1/48 Hobby Master WWII plane opinions?

Your forum dedicated to 1/32nd and smaller plastic and metal figures and vehicles.
Post Reply
nooker21
Officer - 2nd Lieutenant
Officer - 2nd Lieutenant
Posts: 321
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 9:32 am
Location: Anaheim, CA

1/48 Hobby Master WWII plane opinions?

Post by nooker21 » Tue Jul 08, 2014 8:48 am

For people that own some of these, what are your opinions on the 1/48 offerings? I have the 1/32 Dauntless, and do enjoy the crisp details, and I'm thinking of getting a 1/48 Mustang or Corsair. Just wondering if you think they're worth the premium price, and what you like/dislike about some of the functions, like the landing gear or folding wings. Thanks!

Epap
Officer - Lt. Colonel
Officer - Lt. Colonel
Posts: 1120
Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2010 8:38 pm
Location: New York

Re: 1/48 Hobby Master WWII plane opinions?

Post by Epap » Tue Jul 08, 2014 1:04 pm

The Hobby Master F4U with the folding wings was a major disappointment as my example suffered from a slight but evident wing droop when I posed it with extended wings. Also, on my example, HM didn't even bother to paint the wheel wells zinc chromate, instead, they were white as were the landing gear. I don't know if this was changed on subsequent releases as I stopped buying after the first scheme---Kepford----came out. As for the P-51D, I have several and I like them. Stay away from the "P-51B" as they tried to pass it off with a "D" wing on the first release. After loud complaints, they have modified their "D" wing so it has only four, not six machine guns, but it's still a "D" wing, meaning that these models are hybrids. Finally, the HM FW-190A series is based on a fine tooling but suffers badly from terrible mottling and, in some cases lack of stenciling, poor color selection ( the "Italy" FW-190 ) and other careless errors.

So far, I haven't bought a P-47 so I can't comment on it, however, I'm a big fan of HM's Buffalo, P-26 and the other "yellow wing" types----the Stearman, excepted. Here HM used a poor kit to design its toolings, with poor results. The Hawker Fury is OK, but has been fairly well criticized by some collectors.

tmanthegreat
Officer - Brigadier General
Officer - Brigadier General
Posts: 11237
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 7:38 pm
Location: Central California

Re: 1/48 Hobby Master WWII plane opinions?

Post by tmanthegreat » Tue Jul 08, 2014 5:23 pm

I am a fan of the Hobby Master 1:48 aircraft line in general. I held off getting them for years, but then once I dove in, the floodgates opened... With the HM 1:48 aircraft, one generally gets good quality with a mixture of functionality that other diecast 1:48 aircraft from other manufacturers tend not to have. The typical hallmarks of the HM 1:48 aircraft are opening canopies, removable pilot figures, removable ordinance, working control surfaces on many models, swappable gear pieces, and display stands. They are much more "fun" models to display than, say, the Franklin Mint 1:48 planes, which just sit there on their landing gear.

Here are my thoughts on the HM 1:48 line in general...

Corsair:
HM had some good ideas with this tooling, including their solution for the folded wings - having separate pieces to display the wings extended or folded. It also comes in the standard and early "bird cage" variants. However, I largely share Epap's criticisms of the HM Corsair. I have the S1 Kepford version and the S2 Boyington model. The Corsair was one of HM's WWII aircraft that could have been tooled so much better. The alignment and gap between the wing pieces are terrible. Further, the canopy does not slide (it simply plugs in place) and the cockpit does not have the depth to it under the pilot's seat that the real plane has - which is funny as HM detailed that feature very well on their 1:48 F2A Buffalo model.

P-47:
The P-47 is decent. The two (or is it now 3 or 4?) schemes are well done. My favorites are the Gabreski version (S1) and the S2 No Guts No Glory with the striking checkerboard and invasion stripe patterns. The model comes with ordinance, etc. My biggest gripe is that the canopy plugs into place and does not slide open like on earlier HM 1:48 WWII aircraft. Also no moving control surfaces like on older toolings.

