Academy 1/48 A10-C kit review

Full in box review with a little look at some accuracy issues from my point of view. Clives modelling channel / @clivesmodellingchanne... . If you would like to contribute to the channel.. please look here.. / nigelsmodellingbench

[@viper341]

This is definitely a nice kit, I was comparing this to the new Great Wall Hobby kit and decided to go with the GWH kit. What really sold me on that kit is the engine intake fans they're done better than any other brand. It's about 2x the price but I wanted the best. Looking forward to building it.

[@kapahuludude66]

I built this kit and used the Sierra hotel models resin engine and exhaust replacement parts.

[@ivanwomack]

Hi Nige. Nice review, can't wait to get my hands on my kit hopefully tomorrow. Looking at the sprues in reviews and on Clive's build it looks like the chaff and flare dispensers on the undercarriage fairings and wingtips could do with a bit more detail rather than a decal. Keep up the great work on the channel. Cheers!!

[@nigelstokes5938]

Hi Nige, Great looking kit and a great review. Wish I had waited for this kit and not built the Esci version which I think was a bit of a dog ( sorry Jess ) to put together. But that was before I discovered your channel. Affordability was another factor at the time. Keep up the good work😉

[@jarradbradley6934]

Hey Nigel, FYI I’m Just in the middle of writing up the instructions for the Phase Hanger Resin engine conversion sets for this set- new fronts, fans with the correct depth and correctly detailed exhausts. These are the sets designed by the amazing Richard VanZandt.

[@ivanwomack]

Hi Jarrad. Looking at the pictures on the PHR website the new front piece in the upgrade kit looks slightly too small for the kit nacelles leaving a small step. It’s making me think twice about ordering the PHR set. Also, the replacement front section doesn’t look fat enough same as Nige mentioned with the kit part in his review.

[@Andy.Gledhill.Models.]

Thanks for the shout out Nigel. Yes it is a very nice kit. I am not really bothered about rivet counting lol. When you look at photos of A-10's, some parts look different in some photos. I have seen some photos of the nose, that look similar to how Academy have modelled theirs. Some photos show the end of the nose very dented and battered too. I have also seen some photos where the engine nacelle openings look sharp similar to the ones in this kit. But I have seen other photos where they look fatter. Maybe ResKIt will come up with some replacement engine nacelle fronts as well as replacement fan blades. That long pod that you was unsure about, is the ECM pod.

[@RimsModels]

Great video my friend and a fantastic review it looks a stunning kit with fantastic detail those clear parts are amazing never built a academy kit before so be watching you build yours I really value your honesty in your reviews and find them really helpful thanks for sharing 👍👍

[@NigelsModellingBench]

Thanks Rob

[@harryaudia6]

Good review Nigel. Just received Academy A6M2b Zero Fighter Model 21 1/48 scale, very impressive kit especially with masking sheet supplied. Quite impressed with Academy kits.

[@NigelsModellingBench]

Thanks for the info!

[@mikeshivers9922]

Thanks Nigel very informative and useful especially the issues with the kit. Happy to have received mine yesterday and I think for the overall quality of the kit and level of detail / ecercusion excellent value for money.

[@NigelsModellingBench]

Enjoy it

[@MattR58]

Great review. Think I will build it straight out of the box and see what GWH comes up with. Agree about some of the shapes engine intake fan has one extra fan blade from what I hear

[@markoldreive]

Very interesting review as was expected. I love the Hog and will have to build one, just not sure whose yet. I think I will wait until GWH release their 1/48 A-10 later this year and see what that’s like. I’m very impressed by their SU27 UBM so the little model shop I got the 27 from has put away the GWH Mig29-C for me whilst I save the pennies.

[@tronmcconnell4465]

Oops, shortly after posting my earlier comment, i hear you thinking out loud along the same lines as I was. Having seen A10's up close and personal at air shows, you and Clive are spot on with these observations. P.S. Very glad to hear that Jess pulled through OK - give her my best.

