I drop by my local hobby shop, Hayes Hobby House, quite often. I like to see what’s new, and talk to my friend Mike who works there. It’s a great way to get a break during the day.
Mike’ a smart guy- he really is. He knows that if he sees me heading towards the entrance, all he has to do is strategically put a new kit on the counter and it’ll catch me eye. I can’t resist the bait! 😀
A few weeks back, as I walked in, their sat a newly released kit that grabbed my attention- a Hurricane Mk. I from a company called Pegasus Hobbies. It was a snap-tite model, and was less than $10! Mike claimed innocence….”it just happened to be on the counter…”, but I think I know better. Still- it went home with me.
And what a gem of a kit is is!
The box art is very nicely done, packaged in a very slick, glossy finish. Sure it’s just a box, but it was a good sign. And opening up the box confirmed my impressions.
The kit consists of 4 sprues of parts cast in glossy tan plastic, one clear part, and two sets of decals- waterslide and stick-on options. The latter is a really nice touch. A parent can buy this kit for a young kid, and without any glue or previous modeling skills, the aircraft can be assembled and marked up in a few minutes. Very nice touch.
The surface of the parts is a bit “grainy”… if you’ve built a 21st Century Toys kit it’s very similar to that. Nothing that detracts from the kit really- most likely a coat of paint and some Future in the finishing process will cover it up.
All of the parts are nicely cast with little flash. Recessed detail is fairly sharp and a tad deeper than most kits in this scale. However, I actually welcome that. I like to have a panel wash be a little easier. Sure, it’s less to scale- but I always keep in mind “it’s a model, and it’s for fun.”
Cockpit sidewall detail is adequate by more expensive kit standards. It’s a bit exaggerated in size to my eye, but once painted, buttoned up and under the single piece canopy, it will probably help it to show up a bit better. What really pleased me was the level of cast in detail considering this is a snap kit. It should be a wake-up to other manufacturers of low-cost kits. 
The seat is best described as a “throne”…. sort of a blocky piece. Still- buttoned up, it won’t really be too noticeable. The instrument panel has cast in instrument dials, though they are void of internal detail. A slightly over-sized but fairly accurate control column is provided. The “heel troughs” and rudder pedals are also part of the interior. Again- detail is not precise, but adequate.
The fabric detail on the fuselage looks good, accurately depicting the ribbed aft portion of the Hurricane. Wheel well detail is also very good considering the kit. The landing gear and gear doors are cast together, but with some careful painting and highlighting they should look nice.
The canopy is well cast and clear enough. The waterslide decals appear to be of very high quality, though I think the colors are a tad to “primary”. The instructions are easy to follow, and include a nice history of both the plane itself and some biographical information on the pilot the markings depict.
One of the things modelers talk about often is the future of the hobby, considering how hard it is to tear youngsters away from their Xboxes long enough to try a new thing. I’ve been encouraged by the efforts of 21st Century Toys in 32nd scale, and HobbyBoss has a nice line of models in 72nd scale that appeal to new modelers. Pegasus Hobbies fills in the scale gap in 1/48 with a very nice product- affordable, easy to build, and attractive to both new and old modelers. Their offering include not only the Hurricane, but a Spitfire. Mk. I (which I have also purchased- thanks Mike!), a Bf-109G and an Me-262.
While these kits will certainly not challenge Tamiya or Hasegawa for engineering and detail, I think most modelers will enjoy this low-cost, simple build. And if you’re a scratch-builder who looks for a good palette to show off your skills, these kits may be just the ticket.
Plus, they offer wonderful opportunities for father-son builds, make-and-take outreach builds, and other projects designed to introduce youngsters to modeling and fostering interaction. Build them as a snap-tite kit, or glue them together. It’s all good fun!
Keep them coming Pegasus! I highly recommend them.