P-51D & P-51B:
The P-51D is excellent. Its one of their older 1:48 toolings and has a good mixture of form and function. Canopy slides open correctly and the flaps can be deployed. It also comes with varying ordinance including the paper and aluminum drop tanks as well as bombs. It has the swappable landing gear pieces - and fat tires. Really a nice model with lots of paint schemes to choose from. I have the Big Beautiful Doll and Old Crow versions. Have been tempted to get several more as I like the schemes.

I would avoid their P-51B until the later toolings. The S1 P-51B "Shangri La" is a good P-51B/C fuselage mated to P-51D wings. An absolutely inexcusable error!

Spitfire Mk XIV - XVI:
This is one of HM's older - and generally better - 1:48 scale toolings. The Griffon engine and 5-bladed props are well detailed. Gun ports on the wings open to reveal gun bay detail. The canopy slides back and the side door opens, the rudder and elevators also move. The landing gear also retract (not requiring separate pieces). Depending on the type of Spitfire replicated, it can either have the traditional canopy or the late-war teardrop canopy with lowered rear fuselage. Wings can also be eliptical or clipped. Simply a lot of potential tooling variety with the HM Griffon-engined Spitfires. There can be somewhat of a gap in the forward fuselage between the upper and lower fuselage halves, which would be my complaint for the model, but its really very minor to me. I have the "Johnny Johnson" Spitfire Mk XIV with the invasion stripes and the post-war Spitfire Mk XIV with teardrop canopy, clipped wings, and silver paint.

Spitfire Mk I - II:
Again not a bad tooling. It does not have all the functionality of its late-war brethren, but is still a generally accurate tooling. The landing gear are retractable and the canopy slides open. My only gripes with the Spitfire Mk I tooling are that the canopy seems a tad large and the supports cause the pilot figure to sit low in the cockpit. It also does not have all the functionality of the other Spitfires.

Spitfire Mk IX:
HM did a good job with this one and went back to having a degree of functionality . It incorporates the wings from their earlier griffon engine Spitfires, so has the opening gun bays. The canopy slides, but no working side door. Elevators and rudder move. I have the George Beurling version and its one of my favorite HM 1:48 planes.

FW-190A:
This is Hobby Master's only Luftwaffe fighter in 1:48. Its pretty detailed and they have made a ton of different variants, particularly as the FW-190s wing armament is concerned. Its a good solid tooling and a great representation of the '190. Lots of different schemes from many famous aces as well. They also did not go "PC" and have included the swastika on the tail. The canopy slides open and it has the swappable pieces for the landing gear, drop tank, and UHF antenna. My gripes are that the extended gear can be brittle and that you have to remove the drop tank assembly to place the aircraft on its stand. Wing guns and pitot tube are also very brittle. I have the FW-109A5 flowin by HG Luck, with the checkered cowling, which looks fantastic!

Brewster F2A Buffalo:
This is one of HM's older 1:48 toolings, but like many of their older models, is excellent. I've long praised HM for making such an obscure aircraft that frequently winds up on lists of the worst planes ever made. Still, HM went all out on this with a highly detailed cockpit with the proper "depth" to it under the pilot's seat, sliding canopy, retractable gear, and on some versions, bomb ordinance. There are a variety of schemes for it as well including RAF, Finnish, US pre-war, US early war. I have the "Battle of Midway" version and its one of my best Hobby Master models.


Pre-War 1:48 Aircraft:
I know you are interested in only WWII planes, but Hobby Master's pre-WWII aircraft are definitely worth considering and are some of the most unique models in the scale. No one else has really delved into the 1930s aircraft like Hobby Master has, save perhaps for Carousel I with their P-36. But HM takes the cake...

Grumman F3F:
This is probably one of my favorite Hobby Master 1:48 models. Its detailed, functional, and accurate to the real plane. The complex landing gear go together as plug-in-place sub-assemblies. The cockpit canopy slides open and the rudder is movable. HM has the F3F1 tooling and the F3F2 and F3F3 models with the differences in engine size, propeller, canopy framing, and gun armament detailed. Wings all have bracing wires and include two bombs affixed underneath. This is a great representation of a plane from that transitional period in aviation history. I have several F3Fs, including an early F3F1 with the small engine, a standard F3F2 in a brightly-colored pre-war USMC scheme and another F3F2 that was a training aircraft early in WWII and has the early pacific theater blue over white scheme. The HM F3Fs seem to be popular and sell out quickly.

