Build reviews on Infinity SB2C?

[JohnB]

Looking at a build review on the "other" site it appears this will be a bear to build. Feeling a bit deflated. 😐

[harv]

Judging with what's been said over there, I wouldn't hold much to it. I've seen two done on FB that look amazing and no reported probs. ....harv

[JohnB]

50 minutes ago, harv said:

Judging with what's been said over there, I wouldn't hold much to it. I've seen two done on FB that look amazing and no reported probs. I have one in the stash....harv

Thanks Harv. After looking over the kit a bit more I have come to the same conclusion. So.....it's next up on the lineup! LOL

[harv]

Can't wait buddy....harv

[Clunkmeister]

John, I’m putting a review together right now.  I had one ready for Jim, but my Mac took a dump and now I’m on Word redoing the entire thing.  Tried to save it on my iPad, but it just doesn’t have the capability.  
so, hopefully this weekend. 
 

I will tell you this, though.  I think people are being a bit tough on the kit. I did the prerequisite trial tape together test, a d the fit is decent enough.   The kit builds up OOB into a ready for flight SB2C-4 with gun stowed, bomb bays closed, and wings extended. Building THAT way looks fairly straightforward.

Ill also say that the add-on kits are lifted directly out of the HPH resin Helldiver kit.   
Look, all I can say is that some of the other, more “dramatic” corners of the large scale blogosphere tend to thrive on hyperbole and big, neon flashing drama lights, and I’ve always tried to take that with a grain of salt.   I’ll 100% guarantee you that this kit is quite nicely done and will build up fine straight OOB.  The kit is the HPH Helldiver kit, simplified and re engineered for styrene.

The beauty is that they offer you kits to go as far as you wish to super feature the thing out, and there is plenty of space and  lank canvas there for those who wish to go all AMS on it. 

I hold out great hope for Infinity.  I nope they look at the most obvious of their current HPH kits and give us a really, really, REALLY nice L-39.   That kit, I expect will sell like proverbial hot cakes. I don’t thing there’s more than 2 or 3 countries in the entire world that doesn’t fly some version of the L-39, they’re literally everywhere.  Plus, it’s one drop dead sexy design. That kit would be a real money maker. 

[Bomber_County]

Thanks Ernie, haven’t been TOS but I can imagine……..John whatever you decide, if you do commit it will be a work of art….

[JohnB]

12 hours ago, Clunkmeister said:

John, I’m putting a review together right now.  I had one ready for Jim, but my Mac took a dump and now I’m on Word redoing the entire thing.  Tried to save it on my iPad, but it just doesn’t have the capability.  
so, hopefully this weekend. 
 

I will tell you this, though.  I think people are being a bit tough on the kit. I did the prerequisite trial tape together test, a d the fit is decent enough.   The kit builds up OOB into a ready for flight SB2C-4 with gun stowed, bomb bays closed, and wings extended. Building THAT way looks fairly straightforward.

Ill also say that the add-on kits are lifted directly out of the HPH resin Helldiver kit.   
Look, all I can say is that some of the other, more “dramatic” corners of the large scale blogosphere tend to thrive on hyperbole and big, neon flashing drama lights, and I’ve always tried to take that with a grain of salt.   I’ll 100% guarantee you that this kit is quite nicely done and will build up fine straight OOB.  The kit is the HPH Helldiver kit, simplified and re engineered for styrene.

The beauty is that they offer you kits to go as far as you wish to super feature the thing out, and there is plenty of space and  lank canvas there for those who wish to go all AMS on it. 

I hold out great hope for Infinity.  I nope they look at the most obvious of their current HPH kits and give us a really, really, REALLY nice L-39.   That kit, I expect will sell like proverbial hot cakes. I don’t thing there’s more than 2 or 3 countries in the entire world that doesn’t fly some version of the L-39, they’re literally everywhere.  Plus, it’s one drop dead sexy design. That kit would be a real money maker. 

Thank you Ernie! I very much appreciate your info. I've done a little test fitting and agree with you that it should go together okay. Just keep in mind it's a short run kit, etc. It's on my bench right now and I intend to get some of the prelim painting started today (interior, etc). Building it OOB is exactly the way I want to do it anyway with the exception of the dive flaps. They'll be closed but will be better than doing the tedious drilling out of all those holes. One thing I see that will need addressing is the crude pilot's seat. Not even close to the real thing.

[JohnB]

4 hours ago, Bomber_County said:

Thanks Ernie, haven’t been TOS but I can imagine……..John whatever you decide, if you do commit it will be a work of art….

Thanks Phil! 

[JohnB]

I'm about to decide to delay this build for a bit hoping some after-market folks will offer a really nicely detailed cockpit set. I'm just not enthused with the kit one, particularly the pilot's seat. If I don't wait then, after I'm done, someone will have the cockpit set, etc. So I think I'll back-burner this one and do something else.

[Clunkmeister]

12 hours ago, JohnB said:

Thank you Ernie! I very much appreciate your info. I've done a little test fitting and agree with you that it should go together okay. Just keep in mind it's a short run kit, etc. It's on my bench right now and I intend to get some of the prelim painting started today (interior, etc). Building it OOB is exactly the way I want to do it anyway with the exception of the dive flaps. They'll be closed but will be better than doing the tedious drilling out of all those holes. One thing I see that will need addressing is the crude pilot's seat. Not even close to the real thing.

Maybe grab one out of a Tamiya P-51?  They come with both seats anyway. 

[Clunkmeister]

The front office is one area where you can go to town.  The greenhouse is HUGE and details, or lack thereof, will show plainly. 

