HOBBYCRAFT 1/48 CUB / BEAVER / OTTER KIT TABLE

Last update:  2 November 2005

Hi, I’m Tony Hodun, and this is my table of Hobbycraft 1/48 Piper Cub, DHC-2 Beaver, and DHC-3 Otter aircraft kit listings.  I’ve developed this to aid you as a modeler or collector in finding the kit to build the version you want or to fill the gaps in your collection. Hobbycraft is one of few model manufacturers willing to produce liason/utility type aircraft such as these.  They may be less glamorous than fighter aircraft but serve an equally important function.

I’ve chosen to go into the decal versions included with these kits as some are usable, and some are not.  If it says new decals they will be nice artwork on thin film that works well.  If it says old decals, it is an original issue kit which had poor quality decals (both film and artwork).  Newer production runs of the original boxings (listed with older decals) may have new thinner film decal, but the same old artwork, so beware.  Max Decals produces aftermarket decal sets for the Beaver and Otter (see the reviews elsewhere on M2), as do several Canadian firms; the only correct Cub set I am aware of is a long out of print Propagteam set.

HOBBYCRAFT 1/48 PIPER J-3/L-4 CUB KITS

Hobbycraft made an interesting choice of Piper Cub versions to produce.  This kit correctly represents a civil J-3C Cub with a Continental engine with exhausts mounted on the bottom of the cylinders (there are multiple J-3C versions with different engines or exhaust arrangements).  Eight of these were loaned to the U.S. Army and were evaluated during the 1941 war games.  The Army then ordered four externally identical military versions as YO-59s, followed by 140 production O-59s, which later were redesignated as the L-4 (no letter suffix).  The Navy ordered 230 identical J3C Cubs as the NE-1 version; these came right off the civil production line in standard Cub yellow.  The J3C Cub does not have the large area of clear windows in the roof, so it does not correctly cover the thousands of later L-4 Cub versions used so widely during World War II and afterward (L-4A/B/H/J).  The biggest challenge to building this kit will be working with the clear fuselage halves, both in masking for painting inside and outside, and in filling the seams.

Reference: Piper Cubs by Peter M. Bowers, C 1993, TAB Books

The J-3/L-4 Cub parts trees are as follows:

HOBBYCRAFT 1/48 PIPER J-3/L-4 CUB KITS

All three kits are identical in parts makeup.  1455 is the best source for quality J-3/O-59/L-4 decals of any kind.

NEED INFO: None.

HOBBYCRAFT 1/48 DHC-2 BEAVER KITS

The Hobbycraft DHC-2 Beaver is the only injection molded kit of this important aircraft in 1/48 scale. The biggest challenge to building this kit will be working with the clear fuselage halves, both in masking for painting inside and outside, and in filling the seams.   The DHC-2 Beaver parts trees are as follows:

HOBBYCRAFT 1/48 DHC-2 BEAVER KITS

1674 includes floats only, and 1675 includes wheels and skis only.

NEED INFO: None.

HOBBYCRAFT 1/48 DHC-3 OTTER KITS

The Hobbycraft DHC-3 Otter is the only injection molded kit of this large single-engined aircraft in 1/48 scale. 

HOBBYCRAFT 1/48 DHC-3 OTTER KITS

1655 includes floats only, 1656 includes wheels and skis only, and 1657 includes wheels, skis, and floats.

NEED INFO: None.

The end!