[flyXwire]

Originally Posted by Raven

Sweet! Very tempting....must resist....

Huh, you ain't lyin'! I must admit the pre-war livery is very tempting to me too!

[skysurfer808]

They are both pretty nice. I see myself getting the 488 RNZAF one, as old the Matchbox kit was a fine memory for me growing up. I also made one as an early war USMC machine, complete with candy striped rudders and red dotted insignia. The VF-3 one is very tempting as well, as the history of that unit cannot be beat, and Jimmy Thach was at the helm during the Buffalo's service with that squadron. HM ought to do a VF-2 fighting Chiefs one, and a VMF-221 Midway version, they'd both be good liveries. I'd like those even more in 1/72.

Just one question, does anyone know the list price of these?

Skysurfer808

[fileasfog]

good question I was thinkng the same thing, everyone is excited at the new stuff HM is getting out, but what are the prices?

[Dan Flynn]

I'll wait until it comes out in 1/72 scale. Not sure but I think a 1/72 scale would sell at a 3 to 1 ratio to 1/48. Hobbymaster is making some great stuff. I'm just a little confused with so many scales with such a small product line. Armor and Aircraft.

[mustangdriver]

I gave up on sclaes a long time ago. If I like it, I buy it. That seems to work good for me.

[Hoverbug]

Originally Posted by Dan Flynn

I'll wait until it comes out in 1/72 scale. Not sure but I think a 1/72 scale would sell at a 3 to 1 ratio to 1/48. Hobbymaster is making some great stuff. I'm just a little confused with so many scales with such a small product line. Armor and Aircraft.

I think Hobbymaster and Carousel I will do well if they stick to relatively small aircraft in 1/48. A Buffalo or I-16 are microscopic at 1/72, but look nice in 1/48. Corgi and Carousel I will probably do far better with their WWI a/c in 1/48 than 1/72. On the other hand, I do not think they would be wise to follow Franklin Mint with modern fighters or WWII bombers. Eagles International and Carousel I have really shown the advantages of working in 1/48 to really brink out the details.

[mhackl]

All images posted are for the collector’s benefit and may not be reproduced for commercial use without the written consent of On Mark International, Inc. USA

HA7001NEW!
Brewster F2A-2 Buffalo 3-F-11
USN VF-3 USS Saratoga
A 1/48th Scale Diecast model from Hobby Master



Brewster's F2A had the USN Buffaloed
by Warren M Bodie (Flight Journal, Dec 2004)

IN 1810, LONG BEFORE THE AUTOMOBILE HAD BEEN invented, James Brewster started a company that built carts, wagons and coaches. The company eventually became Brewster Aeronautical, and in 1932, production was switched to aircraft floats and substructures. In April 1936, the company hired two designers and turned out a Navy monoplane scout bomber (XSBA-1) that was designed to USN specifications. The Naval Aircraft Factory stepped in to help develop and produce 30 aircraft (redesignated as "SBN-1"). In competition with Grumman Aircraft's new XF4F-1 biplane, Brewster won the contract for the first monoplane Navy carrier fighter-the Model B-139; Grumman soon followed with its own monoplane design-the XF4F-2, and Seversky's entry was the NF-1 spinoff of its Air Corps production P-35.

Brewster's prototype, known as the Navy XF2A-1, first flew in December 1937, and on June 11, 1938, the company won a production contract for 54 F2A-1s. The F2A-1's Wright XR-1820-22 radial engine produced 950hp for takeoff but only a pitiful 750hp at altitude. Its top speed was given as 301 mph, although the lighter XF2A-1 recorded a top speed of only 277mph. Concurrently, the Air Corps' Seversky P-35 could honestly claim only 285mph when powered by Pratt & Whitney's 950hp smaller-diameter R-1830-9 radial engine-go figure! Meanwhile, Grumman had serious problems with its XF4F-2; it needed more wing area, power, directional control, etc; major redesign efforts took considerable time and resulted in an August 1939 contract for 78 production F4F-3 fighters. By that time, it was very maneuverable and about 50mph faster than the excessively bulky Brewster F2A-1s.
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Switching to a more powerful, but heavier, F2A-2 version, BuAer eventually procured the F2A-2s (one is pictured here) for USN fleet service in early 1940. They were assigned to serve by Navy squadrons VF-2 and VF-3 aboard USS Lexington (CV-2) and USS Saratoga (CV-3). The Battle of Midway Island quickly resulted in the fighters' being withdrawn from duty with the fleet and from Marine Corps operational use.

[Waltz41]

Looks nice. I just can't afford another scale!!

[mustangdriver]

Hey Waltz, love the new avatar.

[Cardinal]

The Brewster Buffalo is like its namesake - a kinda ugly fella . Definitely not designed for aesthetics ...