Tarangus 1/48 SAAB J32B Lansen Kit First Look
by Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | June 2014 | Manufacturer | Tarangus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | SAAB J32B Lansen | Scale | 1/48 |
| Kit Number | 4802 | Primary Media | Styrene, Resin |
| Pros | Nice kit, excellent subject | Cons | Nothing major noted |
| Skill Level | Experienced | MSRP (USD) | $115.00 |
First Look
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The J32B Lansen (Swedish for Lance) was the fighter version designed for all-weather operations. The aircraft was armed with 4 x 30mm Aden cannons in the nose and could carry up to 4 Rb 24 (AIM-9B Sidewinder) missiles. This design from SAAB was the sport version of the F-86D Sabre, an aircraft with an identical role, but was slower, shorter-ranged, single-seat, and had much less effective armament. I saw the J32B on the transient ramp a number of years ago and while it looks like a stretched Sabre Dog, its lines were far more streamlined - it looked right.
Tarangus is a Swedish kit manufacturer that produces limited run kits (read that as low-pressure injection molding) similar to MPM and Classic Airframes kits in fit and detail. Maestro Models produces a number of aftermarket upgrades for the Tarangus kits, so if you want more details such as color-printed photo-etched cockpits, you do have that resource.
Among the features and options in this kit:
- Nicely detailed resin ejection seats - need crew restraints
- Decent cockpits which can be enhanced with little effort
- Nice long intake ducts (need to be blanked off)
- Nice afterburner chamber with resin A/B nozzle
- Positionable canopy
- Positionable landing gear
- Optional belly tank
- Full set of underwing pylons including choice of outboards
- No armament included though AIM-9Bs are easy to find
The kit includes a nice set of decals with extensive airframe stenciling. The subjects include:
- J32B, 32606, F4 Frösön, 1968
- J32B, 32582, F12 Kalmar, late 1960s
- J32B, 32570, Flight Test aircraft, 1971
This kit is not for the inexperienced modeler, but if you've built Classic Airframes and/or MPM kits in the past, you won't find any surprises here. Be prepared to do some fabricating of details and any features you might want to add, but that is the nature of our hobby. This is a subject that has interested me for some time and I found this one at HobbyLink Japan for ¥7920 (about $77 USD) so I couldn't resist.