HOBBY BOSS 1:72 REPUBLIC F-84G THUNDERJET
'INBOX Review'

 

Reviewer: Johan De Wolf (rec.models.scale)   

Kit Details

History

The F-84 was designed to fulfil a 1944 request by the USAF for a jet powered day fighter. The same team that had designed the P-47 first looked into the possibility of modifying the thunderbolt to accept a jet engine. How ever this soon proved to be unpractical, and a completely new aircraft was designed.

At that time not much was known yet about swept wings so this new aircraft would have straight wings. The P-84 first flew in 1946, but flight testing revealed so many problems that the air force considered ending the development program. The most serious problems were however solved and production machines entered service in 1947. The first versions had still many issues with engine reliability and performance though. With the 1949 F-84D version the air force finally got the operational aircraft they were looking for. This was quickly followed by the improved E model and in 1951 by the more powerful G version. Even though the Thunder jet managed to bag a few Mig-15’s in Korea it was obvious that the Mig-15 was a superior fighter. As soon as enough F-86’s were available, the Thunder jets were relegated to strike missions. In this role the aircraft proved its worth. It was a stable gun platform and could deliver a hefty punch with two bombs and 8 unguided rockets. It also had the same ruggedness as the P-47. It could take a lot of punishment, but it would still bring the pilot home safely. When the production line closed in 1953 over 4500 machines had been built of which more than 3000 were the G model. Almost 2000 Thunder jets were supplied to NATO allies. Although the design was quickly overtaken by more modern swept wing aircraft, it still had a long service life, with some air forces operating their thunder jets well into the 1960’s. The F-84 had the distinction of being the first post war USAF fighter and the first US fighter able to deliver a tactical nuclear weapon. It was also the first US fighter capable of aerial refuelling.

The kit

Packed very neatly in typical Hobby Boss fashion, you will find four light grey sprues, one clear sprue and the fuselage and wing each in their own compartment in a tray. There is no flash to be found and the minimal mold seams can be cleaned up with a quick swipe with sandpaper. Panel lines are finely engraved and parts generally fit well, though less tight than on the first Hobby Boss kits. You get options in the form of two seats, but no information is given about which seat belongs to which version. There are also two drop tanks and 4 paired rockets, but no bombs. The kit also contains an extra dive break and exhaust pipe, but these are for the F-84E boxing of this kit. The large decal sheet is of high quality, and offers markings for two machines. The instructions consist of a part location diagram and three easy to follow construction diagrams. Camouflage is depicted in two full colour 4-view drawings. 

Accuracy

Measurements are all within 1mm of what they should be. Compared to pictures, the model captures the clean lines of the real machine very well. The gun ports in the nose are depicted by almost invisible indentations and should be drilled deeper to enhance their appearance. The tip tanks in the kit have the in-flight-refuelling probe fixed in place. Only few photographs show these installed though. If the machine you want to depict shouldn’t have them they are easy enough to remove.  

Construction 

As with other kits in this series, construction is simplicity itself. 

Step 1: Add seat, instrument panel and stick to cockpit. Attach wings to the fuselage, and add upper halves of tip tanks. Add cheek panels and exhaust.

Step 2: Attach landing gear, speed brake, and rockets. Assemble droptanks.

Step 3:  Fit drop tanks, intake ring, pitot and canopy.

Done!

The cockpit in this kit has more parts than most of the other kits in this range and therefore looks quite acceptable. The instrument panel and side consoles have raised detail. The landing gear is also quite nicely detailed, including fully boxed in wells with structural detail.

Painting and Decals

There are no detailed painting instructions given. The instructions list the colours in Gunze numbers only. The decal sheet offers markings for two machines both in overall natural metal. The first is a Thunderbirds machine from 1955. Although shown in the drawing, it is unlikely that this machine flew with drop tanks and rockets. All trim is provided as large decals, including the colours on the tip tanks. How well this will work remains to be seen. The second machine is a very colourful aircraft flown by Joe Davis, while attached to the 58th FBG based at Taegu in the summer of 1953. The large sheet also offers a fair amount of stenciling. 

Conclusion

After the disappointment of the La-7 and the P-39, this kit is a lot better again. If you are looking for a quick and uncomplicated build I can recommend this kit without reserve. If you wish for more detail you should go for the Minicraft kit or the much more expensive Tamiya kit. When offered the choice between the old Heller kit and this new Hobby Boss offering, I would go for the latter as it has finer, engraved, detail.

PS

This kit is also available as an F-84E (kitnr. 80246). The content is the same, except for a different but equally large and colourful decal sheet. 

I have also had a quick look at the Hawker Typhoon, Me 163, He 162 and Me 262. The Typhoon, He 162 and Me 163 firmly belong in the same category as the La-7 and P-39 and are best left to kids, but the Me 262 is not that bad.

 

 

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