I promised you some pics and for you that haven't seen the review on AF or on my web here it is;
This is a small review of the Model Factory Hiro full detail kit of the 2008 Suzuka 8-hours Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R 1000.
Kit price is close to 300 USD and the gross weight of the kit box is allmost 2 pounds(!).
Kit is full detail and it features most media accessable in the model arena ranging from white metal and turned metal parts to crisp resin and rubber. Through-out the kit there is a high level of detail in the parts.
Starting with the outer box it's a pleassure to view. Glossy black cover over the MFH red box.
Side label shows what to expect from the inside.
Opening the box reveals small zip-lock bags with white metal parts and three minor boxes, one in plastic glass and to in regular plastic. The plastic glass one contains the resin parts together with screws and rivets.
Parts are made out of white resin and are very subtle and crisp. Not the Studio 27 standard with thick resin parts weighing almost the same as the metal parts... You get the top cowl, two side cowls, lower cowl, tank and seat cowl with undertray.
Parts have some minor flash and there is some filling to do but boy are these parts molded with love! All parts are to be put in place using metal rivets, not the BIG Tamiya screws that we have gotten used to, great!
So, to some of the rather dull stuff, there are A LOT of white metal parts in this box. As there usually is with these sort of kits from Japan. On the good side there is the fact that we have some really nice molded metal parts in here and a lot of details molded in them. Here below are, first, the metal parts for the engine and after that three pics of the frame, larger and smaller metal parts
No full detail kit without some photo etch parts. If you don't count the chain, wich is put together using p/e links on a plastic base, kit contains two p/e sheets. Looks pretty promising to me.
Wheels are made out of a set of turned metal rims and two rubber tyres wich are well up to Tamiya standard.
Decals looks very crisp, you get the larger sheet with all the advertising and cf, one smaller sheet with numbers and yet another with carbon kevlar pattern.
Instructions comes in a set of papers with seems to cover every step, what could be better are the color coding for the individual parts.
So, up to now I must say I've been pretty damn impressed by the detail standard of the kit but WHY do they pack the following amount of electronical connectors in a 300USD full detail kit without ANY guidance to where to attach them? Just a reference on the last page of the instructions that say "use your references"... Beats me... Why not include a small booklet with references.
So it's time to sum the pros and cons from looking through the box;
+ NICE over all impression
+ Lots of details accomplished by the full range of modeling media
+ Crisp resin moldings
- White metal....
- Instructions could be more in depth. No reference pictures.
- Perhaps the price is a bit steap
Hope the review has been to any use for you glancing at the kit. Any questions will be answered gladly.
best regards
Joel