Popped into a local hobby shop yesterday just to have a look around, and found a big flat box full of Hind D on the shelves, next to a Hind F. Both in 1/48, both by Mini Hobby Models. I have only bought 1 MHM kit in the past (Su-35/37), and although it's not a terrible kit (the Su-35/37), I didn't get too excited about the Hind find. Thought they were Trumpeter, actually (still not clear about the whole Trumpeter-Panda-MHM connection. I didn't think there was one, but some folks disagree...).
Anyway, I opened the box to check it out, and found that this, too, is not a bad kit. Some of the scribing is kinda, I don't know, "unsteady" (as if I had done it myself!), but overall it looks pretty good in the box. I almost passed it by, though...until I saw the price.
1,600 yen.
That's like 11 bucks, US.
So I bought it. I believe these kits are similarly priced in the States and elsewhere.
If so, they are definitely worth checking out.
Once I got it home, I compared it to some references, and the detail and shapes seem to be accurate.
Now it just remains to be seen how well it all goes together.
I'll let ya'll know when that happens!