This kit was easy to assemble with really nice detail. comes with 2 sets of markings and armament options. very detailed instructions with really good painting instructions. Can be built with dive breaks open or closed and wing flaps up or down. Cockpit detail was also very nice. I really enjoyed this kit and would love to build another one

This was my second more recent Tamiya kit build, and as expected, I wasn't disappointed. The kit includes 8 light grey/beige sprues divided into 4 sealed bags and one clear sprue in a separate small sealed bag that is found within one of the larger bags. There is a clear and concise assembly instruction booklet, a separate sheet for painting options for two different aircraft, a sheet with full size views of the model that can be used as a paper mask for painting and a sheet of decals for the two options of squadron markings. The molded parts are very clean and crisp, with zero flash, no warping, no ejector pin stress marks or visible ejector pin witness marks on seen surfaces. The external surfaces of the aircraft include fine recessed panel lines for highlighting. The cockpit pit is nicely detailed, along with the undercarriage and the radial engine. There are options for having the three Air-Brake doors open or closed, the ailerons up or down, the undercarriage up or down and the sliding canopy modelled open or closed. There are two full sprues of ordnance allowing you many options for loading the 15 hard points beneath the wings and fuselage, with 3 styles of bombs, rocket pods and external long range fuel/drop tanks. A Pilot figure is included to finish off the kit. The Engineering and fits of the molded parts is second to none; the parts fall together and I only needed filler around the front seam of the forward canopy. My only issue with this kit are with the decals; they are slightly thicker than preferred, they take a longer time to release from the backing paper and some are very fragile during application. One of my decals tore and I had to carefully position the torn halves together to make the tear disappear. If you are a stickler for accuracy, then I will point out that the box art work does illustrate a Whip Antenna mounted on the port-side of the fuselage, located at the side of the rear canopy, but, there isn't one included in the molded parts. Therefore, I carved a mounting block shape at the end of a piece of sprue, then cut it off and glued it to the end of a cocktail stick. I then used the stretched sprue method to make my own Whip Antenna and glued that to the mounting block. When that had set, I painted it, removed it from the end of the cocktail stick and glued it into its location on the plane. Overall, this kit builds into a very nice representation of a Sandy with the South East Asian 3 color camo scheme, just be careful with the decals. If Tamiya included Cartograf decals into this kit, it would be perfection personified. But, ignoring the decals, I still give this kit 5 stars for the content and quality of molded parts, the details and options offered and the enjoyment had whilst building the model, along with the satisfaction garnered by the end result. I also have to say, that out of the 15 models I have built since starting modelling in January of 2014, that this kit is without a doubt the best that I have had the pleasure to build! If you have been thinking about buying this kit, then think no more; it is very highly recommended! Go ahead, make your day, buy one now!!

Tamiya’s 1/48 scale A-1J is a great kit. Most modelers know Tamiya makes kits where the parts fit well together, decals are good quality, detailing is superb, instructions are easy to follow, and the instructions give a clear call out on paint color. This kit is no exception. The model went together with no issues and included many different stores of weapons to choose from. It has recessed lines so if you have been working with older kits, you can enjoy the final product as is without wishing you had sanded down the raised panel lines and re-scribed. This model is the U.S. Air Force version (Tamiya also makes a Navy version as well) and represents the Sandy of rescue/special operations fame. If you like Vietnam War aircraft, this one is a must and you won’t be disappointed with the final result. Well worth the cost. I highly encourage this kit for modelers of all skill levels. Enjoy and have fun.