Zactomodels 1/32 F-100 Correction Set First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

Zactomodels is a small aftermarket company that does some of the most incredible engineering and casting to correct selected beloved subjects. The first set of releases were targeted for the Trumpeter 1/32 Su-27 Flanker kit. While I thought Trumpeter had done a reasonable job on their Su-27 and I even build one without paint just to look over the results (look here), I could see from the side-by-side comparison shots on the Zactomodels website just how far Trumpeter missed the mark on the intakes, radome, and windscreen/canopy. Even then, I resisted the temptation to buy those three correction sets until I laid eyes on them at the 2006 IPMS/USA National Convention. I now have a complete set and a new Trumpeter Flanker kit to with them.

So when Trumpeter released their 1/32 A-7 Corsair II kit, I was pleased with the overall kit (review here), though the shape of the intake was just a bit off and then there was the windscreen and canopy. Nevertheless, the Trumpeter 1/32 A-7D and A-7E kits are likely to be the only SLUFs (Short Little Ugly 'Fellas') that were going to see (in my lifetime at least). If you look at the two SLUFs in the title image above, you can see the 'before' image of the out-of-the-box model (left) and the 'after' image with the Zactomodels corrections installed. Some people might find the differences not worth the effort and are happy with the kit out of the box. AMS modelers will want to look a little closer to this set too as we've reviewed those as well here.

Zactomodels is back with a corrected F-100 nose that simply replaces the kit nose with a few well-illustrated surgical cuts on the kit's fuselage halves, and intake trunk.

As with the A-7 Corsair II kits, Trumpeter didn't quite capture the shape of the intake and you can see more clearly the kit and corrected intake appearances here. This set is comprised of two parts (the image to the right is a sequence of images to show the intake part and both sides of the intake cover. Nice quality castings here (as usual).

This set is reasonably priced and will require some skills to graft this new nose into place, but I think you'll find it worth the effort.

You can learn more about this and other project from the Zactomodels website at http://www.zactomodels.com.

My sincere thanks to Zactomodels for this review sample!

For more information on the F-100 Super Sabre, here is the internet's best resource - F-100.org.