Luftwaffe Anniversary
Alpha Jet A

Kinetic, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Mick Evans

The Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet is a light attack jet and advanced trainer aircraft co-manufactured by Dornier of Germany and Dassault-Breguet of France. Adopted by many air forces worldwide, the Alpha Jet continues to be widely used even after its useful service life was over for its primary operators, France and Germany.

The French Air Force decided to use the Alpha Jet primarily as a trainer, while the Luftwaffe used the type mainly in the light strike role, preferring to continue flight training in the south-western United States on American trainer types instead of performing training in Germany, although Germany also used Alpha Jets based at Beja, Portugal for weapons training.*

Other operators included Belgium, Cameroon, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Portugal, Qatar, Thailand, Togo, and private contractor companies in Canada and the United Kingdom.

The Alpha Jet was considered by the RAAF as a replacement for the Macchi 326 trainer aircraft that were due to retire in 1994, but it lost out to the BAE Systems Hawk Mk 127.

Until the release of this kit, the modeller's only choice for a 1/48 scale injection moulded Alpha Jet was the old and now rare Esci Alpha Jet. The Esci kit was very basic and bare on detail, which was typical of Esci at that time but at least it had the shape of the Alpha Jet.

The only other Alpha Jet in ths scale was the very nice resin kit from PJ Production, now long unavailable. 

Kinetic first released their 1:48 scale Alpha Jet in 2013, and it is now making a return with a colourful new Luftwaffe anniversary scheme.

Kinetic’s 1:48 scale Alpha Jet comprises more than 172 medium grey coloured injection moulded parts, 20 clear parts and 7 etched metal parts.  The fuselage is constructed from three main parts to which are added the nose cone, wings, intakes, and fin.  The intakes have full intake ducting back to the engine compressor face. This is a big plus.

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Thumbnail panels:

While surface textures are not as fine as their latest releases, the panels lines and rows of recessed rivets on Kinetic's Alpha Jet still look good. 

The wings are spot on. The anhedral looks correct, while wing panel detail is great and correct.  Separate flaps are provided and can be positioned in the up or down positions.

The wheel wells look good but they are missing all the hydraulic pipework that is evident in the real thing. 

A major plus point is the speed brake bays.  Separate speed brakes have been provided and this should be greatly applauded as they may be positioned either open or closed.

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

The cockpit has sufficient detail with nicely detailed Martin Baker Mk.10 ejection seats and instrument panels with photo-etched harness assemblies being provided.

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

Alternate nose cones are also provided for the A or E version, as are alternate in-fill panels, antennae and fuselage scoops for both the French and German versions of the aircraft.

The stores supplied for this kit are as follows:

• 4 underwing fuel tanks

• Centreline small gun pod

• Centreline large gun pod for German Alpha Jet A

The kit represents a late Alpha Jet A and E fitted with the Martin Baker Mk.10 seat. It does not contain the early Stencel seat so the modeller cannot build a German Alpha Jet A or Belgium Alpha Jet B or any other early version but according to Kinetic this kit will be released by another company with resin parts to depict an early Alpha Jet.

Markings

Decals for a single colourful Alpha Jet A are provided:

The decals are designed by House of Phantoms and perfectly printed by Cartograf. They are glossy and in register.

This will be a very striking finish for your Alpha Jet A!

Big kudos to Kinetic - this is another excellent kit. Kinetic's Alpha Jet may be built as either a late A or a late E type. Detail is very good and surface detail is very nice.

Thanks to Lucky Model for the sample

* Historical summary courtesy of Wikipedia

Text Copyright © 2013 and 2020 by Mick Evans
Images Copyright © 2020 by Brett Green
Page Created 16 November, 2020
Last updated 17 November, 2020

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