Hunting Percival
Pembroke C.Mk.I
British Cold War Spy Plane
 

Special Hobby, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Glen Porter

 Special Hobby's 1/72 scale Hunting Percival Pembroke C.Mk.I
is available online from Squadron.com
 

A very pretty aircraft, the Hunting Percival Pembroke was kind of like a tubby Fokker Friendship, twin engined, high wing, tricycle undercarriage and single high fin/rudder. Entering service with the R.A.F. in 1953 as a transport, it was later used as a spy plane in West Germany and it is believed, one was still flying at Duxford as late as 1990.

Now, who else would bring us one of these in 1/72 scale but Special Hobby. They are nice chaps aren't they? And a super job they've done too.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

Not a small aircraft - just a tad smaller than a Mitchell and perhaps not quite as detailed as the parts count might suggest as many of them are not used but still highly detailed with a full set of seats and detailed bulkheads inside the fuselage but the cargo door is moulded shut. I guess that won't be a problem for some of you!

All the clear parts are injection moulded, not vac-formed, but again, nine of the twenty one parts are not used.

Apart from the centre console and control columns in the cockpit, the rest of the resin parts are various blisters and aerials for the exterior and the same with the PE, apart from some optional undercarriage scissors, the rest are all exterior fittings, No seat belts for the crew seats. Odd that.

Decals, by Aviprint, are very nice, good register, minimum carrier film, plenty of stencils and the blue cheat lines for two of the schemes. Of the three schemes offered in the kit, the first one is rather interesting. Over all silver with a white panel on top of the roof, it has black and light stone theatre markings for “Operation Musketeer”. The other two are for the 60 Squadron Spy Planes operating from R.A.F. Wildenrath, West Germany. Light Aircraft Grey wings and lower fuselage with White above a Blue cheat line on the upper fuselage. Yum!

One small problem I've spotted in the instruction, parts C1 and C2 are not covered in the build diagrams but if you look closely, you will see that they go on top of the engine nacelles at the rear, above the wings.

Still, no kit is perfect and if that is the only mistake then I think they've done good.

Recommended.

Thanks to MPM/Special Hobby for the review sample.

Review Text Copyright © 2005 by Glen Porter
Images Copyright © 2005 by Brett Green
Page Created 20 December, 2005
Last updated 20 December, 2005

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