Kit: No. 4815
Scale: 1/48
Manufacturer: Czech Model, from Squadron Mail Order, 972-242-8663, www.squadron.com
Price: $39.95
Comments: Multimedia, 103 parts (50 injection-molded, 51 resin, 2 vacuumformed), decals, Squadron/Signal’s FR-1 Fireball Mini In-Action book
Pros: Good fit, excellent resin radial engine, instrument panel, and seat, handy reference book
Cons: Poor main landing-gear mounting system, some poorly molded resin parts, no instrument panel decal
The Ryan FR-1 Fireball was the first fighter to combine piston-engine power with a turbojet. First proposed in December 1942, it featured four wingmounted .50-caliber guns, a completely flush-riveted exterior with power-folding, low-drag, laminar-flow wings, and all-metal control surfaces.
Czech Model’s new kit comes in a large box with color profiles printed on the bottom (à la Hobbycraft Canada). The plastic parts have fine recessed panel lines, but some mold-separation lines show. The cockpit, a mix of plastic and resin parts, has an instrument panel with raised detail, rudder pedals, control column, side consoles, and aft bulkhead with headrest. It went together easily and fits into the fuselage through the wing opening. My sample’s resin jet engine exhaust tube was not completely molded.
The instructions suggest adding weight in the nose, but don’t say how much is needed. The two ounces of lead I installed behind the firewall wasn’t enough. The resin main landing-gear wells have no positive locators and fit poorly in the lower wing surface, and the gear struts that go into them also have no attachment points. I had to use filler around the jet intakes in the wing roots. To get the wing to fit right on the fuselage, I added a shim between the upper and lower surfaces of the starboard wing.
After trouble-free assembly of the 17-part resin piston engine, I had to sand down the cylinder heads to get the engine to fit into the cowling. The contours of the resin tires were too sharp; I sanded the main-gear tires and used the plastic nose wheel. The tab on the oxygen bottle (R21) should be shortened to better fit under the canopy.
I painted the model overall Testor Model Master gloss sea blue. The decals were well-printed and so thin that anything stronger than Microscale Micro Set (blue label) will damage them.
My model was finished in less than 20 hours, not counting the time the gloss paint took to dry. The model measures close to scale and is a welcome addition to my Navy collection. Czech Model continues to fill interesting voids. I wonder what’s next!
– Al Jones