[Peterpools]

John

I've been on the fence on whether or not to buy the kit, as all the detail kits that Infinity offers with the kit, just has me feeling some of them should have been included. I'm basically an OOB guy and loves a good front office. The fact that you are unhappy with the office and hoping for an upgrade kit, isn't good news. I'm also a bit leery about the gear as G Factor is offering a Brass set and I am wondering how substantial the kit's gear actually is. I'm going to wait for Ernie's review as his thoughts on the kit building into an impressive OOB model. 

Keep 'em coin

Peter 

[JohnB]

11 hours ago, Clunkmeister said:

The front office is one area where you can go to town.  The greenhouse is HUGE and details, or lack thereof, will show plainly. 

Agreed and that is why I will delay building this one for a while.

[Bomber_County]

Another Corsair…..🤭?????

[JohnB]

1 hour ago, Peterpools said:

John

I've been on the fence on whether or not to buy the kit, as all the detail kits that Infinity offers with the kit, just has me feeling some of them should have been included. I'm basically an OOB guy and loves a good front office. The fact that you are unhappy with the office and hoping for an upgrade kit, isn't good news. I'm also a bit leery about the gear as G Factor is offering a Brass set and I am wondering how substantial the kit's gear actually is. I'm going to wait for Ernie's review as his thoughts on the kit building into an impressive OOB model. 

Keep 'em coin

Peter 

No sense in hurrying to build it just because it's new, etc. What is it they say? All things come to those who wait? Maybe so we will see. LOL

[JohnB]

2 minutes ago, Bomber_County said:

Another Corsair…..🤭?????

YES, another Corsair.

[Peterpools]

John

Absolutely agree

Keep 'em comin

Peter

[Wolf Buddee]

On 7/23/2021 at 3:10 PM, harv said:

Judging with what's been said over there, I wouldn't hold much to it. I've seen two done on FB that look amazing and no reported probs. ....harv

I don’t know Harv,

If you’re referring to Andy’s build of this kit on LSP, he’s quite an accomplished builder, he’s had to deal with a fair amount of ill fitting pieces and has resorted to scratch building and modifying parts just to make them useable. Just because nobody has reported problems doesn’t mean there aren’t any but I guess John will find out.

Cheers,                          
Wolf                                                            

[HubertB]

Agree with you, Wolf. Andy’s build shows an inordinate amount of fitting issues and design flaws.

On the other hand, HPH kits are notoriously the opposite of Tamiya when it comes to fitting and eas of build, and Infinity is just an injection-molded plastic version of HPH …

Don’t get me wrong. I am not an « HPH-basher ». HPH at least have the guts of going where Tamiya will never be spotted (which is why I have plenty of HPH kits, and only one Tamiya kit, in my stash  )

Hubert

 

[Clunkmeister]

I’m finishing up the review, y’all.  I’m just not real good with Microsoft Word.  My Mac finally bit the big one last month…

Funny with this kit, in so many ways, I just prefer the resin kit better. I find resin more adaptable, but with styrene, you have fewer options. 
I’m not sure on the wisdom of adapting a resin design to styrene, because you do lose some of that minute detail that makes resin so amazing. 
I’m thinking I may build one quickly, straight as issued, OOB on here, just to see how it goes together. 
My real want is a folded wing bird with the rear gun deployed and the bomb bay open.

I have the AM parts for that, so…

[Clunkmeister]

Just a bit of a peek.  Here’s the two fuselage sides, side by each. There is a distinctive LOSS of detail and depth with the styrene edition.

 

[Clunkmeister]

I’d say there is one weak spot, and one very weak spot in the kit. 
The engine, simply put, to me, looks almost devoid of detail.  It’s a pretty big disappointment to me.  A resin replacement will go a LONG way to help it there.  There are plenty of good, high quality super detailed resin Wright R2600s out there.  A quick look on eBay finds plenty from the various well known Eastern European AM companies.  

The flaps? Well, you have a lot of drilling ahead of you, or, better yet, build the PE parts, which are lifted right out of the resin kit.  Be warned though. The PE flaps has caused multiple modelers to go cross eyed and start mumbling to himself, me included. They are not for the faint of heart. 
 

This is not some shake and bake kit.  But it seems decent enough and should build up into a very respectable model of the Beast. 
 

[Clunkmeister]

And the cockpit is wide open for the detail hounds. There is plenty of room for improvement here, although the kit pit is serviceable enough for many, especially if the hood is slid shut. 
 

An Eduard, CMK, ResKit, or Aires cockpit will really make this thing pop.  Or,….. super detail the kit part yourself. 

[BlrwestSiR]

Thanks for the pics Ernie. You can definitely see the origins of the plastic kit from the resin one. The loss of depth for the interior details is certainly due to moulding limitations and what they can pull from a steel mould versus a silicon one. 

As for drilling all the dive flap holes, I think that's the airplane equivalent of assembling Model Kasten tracks for a Sherman. 

Carl

[Clunkmeister]

14 minutes ago, BlrwestSiR said:

Thanks for the pics Ernie. You can definitely see the origins of the plastic kit from the resin one. The loss of depth for the interior details is certainly due to moulding limitations and what they can pull from a steel mould versus a silicon one. 

As for drilling all the dive flap holes, I think that's the airplane equivalent of assembling Model Kasten tracks for a Sherman. 

Carl

Haha, I’m sure many will do so, Carl.   Me, I ain’t skeert. I’ll try the PE. LOL

As far as huge complaints about the kit, well we here complaints pretty much every time a highly anticipated short run or low pressure molded kit is released.  It’s just a fact of life.

I like HPH, and I like this kit. I think we had better be aware that they’re watching sales of this kit very closely. If sales don’t match the demand, then I think we can kiss the Val, A-20, Vampire, and L-39 goodbye b