[@rileyk99]

The small pod that hangs on the nose is the Pave Penny pod, it's for laser tracking, but it isn't used anymore so if you're doing a modern version that pylon is either empty or removed I think.

[@raymondrosario9893]

Nice review and l hope to add this kit to my collection. Wolf Pack Design has made an engine update kit. Whether it addresses the issues you found, l don't know but it does replace the intake fans and the inlet.

[@NigelsModellingBench]

Thanks for the info!

[@johnalecsscalemodeling]

Oh man! Mine is coming this week. I will just refer people to your review!! Starting this now mate

[@ModelkitStuff]

you havent finished the spitfire yet!

[@NigelsModellingBench]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@seanconservativeburke]

Nice kit Nigel , of course I have the massive trumpeter 1/32 a -10 large kit needed so work from what I remembered .

[@ronaldbyrne3320]

I think the paint on the engine exhausts have survived because the A-10 has no afterburners. And they relatively don’t get as hot as F-16 or F-18 engines to make it harder for heat-seeking missiles to lock on. Relatively. Next, I think you’re spot on concerning the shape issues and if there’s an aftermarket correction set, that’s fine. If not, I think I probably won’t bother with the engines to fuselage connections. Fixing the depth of the fans is a must since that’s really obvious on the model.

[@lesthiele4921]

Hi Nigel, that was a excellent review video, I don't think there is a kit on the market that does nof have issues, be they big or small issues, I am loo,ing forward to your build episodes, I hope to get this kit at some stage, I know it will be lite years ahead of the old Tamiya version, and all the others on the market, best regards from a Kiwi living in Australia. 👍👍👍

[@erikryde7879]

Hi, Nigel. I am new to your channel. I love it! I just bought the Lancaster kit and will use your videos as a guide. No pressure! 😉 I took a quick look at the vast amount of material you have on your channel and a don't see a video of your collection of built kits. Your "stash" is clearly visible, but where do you keep your built models and how? 😀

[@NigelsModellingBench]

They are all over the house Erik.

[@glencwilson]

It is good to have a few reviews to look at and maybe different opinions in them. Waiting for mine still. For the price it looks fine. If it was £80 you would expect everything to be spot on. For me, looks like an A-10 at a reasonable price and has some nice features like that HUD, so will be happy when mine arrives.

[@NigelsModellingBench]

You are correct Glen.. pricewise, compared to the Tamiya F-35.. this is a bargain.

[@brendongunnell1299]

Academy has come along in leaps n bounds over the years Nige and in my opinion the best bang for buck now days. All the Academy kits I have use Cartogragh decals, yet I hear so many complaints about Academy decals🤷‍♂️ In my opinion however, I still think the Hobbyboss A-10 ll is still the best one out there...as we know, there will ALWAYS be lots of debate about that one🙈😏

[@thanassisveggos627]

I think Academy shuns Tamiya because they're Japanese and Academy is persona non grata in Japan. This is why all Academy kits are sold under the Doyusha brand on Japan. Tamiya btw does do some US colors

[@bigjim8872]

Great review Nige as always - A lot of A-10's were painted O.D. green (or at least they were) at one time. Myrtle Beach AFB before it was shut down had a squadron or two of warthogs stationed there and they flew over my house all the time. If I heard that telltale high-pitched whistle of the engines, I'd always run out and try to catch a look! The planes were always green. So, I'm wondering why there aren't any options in the kit to paint them green? And I didn't see any pics of green examples in the reference material either- A green example with shark's teeth would look great and be authentic as well. Just my two cents worth.

[@seamybmw]

Great review Nigel have the 32 scale from trumpeter and the 48 from Tamiya i wonder how it powers up against the rest I be watching for this build 👍👍

[@NigelsModellingBench]

This is undoubtedly the best of the bunch.

[@ianhay8938]

Hi Nigel, does it mention adding weight to the nose, and how much, as it’s certainly a tail sitter!!!!

