This first model kit offering from Tarangus.
It is exciting to see a SAAB A32A Lansen model
kit in 1/48 scale from this new manufacturer.
History
During the Cold War Sweden was
facing off against the Soviet Union, so their air force was focused to
repelling Soviet aircraft entering their air space.
The A 32A replaced the last piston-powered SAAB B 18 bomber. The
A 32 ("A" stands for attacka dn Lansen translates to Lance) had an armament of four 20 mm Bofors m/49 cannon hidden under flaps in the nose.
The Lansen also carried the Rb 04C anti-ship missile, one of the earliest of its type in western
service as Sweden is a coastal country. The Lansen normally was fitted with two missiles but it could also carry an additional missile.
The Lansen was
well regarded by it's pilots and two still remain operational for taking
high altitude air samples
for research purposes in collaboration with the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority.
And during the recent volcanic eruption in April and May 2010 that shut down
airports in Northern Europe, one of Sweden's Lansens was used to collect ash
samples. The Lansen was removed from operational service in the
1990's.
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This is a limited run kit from a
small manufacturer, so it is not of the same quality as Tamiya.
Having said that the detail
is good with recessed panel lines and well done detail throughout the
airframe. It comes with 2 resin seats which are nicely detail and only
needs the addition of seat belts or possibly a pilot figure to complete the
cockpit.
The canopy comes in 2 parts to permit you to have the canopy open. The
cockpit detail is a tiny bit soft and I think it is fair to say the
aftermarket companies are busy making detail sets for those people that want
to take their Lansen to a higher level of detail. But considering the
resin seats are well detailed and they take up the bulk of the cockpits,
this kit would build up quite nicely out of the box. It really depends
on what you are after in this hobby.
The canopy comes in 2 parts
which is perfect for having an open canopy, so that will suit the modelers
that decide to dress up the cockpit with additional detailing.
The model comes with 12 pylons....think of the Skyraider and you get an idea
of the huge number of pylons. No weapons are included, but Maestro
Models has an ever growing selection of weapons used by the Swedish Air
Force so I suspect you could buy some finely crafted resin weapons from
them.
Markings
I don't know what is is but I
love aircraft wearing the triple crown Swedish markings. This kit
includes markings for 2 different aircraft including :
- SAAB A32A Lansen 32070 in
olive green with natural metal undersides. This aircraft is based at
F7 Sltenas Historical wing.
- SAAB A32A Lansen 32177, 29-F15
Soderhamn in 68 Squares from the autumn maneuver of 1968. This
aircraft is olive green with natural metal undersides and checkerboard
squares on the tail which give this aircraft a very striking appearance.
Additional markings can be
found of the recently released SAAB A32A
Lansen decal sheet from Maestro
Models.
The 10 page instruction
booklet is on glossy paper and full of well drawn ling drawings.
For paint, the instructions list the
Paint code
numbers for
FS#, Humbrol,
Tamiya, Gunze Sangyo,
but the main colours are Olive
Green and natural metal, so
you can use pretty well any line of paints that you prefer.
I'm pleased to see this new
release from Tarangus,
all too often Swedish aircraft are overlooking in favour of the more
numerous and better known aircraft. So seeing this 1/48 Lansen model
kit is sure to bring some smiles to modellers with a passion for Swedish
aircraft. And let's face it....who can't help but like Swedish
aircraft with their unique and very attractive designs.
A list of retailers that carry
this model kit can be found on the Tarangus
website.
I would like to
thank Tarangus
for
providing me with this product sample.
Steve
Bamford
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