|
Glenn Martin 167 Maryland
Fonderie Miniature 1/48
S
u m m a r y
|
| Catalogue Number: |
FN6029 |
| Scale: |
1/48 |
| Contents and Media: |
32 injection moulded plastic parts,
7 resin parts, 78 white metal parts, and 2 vacuum formed clear parts |
| Price: |
USD$69.97 from Squadron.com
|
| Review Type: |
FirstLook |
| Advantages: |
Good detail;
crisp resin, esoteric subject, nice engine details; nice decals. |
| Disadvantages: |
Heavy flash and moulding, poor
instructions, poor transparencies |
| Recommendation: |
Highly Recommended for experienced
modellers. |
Built and Reviewed by Mick Evans
Fonderie
Miniature's 1/48 Maryland is available online from
Squadron.com
Fonderie Miniature’s latest release, their1/48 scale
kit of the Maryland, is in keeping with this manufacturer’s theme of
French designed aircraft, or aircraft flown by the Armee de L’Air (French
Air Force).
The kit contains 32 injection moulded plastic parts,
7 resin parts, 78 white metal parts, and 2 vacuum formed clear parts
containing all the canopies and windows. Four of the injection moulded
plastic parts are redundant as the instructions tell you not to remove the
moulded on flaps and ailerons and replace them with the separate items
that are provided. FM must have changed their mind when they moulded the
wings but had already made the moulds for the sprues containing the
separate ailerons.
The plastic parts are the usual soft grey plastic
with lots of moulding flash. The panel lines although crisp need some
cleanup work with a scribing tool. On the positive side, the parts are
easily cleaned up and should fit together very well. The metal parts
have a lot of flash and seam lines that will require a lot of finicky
cleanup work.
The resin parts are crisply moulded in a very hard
chalky resin. The kit has resin moulded wheel wells, seats, and rear
cockpit bulkhead.
Click the
thumbnails below to view larger images:
Once again, my main criticism as in past reviews of
FM kits is of the clear canopy. It is not very clear and mould lines for
the windscreen frames are not very sharp. The usual Future treatment
should bring some clarity to the canopy.
The cockpit looks to have a high level of detail
moulded into the white metal walls and build up parts, most of which will
not be visible when complete. The engines are a work of art, with nicely
moulded resin renditions of the crankcase and individual cylinder heads in
white metals. The cylinder heads need some clean up but with the addition
of scratch-built ignition cables and pushrods they will look excellent.
A very clearly printed decal sheet offers options
for a 69 Sqn aircraft of the RAF based in Malta in 1941 and an Armee De
L’Air aircraft based in Syria in 1941.
As I have stated many times before, Fonderie
Miniature could go a long way by some improvement to the instructions.
These have always been bereft of detail and leave a lot of interpretation
to the modeller. The instructions for the Maryland are no different. They
do not even give instructions for the engine assemblies, the only
reference being a drawing showing them fully assembled. There are at
least 19 parts to each engine.
Fonderie Miniature is to be congratulated on covering a rare aircraft that
up to this point in time has not been covered in 1/48 scale by any other
company other than a few examples by vacform moulding companies.
Recommended for experienced modellers
Thanks to
Squadron.com for the review
sample.
Model, Review and Images Copyright © 2004 by
Mick Evans
Page Created 28 January, 2004
Last updated 28 January, 2004
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