Having re-boxed Hasegawas A-4E/F Skyhawk in a new boxing called Vietnam Scooters, Eduard have released three update sets to bring the kit to a whole new level. Andy Brazier takes a look at the two Brassin and one Photo Etch set.

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If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

I've posted this before, so I'll just get straight to the point. Eduard should have included the upgraded wheels and the upgraded exhaust parts in their boxing. They're charging nearly $80 for a Hasegawa kit that's been around since 2000, so Hasegawa isn't charging them top dollar to repackage the kit, which retails for $38. With that being said, I bought the kit, and I've just started the build. Needless to say, I'm not buying their additional upgrades. What comes in the box is what I'll use on the kit.

Joel

Joel, I understand your feelings but like I posted on the other thread this side of the pond both the Eduard and the Hasegawa kits are a very similar price, there's only £1 or 2 difference.

I wonder why they omitted the thermal blast shield as seen here:
http://a4skyhawk.org/sites/a4skyhawk.org/files/images/imagecache/gallery-display/150030b.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VA-56_(U.S._Navy)#/media/File:A-4E_Skyhawks_from_VA-56_in_flight_c1965.jpeg

The second photo is my Dad's old squadron, VA-56.

That's the white area behind the pilots head.

See ya in the funnies...............

Luciano,
Interesting that they're so close together in price on yours side of the pond. Like I said, over here, you can get two Hasegawa A4s for slightly less the Eduard's re-boxing. It"s almost seems like they have the Hasegawa molds so they don't have to import the finished sprues.

I've bought the Danger Zone F-14A kit, and it's a tremendous value. I had the Jugs over Italy, and thought that it was also a solid value. I passed on the re-boxing of the Academy F4s as the Academy kits are just fine OOB. Maybe resin seats, but that's about it, and the decals are already by Cartograf with a full in house sheet of stencils,everyone's favorite decaling job. I've built the B, and have both the C & N in sealed boxes I have the duel 1st boxing of the P-39s, and have yet to build either one, so I've shied away from any more duel offerings as they're just not worth it to me. My personal collection of Eduard single kits continues to grow, so I'm not souring on them, just some of their recent business decisions.

Joel

Joel, over here Hasegawa kits are stupid money, the 1/48 F-22 Raptor retails for £75 which converted is $118 while the F-15 ranges from £54-75 ($85-118) depending on version and markings.

I'll pick up an Eduard boxing just for the small added extras and the discount from the Bunny Club just so I can cross off another U.S. Navy type.
I have both the P-39 dual combo boxings and their P-38 boxings also, along with a few of the singles.

Littorio,
The retail prices are insane. Thinking of picking up another P-38 off of ebay sooner then later. But at my age, time starts to work against you, so I'm really scaling back on what I buy.
Joel

You're correct that prices for Japanese kits in Europe are so very expensive. Americans have been spoiled for many years because imported kits from Japan were dirt cheap. For example Tamiya 1/48 Mustangs could be purchased for $19 at the local shops or online. Even getting them from online Japanese based retailers was a bargain. So after the Economic Melt down of 2007-2008 prices of Japanese kits tripled here in America and Americans were finally paying the same price for Japanese kits that the rest of the World had to pay. Of course American hobbists were angry and outraged by the new Worldwide market prices. They have a sense of Entitlement and believe that kit makers should make the kits cheaper just for them.

Reality is a harsh for them.

That being said, the Eduard boxing of Hasegawa's Scooter can be purchased in America at online retailers like Roll Models for $67.50 or Sprue Brothers for $71.00. eBay prices are about the same, however there was one seller that priced the kit at $57! One of the local shops I go to (Brookhurst Hobbies) has all their kits automatically discounted by 20%. You go in there and see $70 Hasegawa kits marked down by 20%, but since you remember the days that very same kit you want was only $23 you pass on buying it.

Eduard's Vietnam Scooters is a really good value still. The photoetch would cost you about $23, masks $8, Brassin seat $11, and the Furball Aerodesign decal sheet beautifully printed by Cartograph would retail for $19.99. That's $62 dollars worth of aftermarket included in a kit that I have purchased for $67.50!

Wow! Freekin'. Awesome. Deal.

I'll be adding the A-4 wheel set and the big box of Brassin weapons which include the Multiple Ejection Racks for the kit A-4 later. As a bonus I'll have enough spare bombs and napalm canisters from that set to use on one of my big Phantoms.

