Thunderjet comparative build
1March 24, 2023Hobby Boss , started , easy to build and nice details , recessed panel lines
2March 24, 2023Just a little putty required , details in de UC bay
3March 24, 2023Heller , showing his age (1978) raised panel lines
I lost the canopy, so I will have to use the canopy of the Mistercraft kit
4March 24, 2023Mistercraft, 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
5March 24, 2023Mistercraft 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
6March 24, 2023Tamiya : has the reputation to be the best kit
7March 24, 2023Tamiya wing sprues : nice details in the UC bay
8March 28, 2023Pilot seat : 4 parts in the Tamiya kit, more basic in the others.
9March 28, 2023Cockpit interior : similar differences
10March 28, 2023Fuselage : 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
11March 28, 2023Undercarriage : 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
12March 30, 2023The 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
13March 31, 2023U/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 .
14April 2, 2023weight added under cockpitfloor in Tamiya and Helleer/MC . Hobbyboss has a solid fuselage
15April 2, 2023No 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.
16April 2, 20233 ladies in black
17April 3, 2023Previous built Hobbyboss F84E : I will try an upgrade (e.g. replacing the old decals)
18April 3, 2023Previous built Heller F84F : to be upgraded too
19April 6, 2023I removed the paint and decals of these two older builds with AK 186 paint stripper
20April 12, 2023All 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
21April 13, 2023top and bottom of Hobbyboss models after wash with Tamiya panel liner and clean up with a paper towel with a bit of whitesprit.
22April 13, 2023The canopies : the MC windscreen is horrible, but I found a replacement in my spare box
23April 19, 2023Tamiya 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.
24August 25, 2023home made decals for BAF thunderjet florennes & bierset (here in B/W) stropdecal
25August 25, 2023home made decals for BAF thunderjet kleine brogel (here in B/W) stropdecal
26June 29, 2024This is the Heller kit Thunderjet 3sqn Florennes with new decals
27June 29, 2024Right side
28June 29, 2024F84G Thunderjet 27 sqn Kleine Brogel, this is a Hobbyboss kit
29June 29, 2024rear View
30June 29, 2024right side view of the Tamiya kit
31June 29, 2024This iq the Tamiya kit with stropdecal for Kleine Brogel 31 sqn
32June 29, 2024This is the Hobbyboss kit with stropdecal
33June 29, 2024
34June 29, 202426 sqn in Bierset
35June 29, 2024This is the Polish scrap fuselage with Heller wings for 26 sqn at Bierset with stropdecal
Comments
7 June 2026, 11:43 -
Album info
Building 3 thunderjets in Belgian Markings and upgrading 2 older models of the same plane
paper modeling database | stash manager





