Thunderjet comparative build

Hobby Boss , started , easy to build and nice details , recessed panel lines 

Just a little putty required , details in de UC bay 

Heller , showing his age (1978) raised panel lines

I lost the canopy, so I will have to use the canopy of the Mistercraft kit 

Mistercraft, not a copy of Heller, very basic, but the fuselage has recessed panel lines. I might combine this with the Heller kit. The same sprues can be found in "Plastyk" kit , in the "Gomix" kit  

Mistercraft wings : no panel lines at all. The instructions in the kit do not fit the parts list and appear to be partially and shamelessly copied from Tamiya 

Tamiya : has the reputation to be the best kit 

Tamiya wing sprues : nice details in the UC bay 

Pilot seat : 4 parts in the Tamiya kit, more basic in the others.  

Cockpit interior : similar differences 

Fuselage : The Heller kit has raised panels, Minicraft has recessed panel lines. I will build a hybrid model, combining the Minicraft fuselage parts with the better parts of Heller 

Undercarriage : Tamiya detailed, Hobby Boss is OK, Minicraft is for the bin, except that I will use the wheels as those of Heller are too small 

The cockpit , Tamiya : detailed, HB : I enhanced the pilot seat with some bits to make look like the TM seat; MC/H : seat made of HB spare and Heller headrest, a few details added on the panels; The Tamiya has a decal for the safety belts, but it looks "flat". I will add PE belts later in the 3 kits 

U/C construction: Heller wheels too small / MC main wheels mofied, spare box front wheel; Hobby Boss : just a small correction , Tamiya : from the kit. I added a "hydraulicline" on all 3 with some Alu wire . 

weight added under cockpitfloor in Tamiya and Helleer/MC . Hobbyboss has a solid fuselage 

No real issues in the assembly : Mcraft nose had to be squeezed to fit to Heller nose ring; a few details enhanced on the Heller/MC and Hobbyboss ( exhaust made finer):
just a little Vallejo putty at some joints on all 3 kits. Canopies temporarily fitted and protected by liquid mask. Ready for the primer. 

3 ladies in black 

Previous built Hobbyboss F84E : I will try an upgrade (e.g. replacing the old decals) 

Previous built Heller F84F : to be upgraded too 

I removed the paint and decals of these two older builds with AK 186 paint stripper 

All 5 models got the same treatment: black primer (AK) a top coat of Tamiya flat aluminium (lighter shade) and a bottom coat of a mix of AK gloss alumnium with AK gun metal (darker shade. Next step : sealing with Klear and a Panel wash 

top and bottom of Hobbyboss models after wash with Tamiya panel liner and clean up with a paper towel with a bit of whitesprit. 

The canopies : the MC windscreen is horrible, but I found a replacement in my spare box 

Tamiya has a piece for (hydraulic? ) equipment in the canopy , Heller and MC too, but Hobbyboss lacks this piece. I used the MC part in the Hobbyboss build, otherwise it could be scratchbuilt. There is also a HUD (3parts) in the Tamiya kit, the others will need a lookalike with transparent sheet, hardly visible with a closed canopy. 

home made decals for BAF thunderjet florennes & bierset (here in B/W) stropdecal 

home made decals for BAF thunderjet kleine brogel (here in B/W) stropdecal 

This is the Heller kit Thunderjet 3sqn Florennes with new decals 

Right side  

F84G Thunderjet 27 sqn Kleine Brogel, this is a Hobbyboss kit 

rear View 

right side view of the Tamiya kit 

This iq the Tamiya kit with stropdecal for Kleine Brogel 31 sqn 

This is the Hobbyboss kit with stropdecal 

 

26 sqn in Bierset 

This is the Polish scrap fuselage with Heller wings for 26 sqn at Bierset with stropdecal