I love these kits as they are cheap and a fun build without a lot of fiddly small parts. I build mostly Japanese WWII planes and these give me a cheap and fun way to do a lot of different camo schemes.
While I have never built The Otaki Thunderbolt, I HAVE built OTHER Otaki kits, and have found them to be pretty good kits, with good fit, and good marking choices.
I think it is important for the hobby to appear easy models for the begginers in the hobby.Very good examples were in 1/72 the Matchbox and the old Airfix kits and in 1/48 Esci and Otaki kits.Your presentation was very good and very illuminating.Congratulations.I liked it a lot.
I would hesitate to call the Itaki/Arii kit cowling wrong. Especially comparing it to the Hasegawa 1/48 kit of the P-47. That kit has a known fault in the depth of the lower fuselage, fore to aft, making the cowling a bit "un-tall" also. A better option for comparison would be the Tamiya or new Mini-art kits. I like the old Otaki kits. I have built their Corsair, Spitfire VIII, Bf 109G and Fw 190.
Good point, Brett. I would have used the MiniArt cowl for comparison, but mine isn't glued together yet. I've built the Otaki Ki-100, and Ki-44 and enjoyed those builds.
Just came across your program through Face Book. Great review of P-47. Appreciate your candor on the review and will definitely be staying in touch. Thanks!
Good Morning ☀️ THE JUG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Really JON, your videos / post on SATURDAYS is something I look forward to… COFFEE and MODEL KITS… I’m trying the technique of gluing the upper half of the wings to the fuselage to eliminate the seem …. It worked great on the 1/72 vintage MONOGRAM P-51B model… I’ve not built a OTAKI kit… I’ll look on €Bay and see what’s available, they do make a 1/48 CORSAIR and a HELLCAT ….. I’m a big F4F WILDCAT fan…. Ordered a 1/72 HASAGAWA 1/72 F4F-3 late WILDCAT THATCH / O’HARE Markings rare kit !!!!!! My plan is to make the O’HARE aircraft….. Looking forward to seeing your finished THUNDERBOLT …. Now to finish my COFFEE and start my SATURDAY……… MODEL ON ……… CHRIS 🇺🇸
Thanks, Chris! I've built several of the Otaki kits and enjoyed each build. Most have similar pros and cons to this kit (though not as many sink marks). Enjoy your build day!
In terms of airframe molding, it was better than the 70s Monogram P-47D, but the Monogram won on interior details and drop tanks and ordinance options.
You're welcome, Jeff! Thanks for the kits. My nephew and I just built the B-17 kit this week. It was his first model kit, and he loved it. He stuck with it through the entire build, decals and all. Cheers!
@@jonsmodelkitreview4624 Ya be very welcome!! Yeah, nice!! Gotta dig that! And tell ya nephew, Jeff says....................MODEL ON!! Maybe a pix in the next review, huh, huh, yea, yea, wink, wink, nudge, nudge..............
Hey Jon, one of my old time favorites - Otaki I recognized the instruction, inside color scheme and that nice smooth plastic service, ( they typically didn't have a lot of detail) looks like the kit had a nice pilot figure. Not sure about the " Aldi" name, if that was a transitional kit ? My Otakis were circa 80's. While there are sink marks , they could actually be metal stress points due to the stress on the metal plates . The P47 was like a flying locomotive and crazy with torque and power., and armour. Pilots had a tough time flying her. The color of plastics deja vu, and nicely scaled panel lines. Back in the day, I'd build the Otaki kits over Tamiya due to price and ease of painting. Just a few clean up points as you referenced Cheers Bob
Right on, Bob! I think Arii later bought out Otaki. From other comments on this video, it seems AMT also used several Otaki molds for their 1/48 aircraft. Cheers!
Afternoon gentlemen. Yes they did Jon. I’m not sure whether the entire series was released. To include the Japanese planes of the series. But, Corsair, Hellcat, Mustang and a couple others. Airfix, also reboxed pretty much the same kits under their label, for a short while. Couple years. A little hunting and you may be able to pick up what you are after without the unreal prices they are asking on so auction sites.