Boeing P-26:
This is another model HM did well. The plane is quite detailed with the large radial engine, bracing wires, and flashy schemes. It has swappable bomb ordinance. No other moving parts apart from the prop and wheels. Still, the model captures the look of the P-26 and is a unique addition to the 1:48 scale diecast aircraft world. I have the pre-war 94th Pursuit Sq. version (replicating the P-26 at the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, CA) as well as the "last USAAF P-26" version in the early WWII OD green USAAF scheme. You can't go wrong with the HM P-26.

Boeing F4B/P-12:
This is another one HM did well. Its another unique subject for 1:48 diecast with a lot of possible schemes and tooling variants. There are some minor errors, particularly in the bracing wires, but overall the look of the most common pre-war USN and USAAF fighter has been captured well. The major difference between the USAAF P-12 and USN F4B, including the engine, tail, and fuselage are replicated well by HM. The plane is well detailed, but not a whole lot of function in the way of moving surfaces, etc. Still, its a good biplane model and well worth the purchase. I have a USN F4B in the VF-3 scheme and a USAAF P-12.

Boeing PT-17 Stearman:
I was elated that HM chose to make this model in diecast. Its such a popular plane and well, I have a family connection as my grandfather often flew one as a flight instructor during WWII and afterwards as a crop duster. The HM model captures the look of the plane, but is far from perfect. At least on the S1 version (which I have) the wing angles are not quite correct. The cockpits also have hardly any detail, even lacking flight controls (though I think this was corrected in later releases). Its not their best in the pre-war lineup, which is unfortunate...

Hawker Fury:
This is another good pre-war HM model and gives us an RAF fighter! Great tooling on the model, even down to the accurate white coveralls on the pilot figure. Detailed cockpit and bracing wires, plus a number of RAF pre-war and foreign schemes to choose from. I have the S1 "Fighting Cocks" version as well as a Fury from the same squadron in RAF cammo from the military buildup surrounding the 1938 Munich Crisis. I really wish HM would make a Bristol Bulldog at some point as that was the primary RAF fighter in the 1930s. A Gloster Gladiator in 1:48 would be a dream come true, for me at least!


The oddball... Grumman F9F Panther:
Hobby Master has also made a very nice renditioning of the Korean-war era Grumman F9F Panther. It stands alone, not fitting in any of their other general categories. I've often wondered why they made this plane and not any other more popular post-war jet, however, they did a fantastic job on it. This is one of HM's older toolings and has all the detail and functionality one could want: folding wings, working control surfaces, working air brake, retractable gear, opening canopy & detailed cockpit, removable drop tanks and ordinance. Just an excellent model! They made a variety of variants with differing nose armament, ordinance, and even a photo-recon version. The most rare example is the VF-92 Golden Dragons model, which replicates the plane from the film, "The Bridges at Toko Ri". They also have Ted William's Panther and a couple unique schemes including the silver VF-61 "Jolly Rogers" version and the USN training aircraft. It seems that any HM F9F in a classic blue USN or USMC scheme is difficult to find... The VF-61 and training planes can be located easily for a decent price. I have the VF-61 version and the Ted William's version. Should have gotten the VF-92 Golden Dragons plane when they were at TheFlyingMule years ago!


So, that's the rundown on the HM 1:48 planes. Overall a very diverse and decent selection to choose from. They are much more expensive than they used to be, but are worth the purchase :D
"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

Epap
Officer - Lt. Colonel
Officer - Lt. Colonel
Posts: 1120
Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2010 8:38 pm
Location: New York

Re: 1/48 Hobby Master WWII plane opinions?

