[PappyB]

Disclaimer: I do not presume to be able to expertly judge the accuracy, or lack thereof of this (or any other) model. My opinions are based solely on the model itself, and how well made it is. Also, this -- and all of my reviews -- are based only on final retail samples: This is exactly what you will get from stores very soon -- later this month I believe.

I am posting this entire review here, rather than my site, along with all the pics as I want to get this info to you as fast as possible for this model as I know there is quite a bit of interest in it.

Review: Hobby Master HA7201 Grumman F9F Panther



Once again HM steps up and delivers a model no one else has, this time an F9F Panther in 1:48 scale. To my knowledge, this is the only diecast Panther available in any scale, but there may be one in 1:100 or 1:144 out there that has escaped my radar.

The “Paper Doll” is the first of a series of Panthers HM is slated to issue during the next year or so. As such, it comes with its share of “bugs”, which is not uncommon for the first release of a new mold from any maker. Thankfully, HM is generally more attentive to fixing issues with each subsequent release of new paints. However, it generally takes three releases or so until things get ironed out.

First, the good news: It’s a diecast 1:48 scale Panther! Whoop! Plenty of folks have been waiting for one of these for some time. It’s a relatively obscure jet for the mainstream crowd; however, this little jet bore the brunt of the workload at the start of the Korean War. Thus, this model fills a hole in many collectors’ display cases.
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Overall, the model is very well made with virtually zero visible gaps/seams/join lines in the mold, which HM should be commended for. The only place it gets a bit clumsy in this area is around the engine intakes, which are also devoid of any interior detail themselves. The paint is also very well applied with no evidence of overspray or other common gaffs on my model, which is a final retail release and should represent exactly what you will see available in stores later this month. The decals are all pad-printed and are also very well done—there are plenty of small decals that other makers (such as Franklin Mint) tend to leave out, and even these are easily legible.

I’m told the paint finish should have a glossy treatment. There is sheen to the paint, but I wouldn’t exactly call it glossy so I’m not sure if this is correct. The shade of blue looks right however, which should be a relief – as this was wrong, I believe, in the pre-pro pics.

This model is shipping without any of HM’s customary black panel wash, which some people will like and others will not. (HM appears to be trying a number of different wash strategies with different models and seeing how people react to them.) Since the base paint is so dark with this model perhaps HM figured a wash would have little noticeable effect and thus, it was left off. Therefore, the model has a “fresh from the factory” look. I prefer the gritty “used” look a wash implies but I don’t really feel very strongly one way or the other. I kind of like the variation, but I do understand the other side of the fence, too.

I’m not going to get into any errors with the model in regard to accuracy versus the real deal; I will leave that to folks that are more knowledgeable about the airframe than I. That said; to me the overall profile and features of the model appear to be in line with photos/profiles I’ve seen. I feel fairly confident to at least say “it’s in the ballpark” for accuracy. That is collectors that want a good general representation of the aircraft for their collection will likely be satisfied with what they get.

The model comes with a host of working features: sliding canopy, retracting gear, moving flaps, retractable tail hook, working speed brakes, and…wait for it...folding wings! This has been the source of great debate since the first pre-pro shots of this model appeared online. The mechanism used to fold the wings, unfortunately, comes with the tradeoff of some pretty ugly gaps that are magnified compared to the real deal, and the hinges are quite visible, too. The interior of the wings, where the folding mechanism on the real plane was located, is also pretty sparsely detailed. To some, this gives the model more of a toy-like appearance—as opposed to a “model” look. I tend to agree with this. However, I also like the flexibility of being able to display it with wings folded, too. If you leave it in this configuration, much of the drawbacks are obscured. However, the sparse interior detail of the wings is exposed.

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The biggest issue, however, with the folding wings is that the first time I folded them a small bit of paint was stripped off the leading hinges in each wing (there are two hinges per wing), exposing the bare metal underneath, and I think this will be a QA issue for HM to deal with going forward. Perhaps my model is more prone to this issue as I got it fresh off the assembly line. I hope so. If you do get this model, open the wings gently and be sure not to bend them too far, which could have been what caused my problem. The wings don’t stop where they should on their own, at least looking at pictures of the real airplane. It’s up to you to make them look right. I think HM should have incorporated a stop mechanism into the way the wings fold to avoid this issue. If the real wings folded past the vertical, and I’m wrong, let me know. Most pics I’ve seen has them at like a 70 degree angle or so.

The cockpit detail is better than most other HM models I’ve seen. That said, I’d like to see some color incorporated into the instrument panels, which consist solely of white dials. The canopy is also quite hard to slide, and mine had a bunch of “gunk” all over the inside of it, too. It was relatively simple to clean up, thankfully.

The rockets come attached, and are not removable. The bombs, however, are optional. A pilot figure is not included, which is a bummer, as you do get an in-flight display stand. Always looks odd to me to display a model like this without a pilot…(HM does include a small wire tool to help with lowering the gear, however.) There is also a small antenna to attach on the belly of the model, and a ladder for displaying the model parked with the canopy open (I may have installed this wrong in some of my photos, so that’s my bad, if so, not HM’s.) There are three holes in the bottem of the model that are used to secure it on the three-pronged stand. "Elmer Plugs" are included to hide them. However, these plugs are a bit clumsy -- they don't fit flush and I can only guess this is to make them easy to remove.

