Airborne Lifeboat
for Lockheed Hudson

Red Roo Models, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Mark J. Davies

The Lockheed Hudson is in my view an interesting and deserving subject. For decades all we had was the very old and barely adequate Airfix kit in “The One True Scale”. In 2006 MPM rescued us with a far superior offering, albeit a bit tricky to build, covering several marks. It has been re-boxed by Revell, Italeri, and Classic Plane, and is generally readily available for very reasonable prices.

The Hudson was one type equipped with an air-droppable lifeboat, something rarely offered in kit form (Academy’s SB-17G Flying Fortress and Contrail’s Warwick are the only two kits I can think of with this feature included). Having recently built an SB-17G I can advise that a lifeboat adds real interest to model and makes for something quite different in one’s display cabinet.

The Lifeboat Set

This simple set comes a sturdy top-opening box with Red Roo’s typically thorough and informative instructions. These provide a background to the lifeboat along with photos of the real thing.

Mention is made of the set being for either the Special Hobby Hudson (sic) and its Italeri re-issue, or the old Airfix kit. Perhaps a small point, but to date I have yet to see the Hudson in a Special Hobby branded box even though Special Hobby and MPM are brands from the same stable, and Special Hobby is now the only brand used for new releases.

The only part provided is a vac-form hull shape in white styrene. This requires removal from its backing sheet which is easily done in a couple of minutes. The only other items are several small sheets of waterslide decals protected by a zip-lock plastic bag,

Construction notes are provided and mention is made of any aircraft modifications required, or parts to be used, for specific aircraft the set provides markings for. For example, the RNZAF Hudson has Yagi radar antennae and no turret, so the antennae and turret blank will need to be scratch-built. Also requiring scratch-building are various details concerning the lifeboat. These include a rocket projector and drogue and the two holes in the bow where these are stowed, the seal between the lifeboat and fuselage, and grab-rails on the hull’s underside. The two small propellers visible in photos need not be made as these were retractable. I can imagine that some would be happy with just the lifeboat stuck under their Hudson’s fuselage and forgo adding the simple details mentioned.

Colour notes are provided for the three aircraft featured, these being RAF Costal Command, RAAF, and RNZAF machines. Decals covering unit codes and serial numbers for these are provided, with the modeller needing to supply national insignia. Detailed instructions concerning the decals are given, including the advice that they are continuous print and therefore the modeller must determine where to cut around them as there is no border to the carrier film.
References and research help acknowledgments complete the instructions.

This is a well-researched package that enables an interesting Hudson variant to be built. Some scratch-building is needed for a detailed representation, whilst possibly some will be content with just the lifeboats hull.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Red Roo Models for the sample

Review and Images Copyright © 2020 by Mark J Davies
Page Created 13 December, 2020
Last updated 13 December, 2020

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