Falcon 1/72 F9F Panther doesn't look right..is it just me?

[aferguson]

To my eye the Falcon F9F doesn't look right. The canopy is too big and high (probably becaue they made it so it would open, so it had to be big enough to clear the rear section) and the nose looks off in shape......too flat on top.

Is it just me or do others agree? I think the Amercom cheapie has a better look to it than the Falcon at 3 times the price.

[mountian-man]

I agree...it is off the mark. I have four Hobby Master 1/48 F9F's and I'm pleased with them (Although the folding wing mechanism can be aggravating). The grey Pensacola version and Blue Angels can still be found cheap...

[Dauntless]

Most of what I have read on HM's F9F hasn't been glowing reviews.
Strange how this was Hobby Master's only 1:48 jet. They have since turned out all their jets like sausages in 1:72 while making all the iconic WWII fighters in 1:48, which is frustrating if you're a 1:72 collector of WWII planes.

If looking for one in 1:72, I don't think you can go wrong with the Amercom Panther for the price.

I just bought my first 1:72 jet, the Mig-15 from HM on sale and it's excellent. Not looking to get into anything modern just yet, but the Korean and Vietnam eras are intriguing, so started buying a few here and there.

Looked at the Amercom Panther too, and decided it was the best for the money.

[aferguson]

agreed......all the Amercom planes i have are excellent. They have a high level of plastic content but that doesn't bother me in the slightest and i find them to be finely detailed and accurate. The Amercom 1/144 SR-71 is way better than Dragons, which is grey not black and has a wierd bronze hi-lighting of all the panel lines.....and is 3X the price.

The only thing i don't like about the Amercom Panther is the markings chosen..i would have preferred and Navy one instead of Marines, but that's a minor point.

[Dauntless]

Was looking at them again and Falcon and Amercom have the same Marines F9F. The Amercom has a pilot. but do not know if it is a sliding canopy.
Is it a copy of the Falcon or IXO that had one also, and does it have optional up/ down landing gear like the IXO? Wonder if the Amercom is gear fixed down?

I do like the dark blue scheme. The HM Skyraider Dambusters has similar scheme I want.

I have plans to buy a few Amercom 1:72 aircraft and helicopters, as well as some 1:144, of which I already bought a few and like them.
Most are a good value for what you spend.

[tmanthegreat]

I agree with the issues noted on the Falcon 1:72 F9F. I never really paid enough attention to the nose shape, but the canopy is certainly an issue. Just a glance at the Hobby Master 1:48 F9F (or a picture of the actual plane) shows the canopy on the Falcon model is off. Still, it is a decent model and I've been happy with the couple I have, particularly the VF-92 "Bridges at Toko Ri" version.

But, as was said above, if you really want a nice F9F in any scale, its hard to go wrong with the Hobby Master 1:48 scale version. Lots of function and detail worked into that little model.