Avro CF-105 Arrow

Hobbycraft

Previewed by Peter Nebelung

Hobbycraft's 1/48 scale Avro Arrow is available online from Squadron.com

Many years ago, Hobbycraft released a pair of Avro Arrows in 1/48 and 1/72 scale .

These were well received, but as with all kits, there were some errors, omissions and plain clunky detailing. The original kits had panel lines the size of WW1 trenches, and generally soft detailing. The wheels were circular discs with some raised detail, in the fashion of bolt heads I guess, and the wheel wells were blanked off with no detail at all. Cockpit detail comprised the floor, a stick and a pair of honking big easy chairs perhaps designed for Frankenstein. I suppose since they were trapped inside an non opening canopy they were considered to be acceptable.  At the backend, the tail cone was just that. A cone. No burners, no nozzles, nada. Just a big double cone.

Anyway, its now November 2003, and Hobbycraft have taken the Arrow in hand and retooled the model.  This release is the 1/48 scale version. I’m not sure they will attempt to do the 1/72,  maybe, maybe not. Time will tell.

As soon as I heard they were available I headed over to the local shop and after a once over with the Mk 1, Mod 2 eyeballs, I picked up two.

I just finished a side by side comparison between the old and the new. Heres the results.

All surfaces have a very fine pebble finish. This may require priming and sanding with fine and finer paper.
There are some ejector pin markings, but none that can’t be repaired. About the same as the original only not as deep.

Wings Panels

All panel lines redone with finer, shallower lines. No trenches. The raised fence on the upper surface appears to be slightly crisper in detail than original. The lower surface has the bulges refined, being smaller, and less high. The wheel well is now open, and allows a bit more depth to the bay. Looking at photos, it appears the bay is almost full depth. No detail added to the inside of the upper wing.

Wheels:

More accurate looking, recessed detailing and hubs, easier to mask and paint. Back side has the brake disks, and the front side is nicely recessed. Detailers will be wanting to add the bolt head.

Main Landing Gear:

appears identical to original, just the two upper retract struts are both seperate now. Same construction as original. Looking at photos, the main gear is very over simplified, and will benefit from some attention and reconstruction of the various components. It was an very complicated system, and there is much room for detailing.

Nose Gear:

Now has the Y upper end. Various cylindars and scissors are now seperate parts. Nose gear door a bit more refined on the detail. Again this can be improved upon with detailing of hoses, and small parts.

Nose Gear Well

now full depth, with cockpit floor as the roof. Ribbing added to fuselage sides and the floor.

Fuselage Spine

Now properly molded. Finish a bit rough on the machining. Very fine paper needed here

Cockpit

Major change here. Goes from a floor, two seats (Butt ugly) and a stick to two 4 piece seats, floor, stick, two instrument panels, side panels (14 pieces).

Fuselage inside has ribbing added. The seats are a heck of a lot closer than the original  Sofa-boys.

Tail Cone:

Now longer, not so tapered. Has interior nozzle and afterburner can. 5 parts as compared to 1.

Canopy

Now has pebble finish on painted areas. Framing for windscreen and pilots door thinner. Panel lines much finer. Canopy is single piece, not open. However you do get two of them so cutting up the pair to make one open set is very possible.  The design of the canopy will allow one set to supply the windscreen, center piece and tail piece while the second one will give the movable canopy parts. The only difficulty may lie in cutting up the canopy parts on the centerline. A very fine cut will be needed.

Decals

The decals are the new generation Hobbycraft decals. All in register, crisp, thinner lettering. Stencils are readable instead of the mongolian gibberish of the original kit. The national markings are done in a deeper shade of blue, which looks to be accurated. The Canadian ensign is 4 part, white background, flag, and the blue high lites in two pieces.

There are no pilot figures, weapons or drop tank in this model.

Review and Images Copyright © 2003 by Peter Nebelung
Page Created 07 November, 2003
Last updated 06 November, 2003

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