This kit was awaited with great anticipation as it would be the first kit of this aircraft and would establish Trumpeter's ability in 1/72 scale. We were concerned at the price when first announced and when we opened the box we were shocked.
We could see immediately that there was a serious inaccuracy with the foward fuselage from the intakes onwards. It is far too deep, the curves of the nose are all wrong when viewed from the side; it is almost cartoon-like. This was readily apparent on comparison with photographs even while the parts were still on the sprue. The kit appears to be a throw-back to the cheap Chinese 'supermarket-quality' kits of yesteryear, an example being the mainwheel hubs which are crude and over-simplified. Trumpeter has prepared this kit with none of the dedication shown in its larger 1/32 offerings.
This release is very disappointing, particularly considering the outrageous price (more expensive than Hasegawa modern jets) and that this may well be the only offering of the Flying Leopard in 1/72. Those insisting on an accurate rendition will probably find all the flying surfaces adequate, but will have to scratch-build an entirely new fuselage. The only small consolation is that drop tanks and a couple of missiles are included. Oh, Trumpeter. What have you done?
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