AMX-T/1B
Two-Seater Trainer

Kinetic, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Mick Evans

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The AMX-T is a twin seat, high performance, transonic trainer specifically developed for advanced and Lead in fighter training.  It maintained the light attack capability of the single seat aircraft.

This release from Kinetic depicts an injection moulded kit of the AMX-T two seat trainer as a follow on from  their earlier AMX single seat fighter that was developed by Aeritalia-Aeromacchi of Italy and Embraer of Brazil as a joint venture.

Kinetic’s 1/48 scale kit represents an AMX and A1-A.

The kit contains more than180 light grey injection moulded parts, 15 etched metal and 13 clear parts. 

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Thumbnail panels:

Compared to the single-seater AMX reviewed back in June, this kit includes two fuselage halves and a twin seat cockpit

The twin seat fuselage is constructed from two main parts for each half, including two diferent nose options. 

Kinetic has refined the rear fuselage rivet area which I think was a bit too bold and overdone on the single seater.  The new rear fuselage detail is subtle and matches the walk-around photographic detail that I have viewed. Kinetic seem to improve with every kit they produce. 

The intakes have full intake ducting back to the engine compressor face and this is a big plus.  The intakes look to be a tricky assembly which will require time and patience as the two intake halves need to be assembled within the fuselage halves before the fuselage halves are assembled.

The cockpit looks very busy with the detail supplied. 

The cockpit builds from 13 parts with alternate instrument panels and shrouds to match either the A1-A or AMX.  The ejection seats also have great detail, being made up from 6 parts each including etched metal harness assembly.

The wings are a complex assembly with panel detail that looks great and correct.  Separate leading edge flaps are provided and can be positioned in the up or down positions.  Also included are separate ailerons and trailing edge flaps which include a complex flap vane assembly.

Separate elevators and rudder are also supplied and makes it easy for the modeller to display these in the displaced position.

The wheel wells look good with sufficient detail in the nose wheel well and excellent detail in the main wheel well. 

Wheels are provided in typical Kinetic style of separate wheel hubs sandwiched between two tyre halves.

The transparencies are crystal clear and well moulded and the canopy is broken into two parts to allow the canopies to be positioned in the open position.

Ordnance

The stores supplied for this kit are the same as the single seat fighter and are detailed as follows:

• 2 x 580 lt underwing fuel tanks

• 2 x 1100 lt underwing fuel tanks

• 2 x AIM 9L Sidewinder Missiles

• 2 x AIM 9X Sidewinder Missiles

• 4 x AMRAAM

• 2 x MK-20 Rockeye cluster bombs

• 2 x GBU-12 Laser guided 500lb bomb

• 2 500lb bombs

• 1 x centreline reconnaissance pod

Not all weapons are used.

Markings

There are three schemes provided as follows:

• Aeritalia-Aeromacchi Embraer A1-B of 1/16 Grupo de aviacao-esq. Adelphi based at Rio de Janerio Brasil in 2008.  The aircraft is finished in Light Blue Grey FS24093 and Dark Blue Grey FS26187 overall camouflage.

• Aeritalia-Aeromacchi Embraer AMX-T of 32 Stormo, 101 Grupo based in Italy in 2001. This aircraft is finished in overall Sky Grey FS26280 with colourful tail decoration.

• Aeritalia-Aeromacchi Embraer AMX of 51 Stormo – 132 Gruppo Caccio Bombardleri Ricognitori based at Treviso Istrana in 2007. This aircraft is finished in overall Sky Grey FS26280.

Decals are in register and colour looks good. They are printed by Cartograf.

This is another excellent kit and a big kudos to Kinetic for this release.  The package allows the modeller to build both dual seat versions of both the AMX-T and A1-B.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Lucky Model for the samples

Review Text Copyright © 2015 by Mick Evans
Images Copyright © 2015 by Brett Green
Page Created 9 December, 2015
Last updated 9 December, 2015

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