Vacform Canopies for Various Kits Review by mark Davies (Pavla, 1/72)

Vacform Canopies
for various kits

Pavla, 1/72 scale

S u m m ar y :
Catalogue Number:	V 72-89 Mitsubishi K 30 Ann (AZ Model) V 72-90 Vought F6U-1 Pirate (Admiral) V 72-91 Super Mystere (AZ Model) V 72-92 L-200 Morava (AZ Model) V 72-93 F-86A Sabre (Airfix) V 72-94 Aermacchi MB 339 (Italeri/Super Model)
Scale:	1/72
Contents & Media:	Vac-form Canopies (please see images for number of sections)
Price:	Available online from:
	Item No	Hannants	Modelimex
	V 72-89 (K 30 Ann) V 72-90 (F6U-1 Pirate)	£1.46 £1.46	€1.25 €1.25
	V 72-91 (Super Mystere) V 72-92 (L-200 Morava) V 72-93 (F-86A Sabre) V 72-94 (MB 339)	Not listed when this article was written, but no doubt will be in due course as the both are major Pavla stockists.
Review Type:	First Look
Advantages:	High quality production.
Disadvantages:	None apparent.
Conclusion:	Good quality canopies that should enhance their intended kits. The L-200 windows will need some very careful cutting and fit adjustment work, and this may be more than some will want or be able to do. But despite this one caution, all six are recommended.

Reviewed by Mark Davies

HyperScale is proudly sponsored by Squadron.com

Introduction

Pavla offers an extensive range of canopies supplied as individual packages rather than in sets like Falcon does (although individual canopies under Squadron’s Crystal Clear brand are made by Falcon). Single-subject packaging has an obvious economic attraction when modelling individual subjects. Pavla are also often very quick to respond to new kit releases, especially if they are of Czech origin.

FirstLook

The six canopies reviewed here each come in a plastic bag with card header and are produced to Pavla’s usual high standard*. I was pleased to see that three are moulded closed, whilst the MB.339 and F-86 canopies are two-piece offerings, and the L-200 is a special case. My view is that if I want an open canopy it’s easy enough to cut a vac-form replacement to give this result. However it is far less easy to satisfactorily join two or more vac-form canopy parts neatly when a closed canopy is desired. But this is a small gripe, and one that not everybody would agree with.

* The F6U-1 canopy image looks as if it has a crease, but this is the reflection of a circular fluorescent lamp.

Thumbnail panels:

The L-200 canopy supplies six individual clear panels to replace the six styrene kit parts. At first I thought that the vac-form replacement was intended to be used as a single piece, fitting under the kit’s cabin roof in the manner that clear windows are represented on many diecast car models. However once I compared Pavla’s vac-form to the kit fuselage I realised that the side windows were moulded on too much of an angle to fit this way. The intention is for the clear parts to be cut out individually and fitted in the manner of the original kit parts. Potentially this could look very good, but six windows with curved edges are going to require a lot of careful adjustment. I’ve no doubt that this can be done, but I can also envisage some vac-form canopy fans shying away from this one and stickling with the kit’s clear styrene parts.

Conclusion

I own five of the intended kits and am familiar with the sixth. In each case the replacement canopy offers all of the expected improvements over the kit items, although I think that the L-200 will require some careful work to get six good fits. I happily recommend all of them, but with a cautionary note regarding the L-200.

Thanks to Pavla Models for the review samples.

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Introduction

FirstLook

Conclusion

Review Text & Images Copyright © 2012 by Mark Davies Page Created 4 April, 2012 Last updated 4 April, 2012

Review Text & Images Copyright © 2012 by Mark Davies
Page Created 4 April, 2012
Last updated 4 April, 2012