Modelers of 1/72 scale aircraft rejoice! Finally a state-of-the-art kit of the Buckeye has come. Many of us have been holding on to the toylike Matchbox kit, but we can now pass those old kits to the kids and grandkids. Wolfpack's new kit features a decent interior and recessed exterior detail. Features include posable flaps, separate canopy and windscreen, and an extra set of landing-gear doors if you want to close the bays.
The cockpit interior is good, but the otherwise well-detailed seats have no harnesses. I just made a quick set for mine with painted masking tape. Decals provide detail to the instrument panels.
The parts breakdown and assembly sequence is reminiscent of the Two Bobs/Special Hobby 1/48 scale Buckeye — nothing tricky or particularly difficult. I had to fill small gaps at the front and back edges of the belly pan, but otherwise the fit was fine.
The instructions have a couple of items that need clarification. The diagrams for the "flap down" and "normal" positions look the same but indicate you may need to "cut pins." It doesn't show the flaps in the down position. I just pressed the flaps into the wing and they held in the dropped position. I suppose you'd have to shave the little mounting tabs off for the raised position. Also, the mounting of the retracting arms for the inner main wheel-well covers isn't clear. But once you start fitting them, you'll see there is nothing to worry about.
I painted the model with a flat white primer, followed with gloss white overall, and then masked for the orange panels. I used Testors Boyd sunburst (or Chevy engine red) as it is more vivid under fluorescent light. The instructions erroneously suggest "fluorescence orange."
The Cartograf decals are excellent and provide markings for Buckeyes from VT-9, VT-10, and VT-23. All the markings fit perfectly and went on with no problems. I spent 18 hours on my model, more than half on painting and decaling.
The finished Buckeye looks just right sitting next to my other Navy trainers. It's a great start for Wolfpack's 1/72 scale lineup, and a boon to fans of the scale.
Note: A version of this review appeared in the July 2015 FineScale Modeler.