The Czech kit manufacturer, for the second time, reboxes Academy’s 1/72 T-6G but adds new parts and decals.
In May last year, Special Hobby exhibited a minor stroke of genius when it repackaged the original Academy 1/72 styrene T-6 Texan and supplied new resin and styrene components – plus fresh decal in accordance with its Harvard ‘British Commonwealth Air Training Plan’ theme. Now the firm has made a similar move but with a different subject… ‘Training to Win’.
Above: Seatbelts come in photo-etched brass form.
Besides offering the same Academy plastic, product SH72450 has new resin components in the form of an engine cowling, instrument panel, new starboard forward fuselage panel, gun barrel and breech fairing, arrester hook and stay, and an alternative tailwheel. There’s also a small photo-etched brass fret carrying seatbelts and alternative gun sights. The resin items are crisply cast, and there are also new styrene glazing parts from Special Hobby (windscreen, front and rear canopy sections).
Above: The resin parts supplied with Special Hobby's new 'Training to Win' Texan boxing.
A review of Special Hobby’s Harvard boxing is here
Academy’s T-6 is a good replica for when it was released in 1998, but Special Hobby’s extras really elevate it – and ensure accuracy for the sub-types that can be built. On that note, seven different Texan schemes can be represented via the well-printed decal sheet:
• AT-6D-NT, 4134167 Bridget SPM Baby, 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, USAAF, Middle Wallop, UK, 1944
• SNJ-3C, BuNo 6792/J-9, Carrier Qualification Unit, US Navy, Naval Air Station Glenview, Illinois, USA/USS Wolverine, Great Lakes, 1942
• SNJ-3C, BuNo 6792/11-1, Marine Air Group 11, Cactus Air Force, Turtle Bay, Espiritu Santo, South Pacific, October 1943
• AT-6C, 42-3996/317, 77th Flying Training Wing, USAAF, Foster Field, Texas, USA, 1943
• SNJ-3, BuNo 6773, Training Squadron 3, Det 8-B, NAS Pensacola, Florida, 1942
• 41-17249/X-508, USAAF, Luke Field, Arizona, 1942
• 41-17249/X-508, USAAF, Luke Field, Arizona, 1942 (with rudder stripes and tail code)
Above: Special Hobby also supplies new glazing with its Texan kit.
Natural metal dominates the schemes, but splashes of colour add interest… and one machine wears naval blue-grey. See the colour scheme sheets below.
This is another welcome reworking of an already decent kit, and with a price of just €17.50 direct from Special Hobby, it’s good value too.
