Israeli Aircraft Industries
Kfir TC2

Wingman Models, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Mick Evans

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The model world had been waiting a long time for a decent kit of the Kfir in 1/48 and now we have a plethora of them.  You can now build almost all versions of the Kfir with this latest release of the two seat version of the Kfir TC2 training aircraft.  Wingman Models has also released the photo reconnaissance version.  Previously I do not believe that any manufacturer has released a two seat version of the Kfir with modellers needing to perform extensive scratch building to create the two seat version.

This new release from Wingman Models contains a complete kit of the very nice Kinetic Models Kfir to which they have added some very nice resin conversion parts to convert the Kinetic single seat kit to the two-seat version and also to really enhance the already very nice kit.

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Thumbnail panels:

As I reviewed the standard Kinetic Kfir kit a few months ago, this link will take you to that review.  

Resin upgrade details include:

• Full upper forward fuselage with integrated twin cockpit tub with extensive detail to the side walls and consoles

• Lower fuselage half with excellently detailed nose wheel well

• Kfir TC2 nose cone

• New fuselage spine

• Control sticks

• Separate highly detailed instrument panels for both the front and rear cockpits

• Martin Baker Mk.10 ejection seats

• Engine exhaust nozzle

• Nose wheel and main wheels

• 110 Gallon Israeli jettison able supersonic tanks with etched metal fins

Etched metal parts are provided for the ejection seat handles, seat bucket sides, fin antennas and canopy mirrors.

A turned brass pitot and nose cone tip are also included.

The cockpit areas are superb, with an amazing amount of detail and along with the instrument panels and seats is just short of brilliant.

The engine exhaust nozzle contains an amazing amount of internal detail that can only be captured in resin.  The individual nozzle flaps are picked out as is the inner mounting ring.

The main wheels portray the heavy duty braking units in superb detail and once again are a major improvement over the kit moulded main wheels which in themselves are quite detailed. A nice touch from wingman is the inclusion of laser cut vinyl masks for the wheels when painting.

The final upgrade inclusion is laser cut vinyl masks for the canopy and windscreen to allow for accurate painting of the transparencies.

The only thing that I think will put some people off this kit is the inclusion of two vacuum formed canopies to cover the requirement of the two seat canopy. 

This makes sense for Wingman with this multi-media limited run kit.  To include an injection moulded canopy would have required extensive mould making and this is something Wingman seem not to do rather opting to include the Kinetic kits and upgrading or converting these with multi-media parts that do not include injection moulding.

My only question with this kit is the lack of all the weapons pylons that are included in the original Kinetic kit and some of the weapons.  While the Kfir TC2 is primarily a training aircraft the aircraft is often seen with differing configurations of auxiliary fuel drop tanks and outer missile pylons.  The version is also quite often seen with rocket bay and gun bay fuselage pylons.  My understanding is the training aircraft are almost as capable as the single seater version and most definitely would carry a wide range of weapons in the training role.  Those modellers who have purchased any of the Kinetic or Wingman single seat versions will have more than enough parts to configure the aircraft anyway they like.

Markings

There are 8 schemes provided by Wingman for this kit with the decals printed by Cartograf and the decals designed by IsraCast Studio.

The markings supplied are as follows:

• Kfir TC2, 305, Arava Guardians Sqn, Hatzor AB, 1993

• Kfir TC2, 306, First Fighter Sqn, Hatzor AB, 1983

• Kfir TC2, 308, First Fighter Sqn, Hatzor AB, 1986

• Kfir TC2, 301, Valley Sqn, Ramat-David AB, 1992

• Kfir TC2, 309, Hornet Sqn, Hatzor AB, 1984

• Kfir TC2, 303, Arava Guardians Sqn, Ovda AB, 1982

• Kfir TC2, 303, Smashing Parrot Sqn, Hatzor AB, 1990

• Kfir TC2, 301, Arava Guardians Sqn, Hatzor AB, 1994.

This is a superb kit of the Kfir TC2.  There is nothing that I can really criticise with this kit but the vacuum formed canopy will not appeal to some modellers.  I have already built two Kinetic Kfir kits and they went together in a breeze with no fit issues at all.  This kit will require some kit surgery to remove the original plastic single seat nose to allow the new resin twin seat nose to be installed.

A big kudos to Wingman Models for this excellent kit.

Highly recommended for modellers with a level of experience in resin conversions

Highly recommended

Thanks to Wingman Models for the sample

Review Text Copyright © 2015 by Mick Evans
Images Copyright © 2015 by Brett Green
Page Created 2 February, 2015
Last updated 3 February, 2015

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