Hawker MK.1B Typhoon

Hard to believe that this aircraft is almost the same size as the P-47. Parts fit well and very little trimming is required. Decals are simple and easy to place. I have found that painting decaling, and assembling the major groups separately, i.e., fuselage, wings, landing gear, etc. is much easier than decaling as the last stage. Used flat clear lacquer to seal the finished job. I like it!

This was the fourth model that Ive ever made and it is my favorite to look at so far (I'm working on a P-38 presently as my 5th). Because its a later war plane, it includes 8 rockets (which I read were actually terribly inaccurate), and 4 large cannons, thus, this baby clearly packed a punch. The clear canopy and clear landing lights and fog lights are a special extra that most WWII model planes don't have. The landing gear was difficult, but i sanded down the flaps and they fit perfectly into the undercarriage. The multiple paint design options were really great, as well as the multiple decal options. This was the first time that I painted realistic looking camo on a plane as a result of the easy to follow diagrams that came with the kit. I highly recommend this kit. Warnings: be VERY careful with removing the rockets from the kit (I broke one of the 8, but was able to repair it, but could imagine having broken more), use a straight edge of some sort (a piece of thick paper or cardboard) to paint the black and white stripes on the bottom of the wings (you don't want them to look messy) and, finally, be very meticulous when putting the cockpit together. The kit includes a decal for the operational control board that I recommend you apply, allow all pieces to dry, then glue the cockpit pieces together (it's a great detail that you can ACTUALLY see from the outside) and furthermore, make sure the final cockpit, BEFORE it's painted, dried, and decaled, is fit properly to both sides of the fuselage before you run in and glue the fuselage together. I actually did it correctly, but if i hadn't, the two fuselage parts wouldn't have come together. Lastly, use the Black and White decals for the rear fuselage. If u are a beginner (like me) lining them up properly will present a challenge but reap great rewards in the future. Have Fun! Awesome Plane!

Ok this is a great, easy building, nicely detailed, and beautifully crafted kit. The pieces fit nicely with very little effort. The landing gear can be positioned down or up. The rockets are also a nice addition as well as easy to install. They fit so snug to the fuselage that cement may not be necessary. The instrument panel also has a decal that you can use for the dials and instruments, which comes in handy if you want a level of detail and painting small pieces isn't your thing. While we're talking about the cockpit, Monogram also put a fair amount of detail into the control column. The pilot figure that's included however, is not so great. To me it looks like he's sitting there shivering. A pilot with his hand on the stick would, in my opinion, look much better. This having been said, you may elect to not use him but either way its still a great kit. It builds in 11 easy to understand steps, 2 of which are decal placement and painting guides. The paint color abbreviation guide is located on the same page so you don't have to keep turning backwards and forwards like with some kits.