Post by Epap » Wed Jul 09, 2014 3:52 am

I think that the safest way to approach HM's 1:48th scale models is to carefully study each scheme and rendition before plunking down one's dollars. For example, even if you don't mind the ridiculous way HM "mottled" its FW-190s, there are other issues to be wary of. For example, the Maximowitz FW-190 has a very undersized unit emblem, the "sand" color on the "Italy" bird is way too light, the first release didn't have stenciling, etc. In my case, I simply correct such errors and redo the mottling, but if you are not able to do this---or unwilling---- this may be a problem. All told, HM is really the only game in town as regards the 1:48th scale, but its performance has been quite erratic in this area. Some executions are almost uniformly excellent----the Buffalo, for example-----but others require a careful approach, unless you don't mind errors and cost saving shortcuts that diminish the accuracy of the models.

nooker21
Officer - 2nd Lieutenant
Officer - 2nd Lieutenant
Posts: 321
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 9:32 am
Location: Anaheim, CA

Re: 1/48 Hobby Master WWII plane opinions?

Post by nooker21 » Wed Jul 09, 2014 10:31 am

Thanks for those thorough answers! I think I may just get a Mustang as a sampler, as I'm also disappointed in the Corsair as I wanted the Bunker HIll scheme, but it doesn't even have the rockets. I also kind of wish there were more paint schemes for the spitfire, especially BOB era. I'll keep my eyes peeled...

dragon53
Officer - Brigadier General
Officer - Brigadier General
Posts: 8715
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2007 7:56 pm
Location: Houston

Re: 1/48 Hobby Master WWII plane opinions?

Post by dragon53 » Wed Jul 09, 2014 11:45 am

The P-47's don't have stencils on the props.
The P-47M "Devastatin Deb" paint scheme is off---the light blue should be darker and the dark blue has a gloss finish, but the light blue has a matte finish. After seeing the preproduction photos, I mentioned these problems to HM's William. He said it was too late to fix the light blue, and the glare on the dark blue was a glare on the camera. "Devastatin Deb" COULD have been a beautiful P-47. Gabreski's P-47 is pretty good.
I have seven HM P-51D Mustangs including three autographed versions (Bud Anderson, Urban Drew and Don Strait), and I'm happy with them---although the well-publicized "Old Crow" nose art mistake on Bud Anderson's Mustang is the one complaint on that one.
I have two HM Spitfires, but the wingtips on the Johnny Johnson D-Day Spitfire came off easily--twice. The Stanford-Tuck Spitfire is fine.
I know there were lots of complaints about the mottling on the FW-190, but I have the Josef Priller/D-Day FW-190 and I'm glad to have it considering the alternatives are small 1/72 versions without the swastikas.
I have two HM F9F Panthers, the William Holden and Ted Williams versions. Both have loose wings in the extended position. HM should have left the folding wings option off.
I have the cool-looking March Field P-26 with the olive drab fuselage and yellow wings. I think I found one of the machine guns hidden in the engine, but not the second one. Boeing's machine gun position design is bizarre to me.
Lastly, HM's 1/48 pilots look like the decayed bodies of the Greys that crashed in Roswell in 1947. :mrgreen:

nooker21
Officer - 2nd Lieutenant
Officer - 2nd Lieutenant
Posts: 321
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 9:32 am
Location: Anaheim, CA

Re: 1/48 Hobby Master WWII plane opinions?

Post by nooker21 » Sun Aug 03, 2014 9:41 am

Forgot to ask, do the landing gear wheels roll on the extra parts? Also, who has the best prices and selection on these things?

hworth18
Officer - Brigadier General
Officer - Brigadier General
Posts: 3566
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 9:58 am
Location: Tulsa,Oklahoma

Re: 1/48 Hobby Master WWII plane opinions?

Post by hworth18 » Mon Aug 04, 2014 3:01 pm

nooker21 wrote:Forgot to ask, do the landing gear wheels roll on the extra parts? Also, who has the best prices and selection on these things?
Flyingmule.com or Aikensairplanes.com

Btw, I have a HobbyMaster "Big Beautiful Doll" P-51D for sale if you're interested. $75.00 shipped to you. 8)
“The moment you think you know what’s going on in a women’s head, is the moment your goose is well and truly cooked”
-Howard Stark

nooker21
Officer - 2nd Lieutenant
Officer - 2nd Lieutenant
Posts: 321
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 9:32 am
Location: Anaheim, CA

Re: 1/48 Hobby Master WWII plane opinions?

Post by nooker21 » Wed Aug 06, 2014 12:19 pm

Thanks for the offer, but I think I'm going to wait for Moonbeam McSwine...

Post Reply