Big Cutlass

All I can say is WOW !!! I have been patiently waiting (most of the time) ever since the rumors of this magnificent release began to circulate, but when the sturdily packed heavy box arrived, it was like Christmas morning in July. I have long known about Paul Fishers’ talents as a master pattern maker and craftsman, but this thing literally blew my mind. Again, the care in packing carefully with copious amounts of tissue is something we’ve come to expect in all the Fisher releases (kudos to Suzy, V.P. in charge of tissue!).

The attached pictures tell the story of just how this model is engineered. All parts are beautifully cast in cream colored resin, totally without flaws, pinholes or warps. As you can see, the hollow fuselage is a multipart arrangement that should present no problem in construction as long as one follows the documented photo and text instructions included. The wings and vertical fins are cast as solid pieces with all the items that “wiggle” (slats, flaps, allerons, rudders, etc.) are separated and can be positioned as the modeler desires. At this point, I’ll make a strong recommendation to blow the dust off Ginters’ Cutlass book in the “Famous Naval Fighters” Series. It will go a long way to taking any guesswork out of construction.

Also, as in past releases, this is a multi media kit that includes a well done brass photoetched sheet as well as lost wax casting for the main gear, mastered by Ernie Gee of G-Factor. Paul tells me that almost all the weight is placed on the main gear of this aircraft, requiring no additional nose weight to avoid “tail sitting”.

Moving along to the cockpit, all is superb here. An absolutely gorgeous bang seat and the instrument panel face detail are nothing short of exquisite. The canopy is clear cast resin, and can be positioned open or closed… (crystal clear, of course). Another “worthy of mention” item is the full depth afterburner chambers and intake ducts…compressor faces also. Further, four early style sparrow missiles with both rails and pylons are included in this beautifully manufactured kit.

Decals come printed on 4 sheets that include all stenciling and walkways, plus options for markings of four different aircraft:

• F7U-3, 139917, VA-116, NB/203
• F7U-3,129597, VA-212,G/210
• F7U-3, 129703, VX-4, XF/29
• F7U-3, 139871, VX-4, XF/23

And that folks, as they say about sums it up for now, except to say that I can’t wait to get my grubby mitts involved in the construction of this magnificent beastie! Many thanks to Paul and Suzy Fisher for the review sample.

Most highly recommended !