Lion Roar 1/700 IJN Carrier Based Aircraft (early war)

KIT #: L 70002
PRICE: $
DECALS: Enough options for all the aircraft
REVIEWER: Scott Van Aken
NOTES: Six each of early war IJN aircraft

Because of the nature of this set, I'm not sure if it is a kit or a detail set, but I'll consider it a detail set for the time being.

This is Lion Roar's first foray into doing 1/700 aircraft and they have picked a good place to start with early Pacific War Japanese Naval aircraft. This set includes six each of the more common types found in the first year of the war; the A6M Zero, D3A Val, and B5N Kate.

Each aircraft is in parts with the fuselage and tailplanes as one piece, the wings as another and the prop spinner as a third. For the Val, it also has landing gear legs and the Kate includes a torpedo.

Different from other aircraft sets, this one has Lion Roar's great photo etch. This stuff does not need to be cut from the fret as that has already been etched away. There is a slightly sticky front and rear plastic sheet to hold things in place until you need them.

For the Zero and Kate, the main landing gear includes a section that fits into the wheel well, making it so much easier to install. A second tiny tire is included to flesh things out. All three planes have etched props that need to be placed on the plastic spinner before attaching to the airframe.

Lion Roar has also included a superb decal sheet which includes not only the roundels, but also the fuselage bands. An Optivisor or other magnifying device will be needed for doing these for sure.

The results should be spectacular and really enhance any of the early war 1/700 Japanese carriers you are building.

My thanks to www.dragonmodelsusa.com for the review set. Get yours today at your local shop or on-line vendor.

November 2008

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