incredible