Hobbycraft 1/144 B-58A Hustler Build Review
By Fotios Rouch
| Date of Review | March 2019 | Manufacturer | Hobbycraft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | B-58A Hustler | Scale | 1/144 |
| Kit Number | HC1260 | Primary Media | Styrene |
| Pros | Easy build | Cons | Sink marks |
| Skill Level | Basic | MSRP (USD) | Out of Production |
Build Review
This is the Hobbycraft Hustler. This is one is also destined for my friend's collection and will augment the large assembly of 50's and 60's aircraft. It is an easy kit to put together, but it suffers from sink marks like most of its brother and sisters from Hobbycraft and Minicraft.
You will need to use some filler to smooth things out.
Save the pitot tube for the end. I broke mine twice. Delete the windows engraved on the clear parts behind the pilot's station. They should not be on the clam-sells but lower and on the fuselage sides. Look at pictures which Hobbycraft did not do.
The landing gear is complex for such a small kit. Make sure that you assemble the main landing gear wheels and add them to gear struts after they are in place to ensure that all wheel touch the ground evenly.
I used all kinds of metallic paints from all vendors to have fun with the hues. In the end I blended the nacelle hues with SNJ to subdue the tone contrasts.
The decals went down OK and I took some artistic license with a few things to please my buddy's taste since the model will go to his office collection. Overall, the bomber that was only good to bomb as far as Canada is a cute little kit with some issues, but it looks OK in the end.
