Subject: Re: Hi Steve - Product review for Special Hobby I-152 follows...
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: "Nicholas Moore" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 5 Jul 2010 10:40:41 -0700

Hi,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks again for sending it in.

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Nicholas Moore 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Monday, June 21, 2010 1:25 PM
  Subject: Hi Steve - Product review for Special Hobby I-152 follows...

        Special Hobby

        1/48 Polikarpov I-152 with Skis

        product # SPH48060

        About  U.S.$46.00 from HobbyLink Japan http://www.hlj.com/

        Product Article by Nick Moore

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        In true Czech fashion this Special Hobby release of the stocky Polikarpov I-152 bi-plane contains a box full of multi-media goodies that add up to a satisfying package depicting one of the fringe fighters of the 1930's through to World War II. 

        Instructions are comprehensive and are presented clearly and simply in small booklet style. There are many marking profiles depicted but the Aviprint decals provided in this boxing are limited to a total of five aircraft - Soviet and Finnish. The colours are clean and clear and the printing is sharp and glossy. The injection molded plastic parts have quite clean and sharp engraving. The effect of fabric over stringers and fabric over ribs on fuselage, wings and control surfaces is subtle and particularly well realised on the fuselage. Casting seams are occasionally heavy but clean up can be done without losing much in the way of detail.

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        There is a comprehensive collection of resin parts that cover off many of the smaller items you'd normally expect to see in plastic - i.e. the cockpit. Castings are clean with what would seam to be easily removable plugs. Sadly my boxing seems to be missing the resin bomb and rocket components. Maybe these are not intended to go with the ski version. One of my resin mounts for the skis had become broken but perhaps these parts could be fabricated from wire as they are designed to fit the white metal landing gear struts provided with this edition. These metal castings will take only a little more cleaning than the resin parts and hopefully will provided additional strength to the model when mounted on the smooth resin skis. When all these extras are added to the plastic components you should end up with a nicely detailed kit.

        Two versions of vac-formed canopies are included and you get two of each so if you butcher the first you can take a deep breath and attempt to do better with the second. The canopy will need a little polishing to get the best from it but is reasonably well defined. The PE frets include a seat and harness that give you an alternative to the resin seat and harness casting, instrument panel (and acetate backing), engine cowling shutters and further supplementary details for rudder pedals etc. These engine shutters once installed largely prevent any effective view into the 
        empty engine bay. The PE is cut by Eduard.

                
              Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 02.jpg here  

        This is a nice package of an exotic subject. As stated you get an interesting variety of parts that are all neatly and carefully bagged with cleanly printed instructions and colour schemes contained in a box with an attractive painting of the subject. The lack of positive fastenings such as pins and tabs will mean that greater forethought and test fitting will be required in assembly but I expect that this is part of the appeal and challenge of these good non-mainstream kits.

        A recommended kit of a small and widely used fighter. 

        This kit can be purchased here: http://www.hlj.com/product/SPH48060

        I would like to thank HobbyLink Japan (_www.hlj.com_) for providing this review sample.

        Nick Moore 22 June 2010