Good morning from Az! Another fine review! Jon, ya seem ta have the knack for picking crowd favorites. Are ya any good at lottery numbers? Your reviews give an honest and unbiased look at the kit. And with what ever short comings the kit may have, you show it's still possible the build a fine looking kit with out a complete "rebuild" of every part. Very inspiring. And I despise sink marks! Got a Revell White tanker semi. The tank has 8 huge sinks spaced evenly down the body! Looking forward to the paint video! Maybe a British paint scheme? Maybe it's just me but there is something appealing about foreign markings on aircraft. Ya know the P-47 was a really big plane. Jon, maybe a short video on the size comparison to earlier and later WWII air craft? The P-47 and Typhoon were huge compared to the 109 and the Mig's. The Corsair as well! Jon, Sorry bout the broken part. I checked the sprue's before I packaged it up. Will check closer. And to all.............. MODEL ON!!!!!
Thanks, Jeff! No brand is immune to the dreaded sink marks. My Hasegawa P-47D had some, too. The size comparison is an interesting idea. It's a good thing the P-47 was tough since it was a huge target! Likewise the Corsair and Hellcat. Cheers!
Otaki, Arii, and don't forget the AMT/Ertl boxings lol. That's when I first built these kits in the late 80s/early 90s timeframe. Always thought these 70s Otaki molds were solid kits, along with the T-Bolt I also have fond memories of building the AMT/Ertl Corsair and Arii Hellcat. The only small complaint I had with them was the fixed (closed) canopies.
Hello Jon, good video and concrete review of a kit that, despite its age, looks good to experiment with or reintroduce into the hobby, I find enough details, regarding the cowling, it looks disproportionate, however, it could just be the fault from the age of the mold, well, more than anything it should be cheap, if so, it's worth it, greetings friend, until the next video.
For an early Japanese mold it’s not a horrible kit. Most imperfections can be overcome. Good practice kit to hone skills! I have an old fujimi Hellcat I practice on. Wondering if you have ever tried to build one of Tamiyas’ motorcycle kits. I like to cross over to other subjects from time to time and was considering it. Thanks!
Great ! Since I restore classic motorcycles (Jon's Motorcycle Rescue and Review is my other RUclips channel), I haven't built a motorcycle model. However, I have built Tamiya armor and car kits previously and really liked them. I would expect the same good experience from a Tamiya motorcycle kit. A friend sent me an MPC motorcycle kit recently that I plan to review soon. Cheers!
I have built several of the Tamiya motorcycle kits. They are very nice kits. A few little parts. I have a couple in stash still. They build into a nice model. Good selection of subjects, from Police bikes, to the Honda Gorilla to race bikes and several large scale subjects. If you happen to be a Honda fan, Tamiya has a Honda RC-166 kit Take care and................................ MODEL ON!
The entire series by either company are collector gold!
Many thanx 👍👍
Right on!
I built the Otaki Corsair and the Hellcat in the late 70s and I still have them.
Very cool 😎!
Hi Jon. Life is too short to build old kits ... Thankyou anyway for your review. 😊
If you don't enjoy building old kits, then I agree with that statement. Build what you enjoy. Cheers!
I’ve got the otaki Sonia,George,Oscar and P-51 and yes they are old but exterior details are still very good..Great video on this classic kit.🇬🇧🇺🇸👍
Thank you!
I love these kits as they are cheap and a fun build without a lot of fiddly small parts. I build mostly Japanese WWII planes and these give me a cheap and fun way to do a lot of different camo schemes.
Right on!
My brother built one as a teenager. I bought one out of nostalgia plus updated Penrod and Sam decals with the proper blue insignia surrounds.
Right on!
While I have never built The Otaki Thunderbolt, I HAVE built OTHER Otaki kits, and have found them to be pretty good kits, with good fit, and good marking choices.