Like you I'm a Bunny Fighter Club member so everything is 15% off at the Eduard online shop. (except during certain sale days like Black Friday when even deeper discounts can be had.) Eduard also has a new shipping price of $9. That means if I just buy a lot of photoetch and Brassin detail sets my shipping cost is just $9, if my total purchase is $150 and over shipping is FREE to USA. Platic Kits since the weigh so much never really qualify for the $9 shipping price to the USA.

I have many of Eduard's special boxings: 3 Eduard Phantoms: 2 Morning and 1 Evening. The Su-27, F-16, F-15C and a few Royal Class kits. This isn't counting all the Profipack kits I own.

Eduard is doing a fantastic job right now. That's why they've been getting most of my modeling dollars. Hopefully in the future they'll continue the Vietnam theme and do the F-8 Crusader, A-6 Intruder, F-105 Thunder Chief . . .

Cheers,
John

John,
I wasn't complaining about the costs of Japanese nor Eduard kits these days. As you said, it is what it is. My assertion was and still is that the Scooter re-boxing isn't worth what Eduard is charging, and that they should have included the intake and exhaust Brassin parts, as well as the AM wheel set.

I'm not going to go AM part for part with you, but there is no way that the small, single PE sheet is worth $23, and the simple two pc Brassin seat is worth maybe $9-10 max. The included cast in detail of the back of the seat is really nice, to bad that once installed, you can't see any of it.

I stated that you can get the Hasegawa A-F kit at Sprue Brothers today for $30.49. The Eduard kit goes for $71.99. The kit was 1st issued 15 years ago, so Hasegawa has gotten their monies worth out of it. This releasing is just new found revenue. Eduard isn't paying a premium for the kit, so they're also maxing their GP on the kit. That is my point.

I bought the kit, and have a build blog started here.

When you compare what Eduard included in the Danger Zone release compared to what they included in the Vietnam Scooter release, you'll quickly see that it's a great value at $122 (Sprue Brother's price). And yes, I have the Danger Zone kit.

Joel

Hi Joel,

Personally I'm glad Hasegawa is making the maximum profit it can from it's molds so they can stay in business. It's just like Monogram charging a premium for the very old molds they have for the B-29, B-17, B-24, and the BONE which they pull out of production in order to drive up demand. Good for them. Of course this doesn't stop me for looking for these kits if they've been discounted.

I'm very happy with Eduard's Vietnam Scooters since they saved me a lot of effort of scrounging around for aftermarket. Will I buy the burner can? Probably not since most of it is hidden, but the aftermarket Brassin Weapons set for $65 (!!! very beucoup dollars) and the wheels for both early A-4Es and later A-E/Fs are a must. Yes I decided to buy two Scooters so I can load them up with weapons from the 1960's era Scooters. Eduard also has Brassin Bullpups and Redstones. Sweet stuff.

As for the big massive F-14, I'm looking forward to building that kit. I purchased it direct from Eduard during one of their 30% off sales for Bunny Fighter Club Members. Right now I'm tempted to buy another Danger Zone F-14 because it's such a really good deal.

So we'll have to agree to disagree here. The Eduard Scooter is a great value, while you think they're charging too much.


Hope your A-4 build is going well.

Cheers,

John

John,
Glad we can agree to disagree, without our conversation becoming more then that.

What I meant about getting extra mileage from their molds, is that they're just not charging Eduard top dollar. Everyone is making a nice GP from the kit, and that's a good thing. I just felt that Eduard should have given us a little more.

The kit exhaust can is fine as it is. Like you said, it's hard to see, and half of it is tucked under the skin, but the intake fan really needs a major upgrade, yet one has to really look into the intake to see it.

The Wheels, well, the Brassin ones are just so much better.

PE that should be sold separately because of their complexity like the dive brakes, flaps, exterior sets can set one back a few hundred more.

The complexity of the build is up to the modeler. I just felt that Eduard should have given us the upgrade to the basics that need to be corrected in the Hasegawa offering.

As far as the Danger Zone F-14A goes, I've only opened the box once, marveled at what's in there, and then honestly I keep on forgetting about it as other kits get released that are Gotta Haves.

As for my build, it's moving ahead slowly at my usual snail's pace. Took a while to figure out how to mask the red demarcation line in the intakes, but now I've got that done it's back to full Snail's Speed ahead.

Joel