Fly 1/48 BAC 167 Strikemaster First Look Kit First Look
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | January 2013 | Manufacturer | Fly Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | BAC 167 Strikemaster | Scale | 1/48 |
| Kit Number | 48015 | Primary Media | Styrene, Resin |
| Pros | First new-tool BAC 167 in any scale in decades | Cons | Nothing noted |
| Skill Level | Experiened | MSRP (USD) | $69.00 |
First Look
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The BAC model 167 Strikemaster was an armed upgrade of the Jet Provost trainer which was designed to provide a low-cost counter-insurgency (COIN) strike aircraft. To create the Strikemaster, the basic airframe was strenghtened and four weapons stations added under the wings. Upgraded engine, ejection seats, communications, and fuel system rounded out the differences between the Strikemaster and its Jet Provost starting point. The aircraft was flown by the Botswana, Ecuador, Kenya, Kuwait, New Zealand, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Yemen and Sudan air arms. While some operators did use the aircraft in combat, most used the Strikemaster as an advanced trainer which provided a lower-cost alternative to teaching pilots weapons delivery skills in front-line combat aircraft.
Fly Models has been producing a variety of airliner kits in 1/144 scale so I was pleasantly surprised to see them entering 1/48th scale. This release is the first 1/48th scale Strikemaster produced in styrene that I'm aware of and they've really done a nice job of this. The kit reminds me of a Classic Airframes kit with the main components produced in injection-molded plastic and the details in nicely cast resin. This kit is molded in tan styrene and presented on three parts trees plus one tree of clear parts and the bag of resin details.
Among the kit's features and options:
- Simple construction
- Cockpit is nicely detailed
- Optional strakes for the nose
- Choice of wing tips or tip tanks on the wings
- Choice of antenna options depending on version selected
External stores included for this version:
- 4 x external tanks
You'll have to find some weapons in your spares or raid other kits if you want to bomb up this kit.
This kit provides markings for four examples:
- BAC 167, NZ 6361, Royal New Zealand AF
- BAC 167, 1133, Royal Saudi Air Force
- BAC 167, 265, Ecuador AF (shown as Columbian AF on instructions)
- BAC 167, 404, Royal Omani AF
I remember building the Airfix 1/72 Strikemaster kit MANY years ago and really thought the subject was interesting even if the scale was too small. Now we have a nice Strikemaster which has better details and more modern tooling that is also in a larger scale. One other interesting aspect of the Strikemaster (for me) is that it almost appears that the BAC-167 and the A-37 Dragonfly were based on the same basic design except somehow the model for the A-37 got crushed sometime during the design process...