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In the “I don’t know what the deal is” category: Closed gear door parts are included for the in-flight display option for both the nose wheel and the main gear. A single mold door clips onto a beam in the gear well to cover both of the main gear struts. This piece fits rather poorly and some sanding and filing is probably required to get it to sit right. However, there is not a part included that would show what these doors would look like open, when the gear is deployed. I’m unsure if this is correct, or if there should indeed be such a part. Perhaps someone can let me know. I suppose it is possible that the doors go back to the closed position once the gear is down, but I honestly do not know.

This is not a limited edition model so you do not get a collector’s card (boo!). And the packaging is pretty plain, too. You get the standard flimsy cardboard construction to the outer box (no flap on this one, though). The model is secured in styrofoam – without lockdown screws! (Hooray for that!). The display stand’s main support is metal, which keeps the wobbling to a minimum, too.

Overall, I think this is a very solid first effort for HM with this challenging model, which also carries an aggressive price point of just $60 – a very reasonable sum when you consider what you get for a much higher MSRP from FM, for example. I don’t see what HM can do about the wing-fold issues going forward without retooling, which is probably too expensive to expect. The other niggles will likely get addressed, however.

Rating: 3. 5 out of 5

Recommended.

Note: I will post more pics on my site tomorrow. Until then you can view all of them in this slideshow:


Steve's Photo Site

or the static shots at:

Steve's Photo Site (these may be viewd in full-screen high-res)

Enjoy.

[Epapazian]

Thanks for another helpful and objective review, Pappy. I'm glad I held off in this one. The continuing lack of a pilot figure really bugs me. Also, the folding wings bit is, in my opinion, more of a problem than a plus, although I am sure that others will feel differently about this particular aspect.

By the way, Model Power did a Panther in approximately 1:100 scale. I happen to have one and it's not bad for a MP product, although it's not in the same league with HM's new rendition, of course.

[mustangdriver]

Thanks Pappy, I have both on preorder and I am happy with what I see.

[lanslide]

Thanks Pappy! I have waited a loooooooooong time for a Panther and I like this release. The blue looks really good to me (high gloss might look too new and toy-like). The canopy is a little off in regards to the correct shape but it is close enough. I can live with all the other minor imperfections. It looks great and I'm glad I pre-ordered it! I want a fighter and not the next recon bird with odd looking "hooks" on the wing tip tanks.

[STARMAN 352ND]

I like this better then the pre-pros...
I Like all the pictures you post on your link ...It really shows how this Panther is made..
I'll pass on this one the folding wing gap bugs me a little..Looks to toy like to me.
Maybe HM will make a non-Folding wing Panther down the road.

JP

[Elmer]

Thanks for the review, Pappy. The slide show, as always, is terrific--and very entertaining.

For those of you who have waited a long time for this model: enjoy! I hope it meets or exceeds your expectations.

As for me, too many issues I see with this model, not the least of which is the folding wings with the huge gap/misfit and hinges. I hope this is an experiment HM will not repeat on other 1:48 navy birds. The seam line coming into the intake is, well... ugly, and I just can't stomach that blanked off intake. I was also quite shocked to see all the screw heads. Nice to know they come with plugs, but it sounds like the plugs really do not work that well. Looks like there are screw heads in the gear wells that can't be plugged.

I think HM is trying to do too much... retractable gear, folding wings, positionable flaps (although I like this feature), sliding canopy (that looks like it is not fitting tight -- similar issue with my JEJ Spit). I wish they would just produce a nicely detailed "static" display piece -- no folding wings, interchangeable gear (up or down), and engineer/design it without screw head issues. The issues are a "deal killer" for me. This is disappointing, because I wanted this in 1:48... but not bad enough to live with the irritation that all the issues present. Please bring on the next 1:48 mold, and... HM, just make it "simply" detailed. Really, I don't play with my models this much.

[SKUNKY]

What Elmer said....

It's too bad...I really would have liked to have a Panther, but this one definitely won't do. People already think I like to collect toy airplanes. This would remove all doubt.

[lanslide]

Originally Posted by SKUNKY

What Elmer said....

It's too bad...I really would have liked to have a Panther, but this one definitely won't do. People already think I like to collect toy airplanes. This would remove all doubt.

Oh come on! It's better than that! I doubt it will ever be done again so this is it.

[SKUNKY]

I can't do it, 'slide....just can't handle those 'Hubley Toy' wings!....Maybe someday CW will do it...

[Epapazian]

If HM insists on experimenting with folding wings , raised wing flaps, etc. I wish they would do so on an existing model which has already found many satisfied customers in its conventional mode---like the F6F--rather than taking a brand new mold for an interesting and rarely done plane like the Panther and mucking it up. Experiments are best conducted via carefully controlled research studies, not by random changes in a company's basic product line.