![]() The nose gear tires are normal black rubber. The decals are excellent.Īll Blackbirds had aluminum particles imbedded in the main gear tires during manufacturing and have a distinct silver color. The overhead view of the nose chine area tapers too quickly between the windshield and pitot tube. The fuselage chine bays have square openings for the chine cameras, but they are in the middle of each compartment instead of the aft end as they should be. The nose also has the OBC or Optical Bar Camera window. The fuselage is more accurate in cross section and has the RWR bulges on the nose just aft of the pitot tube. ![]() The Italeri kit has a very shallow nose gear well with NO detail at all. The chine running along the outside of the nacelle from the air intake to the leading edge of the wing has the triangular shaped radar deflection panels and should not have them in this area. The decals for all but the very latest releases are typical Monogram. That panel is present on the full scale bird, but it should be flush with the rest of the rudder surface, not raised. There is a rectangular embossed area on the outside of the rudders which is incorrect. The overall fuselage is too shallow for the width and thus makes the cockpit too wide. The Monogram, now Revell kit has the best nose gear well and an excellent representation of the David Clark 1031 pressure suits for the crew. The parabolic dish radar antena is correct for the YF-12A, but totally wrong for the SR. It is OK, but lacks much in the way of detail. The Revell kit that jimbot is talking about is the original Blackbird that was released in 1968. Both are excellent representations and both have their good and bad points. I would recommend either the Italeri or Monogram/Revell-Monogram versions. Having worked in the SR-71 Blackbird program for 12 years and been a modeler for 50+ years, I am familiar with the various SR-71 kits. Luckily, I was able to find a set of Superscale replacements at my LHS. I don't know about the quality of the decals as mine were destroyed in a paint thinner jar mishap. I don't know anything about the Italeri SR-71. I have Italeri's YF-12A Interceptor kit in my stash, unbuilt, so no information, good or bad on that. The other is just better.įrom what I have seen, I believe the Hasegawa is the same as the Academy kit, because it also includes the drone. I think the Academy kit, overall, just has better detail and fit, although the Revell is not a bad kit, just to be fair. The cockpit and canopies are not open on this kit. I didn't include it in my build as I don't believe it was ever used with the SR-71 and was not a success with the A-12 (or any other aircraft for that matter.) The Revell kit has a removable nose cone that displays the radar, but does not stay in place (falls off), and just doesn't look very good to me. The Academy includes the option of displaying the detailed cockpit open and also includes a model of the D-21 drone, which was originally intended to be launched from the back of an A-12. I have both the Revell version and the Academy/Minicraft kits and of the two, I would recommend the Academy over the Revell.
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