Squadron Models aircraft

[THarrison351]

When I was in Montreal, a southern trip down to the Hobby Lobby in Plattsburgh, New York yielded several close out models, including a Squadron Models P-51D Mustang "Stinger VII" of the 45th Fighter Squadron, 15th Fighter Group 20th U.S. Army Air Force, South Field, Iwo-Jima, Japan, June 1945. It was pre-decorated and looked surprisingly well detailed. So, in just a couple of hours and some glue and touch up paint. I had a nice little airplane model. It had been over thirty years since I had built my last model aircraft. I used to have a large collection before my son was born. I mainly built in 1/48 scale, but occasionally built 1/72 too. These are all 1/72.
With the world in it's current state and all this upcoming time on my hand, I was looking for a different avenue of interest. I had seen more of the Squadron Models aircraft on the shelf at Hobby Lobby and I picked up the P-40B Warhawk of the 3rd Squadron Hell's Angels, Flying Tigers 1942 and the F4U-4 Corsair of the VMF-323 Death Rattlers U.S.M.C. 1951. These piqued my interest and made me wonder if there were more aircraft available. 
Turns out there are more available, so I ordered five through Trains and Toy Soldiers and eBay. F4F-4 Wildcat Vf-41 Jet USS Ranger 1941. Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb RF-D BM144, Great Britain, 303 Sqn (Poland), RAF 1942. Focke-Wulf FW 190 A-8 "Red 19" Base on Reich 1944 36361. Republic P-47D Thunderbolt "Big A$$ Bird II", Maj. Howard Park, 513th Fighter Squadron, 406th Fighter Group, 1945. North American F-86F Sabre, 334FS USAF, Pilot Maj. James Jabara, July 1953.
The origins of these kits are Hobby Boss models. From what I can tell, they are part of company that also owns Trumpeter models. Doyusha also distributed these at one time in unbuilt kits, pre-decorated form, and built models. They also have made many more versions, but they appear to no longer be making them anymore. Those kits that are still out there and can be very expensive. Completed versions in several more paint schemes are available from Easy Model (a part of Trumpeter too). 
I have to say these models are easy to build and the only thing that I need to complete them is add some antenna cables. Also note the F-86 needed weight added to stay on the nose landing gear.

Front row left to right: FW 190, P-40B Warhawk, F4F-4 Wildcat, middle row left to right: F4U-4 Corsair, P-51D Mustang, P-47D Thunderbolt, Spitfire Mk.Vb, back row: F-86F Sabre

[shoopdog]

They all look great! Excellent wat to restart your collection.

I sure wish I still had all the planes, tanks and cars from my early years of building.

[PappyD340]

Fantastic group of aircraft!

[Snake45]

You're right, these are a lot of fun. They build pretty easy and are accurate enough--more accurate in some cases than some other 1/72 kits I could name. I bought and built the four that Hobby Lobby sold. Been looking for more--thanks for the heads-up on the supplier. I'd like to do the FW190, P-47D and F-86. 

The ones I built are MORE than fit enough to sit proudly on the same shelf with 1/72 models of the same airplanes that I put a LOT more work into. 

[Mike999]

11 hours ago, THarrison351 said:

...The origins of these kits are Hobby Boss models. From what I can tell, they are part of company that also owns Trumpeter models. Doyusha also distributed these at one time in unbuilt kits, pre-decorated form, and built models...Completed versions in several more paint schemes are available from Easy Model (a part of Trumpeter too). 

Thanks. Sometimes tracking down the origin story of our kits is almost as much fun as building them. Along with their other links, those kits are another project of Squadron Models, the giant mail-order vendor that has been around forever.  It has put its brand on foreign kits since way back in the 1970s.

Squadron has always been creative.  Their "Encore Models" brand takes old but basically good aircraft kits and adds resin parts, photo-etch and other useful extras.  Their Encore re-work of the old Monogram 1/48 Cessna A-37 is really nice.

Then there's the Encore 1/32 scale kit of the Pfalz D.III from the movie "The Blue Max."  It comes with the usual extras, plus 2 figures from the movie.

https://www.squadron.com/1-32-Encore-Models-Blue-Max-Pfalz-EC32004-p/ec32004.htm

Edited April 4, 2020 by Mike999
goof

[Hard_2_Handle_454]

Looks great!  I'd love to have some of them in my collection.  My Mustang, P-40, Spitfire, and Corsair kits were all damaged by my step-mom and I never acquired new ones.  I have a few dies casts of said planes, but I love the models as well. 

[unclescott58]

Great stuff. Pre-decorated? I'm going to have to keep my open for them then. Paint camouflage, heck painting in general, can be such a pain. So I don't mind, in fact, I like it a lot, well, pre-painted kits.