[@NigelsModellingBench]

I don't remember?

[@collinmccallum]

an awesome kit!

[@tronmcconnell4465]

Nigel, I agree with each of your observations regarding the issues with the kit, In particular the shape of the engine inlets (being "too sharp") and the position of the fan blades being too far forward. Not having seen the details of how the fan blade piece mounts to the engine body behind the engine inlet piece, I was wondering if you thought that perhaps putting some plastic card behind the engine inlet piece would move i far enough forward to make the fan blade position more realistic. Of course, this might put the leading edge of the engine inlet too far forward with respect to the trailing edge of the wing.

[@nigelr07]

Hi Nigel Did you ever do a build video of this model. Am thinking of buikding it ( will be my 3rd after 40ish yr layoff ) so any build vids will help my decision process. You mention Clive (?) Whats his channrl please sounds like anothe i need to subscribe to. As always a superb video thanks Nigel 😊

[@NigelsModellingBench]

No, not yet.

[@tonydrake462]

oh.... once you see the engine / nose - you can't un see (hence your fair warning)... Oh dear - so close... damn. With 100 kits on my do now, I'll wait, and perhaps by the time I 'need' a A-10 - someone will get it right!!

[@tonydrake462]

yeah - GWH ... finger's crossed.

[@plasticmonkey5594]

Nice review.Think i migth wait for the GWH

[@NigelsModellingBench]

You should

[@markoldreive]

I am

[@markoldreive]

Most important question how is Jess?

[@markoldreive]

Any chance of the name of the ikea cabinet you referred to for displaying 1/48 scale kits?

[@NigelsModellingBench]

She's recovering Mark.. doing OK.

[@michaelwebb4312]

I would be just just grateful for any manufacturer for doing anything new for us Model makers and not rivet counting and spoiling our hobby we’re spoiled for choice nowadays with some fantastic models to buy instead of picking fault with everything just be grateful as I remember the old days of really bad kits.

[@NigelsModellingBench]

I take your point, but wouldn't you rather an honest and open opinion on a product rather than the usual "best ever" commentary? Didn't I say that in my opinion this is without doubt the best A-10 out there?

[@michaelwebb4312]

@@NigelsModellingBench Hi Nigel I take your point entirely and Yes you did say that it was the best A10 warthog on the market but you sometimes take your criticism too far just be satisfied with an almost accurate A10 but saying that your modelling skills are fantastic and i look forward to seeing your projects so it’s not a bad criticism at all so keep up the good work and please finish your 1/32 Border models Lancaster I cannot wait to see it finished…Say hi to Jess for me please Nigel..

[@robertjensen1438]

Thanks for the peek inside the box. And don't forget, don't put your small bits in your mouth 🤠.

[@stomper12000]

Many of us are intimidated when voicing our "rivet counting opinions" as to things that bother us just a touch about certain aspects of the molding technique used by kit manufacturers that seem as if the maker could simply determine how certain surfaces and curves should blend in on a particular subject; the computing power and talented people are there and you would feel as if the company went through so much to bring the kit to market, they would at least make certain the kit is correct. We all know that ain't the case most of the time but we need to understand that it depends on the subject and information available at the time that determines the final product. It does not matter if the company used a 3d scanner, because the craft could be updated in no time so what you see is what the maker actually got which is correct for the time, and by the time you get the "updated kit, certain nuances look a bit off. The kit makers have a limit as to how accurate the detail is and they bank on the fact that if they have the best mouse trap in the game, they'll get better sales, knowing the kit is a bit off in some areas so we really appreciate what you do in your reviews Nigel because it helps us to determine how far we want to go to make the kit look like we want..................buy the kit for practice and get the Hobby Boss kit asap! My two cents.

[@RCUKScaleModels]

Tamiya don't do American Air Force colours

[@ifuckedyourmomandsis]

The ailerons / speed brakes are referred to as decelerons.