Kinetic 1/48 Kfir C10 Kit First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

When the 1967 War descended upon the Middle East, Israel was urgently awaiting delivery of new Mirage fighters from France as well as other weapons systems needed to survive. When an embargo was placed upon Israel, these aircraft would remain in France and the Israeli Air Force had to work with the resources on-hand. To avoid facing another potential embargo in the future, Israel aggressively pushed forward to establish its own defense industry. One of the first projects on its list was to reverse engineer and build the Mirage V to their own specifications and this indigenous version was called Nesher (Vulture). As the Nesher proved itself in combat, Israeli Aircraft Industries had already set its sights on an improved aircraft which replaced the Nesher (and Mirage) Atar engine with the American J79 which powered the F-4 and F-104. This combination resulted in the Kfir (Lion Cub). As experience with the Kfir C1 grew, IAI added canards to the intake trunks, strakes to the nose, and a dog-toothed wing leading edge to improve aerodynamic performance and these changes resulted in the Kfir C2. Further improvements added additional pylons, an uprated J79 engine, and improved avionics resulting in the Kfir C7. As the Kfir entered the export market, the smaller air arms didn't want the air-to-ground-only Kfir, but rather a multirole aircraft that would suit their operational needs. The Israelis replaced the nose with a radome and radar system that provided multirole capabilities as well as a probe for air refueling and other improvements. The governments of Ecuador and Columbia adopted the Kfir C10 and have put the aircraft to good use.

Kinetic Models had previously released the Kfir C1, C2, and C7 kits, and with the addition of a few parts, they have also produced the C10. The kit is molded in gray styrene and presented on eleven parts trees plus two trees of clear parts (duplicate trees not shown). Though not mentioned in the instructions, the parts for the C2 and C7 are here as well. Among the features of the kit:

• Nicely detailed cockpit
• Late Martin Baker ejection seat
• Positionable canopy
• Separately molded wheel hubs and tires for ease of painting
• C10 radar nose provided
• Intake trunks down to the engine face
• Positionable dorsal and ventral speed brakes
• Positionable elevons

Among the weapons and stores in this release:

• Rafael Python 5
• Rafael Derby
• GBU-49
• AAQ-28 Litening
• Centerline fuel tank
• Choice of two types of underwing tanks

This release has five colorful marking options:

• Kfir C10, 905, 2113 Sqn, Ecuador, 2006
• Kfir C10, 3056, 111 Sqn, Columbia, 2021
• Kfir C10, 3060, 111 Sqn, Columbia, Red Flag 2018 participant

These decals are nicely done and include a nice suite of airframe stenciling and weapons markings. Painting instructions are provided using MIG, Vallejo, Tamiya, Humbrol, and GSI (Gunze) paints.

This is another very nice release from Kinetic and is an easy contender for best Kfir kit in any scale.

My sincere thanks to Lucky Model for this review sample!