@danielburkett7835 Right on! I agree. They're usually a pretty quick build and yield a nice result. Cheers!
I think it is important for the hobby to appear easy models for the begginers in the hobby.Very good examples were in 1/72 the Matchbox and the old Airfix kits and in 1/48 Esci and Otaki kits.Your presentation was very good and very illuminating.Congratulations.I liked it a lot.
Thank you. I appreciate the feedback. Cheers!
I would hesitate to call the Itaki/Arii kit cowling wrong. Especially comparing it to the Hasegawa 1/48 kit of the P-47. That kit has a known fault in the depth of the lower fuselage, fore to aft, making the cowling a bit "un-tall" also. A better option for comparison would be the Tamiya or new Mini-art kits.
I like the old Otaki kits. I have built their Corsair, Spitfire VIII, Bf 109G and Fw 190.
Good point, Brett. I would have used the MiniArt cowl for comparison, but mine isn't glued together yet. I've built the Otaki Ki-100, and Ki-44 and enjoyed those builds.
Just came across your program through Face Book. Great review of P-47. Appreciate your candor on the review and will definitely be staying in touch. Thanks!
Thanks Will! I really appreciate the feedback!
Good Morning ☀️
THE JUG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Really JON, your videos / post on SATURDAYS is something I look forward to…
COFFEE and MODEL KITS…
I’m trying the technique of gluing the upper half of the wings to the fuselage to eliminate the seem ….
It worked great on the 1/72 vintage MONOGRAM P-51B model…
I’ve not built a OTAKI kit…
I’ll look on €Bay and see what’s available, they do make a 1/48 CORSAIR and a HELLCAT …..
I’m a big F4F WILDCAT fan….
Ordered a 1/72 HASAGAWA 1/72 F4F-3 late WILDCAT
THATCH / O’HARE Markings
rare kit !!!!!!
My plan is to make the O’HARE
aircraft…..
Looking forward to seeing your finished THUNDERBOLT ….
Now to finish my COFFEE and start my SATURDAY………
MODEL ON ………
CHRIS 🇺🇸
Thanks, Chris! I've built several of the Otaki kits and enjoyed each build. Most have similar pros and cons to this kit (though not as many sink marks). Enjoy your build day!
In terms of airframe molding, it was better than the 70s Monogram P-47D, but the Monogram won on interior details and drop tanks and ordinance options.
Good points. I the Monogram may be a bit more accurate shape-wise as well. Either will look good if finished well. Cheers!
Jon, thanks for the shout out!
You're welcome, Jeff! Thanks for the kits. My nephew and I just built the B-17 kit this week. It was his first model kit, and he loved it. He stuck with it through the entire build, decals and all. Cheers!
@@jonsmodelkitreview4624 Ya be very welcome!! Yeah, nice!! Gotta dig that! And tell ya nephew, Jeff says....................MODEL ON!!
Maybe a pix in the next review, huh, huh, yea, yea, wink, wink, nudge, nudge..............
Hey Jon, one of my old time favorites - Otaki I recognized the instruction, inside color scheme and that nice smooth plastic service, ( they typically didn't have a lot of detail) looks like the kit had a nice pilot figure. Not sure about the " Aldi" name, if that was a transitional kit ? My Otakis were circa 80's. While there are sink marks , they could actually be metal stress points due to the stress on the metal plates . The P47 was like a flying locomotive and crazy with torque and power., and armour. Pilots had a tough time flying her. The color of plastics deja vu, and nicely scaled panel lines. Back in the day, I'd build the Otaki kits over Tamiya due to price and ease of painting. Just a few clean up points as you referenced Cheers Bob
Right on, Bob! I think Arii later bought out Otaki. From other comments on this video, it seems AMT also used several Otaki molds for their 1/48 aircraft. Cheers!
Afternoon gentlemen.
Yes they did Jon. I’m not sure whether the entire series was released. To include the Japanese planes of the series. But, Corsair, Hellcat, Mustang and a couple others.
Airfix, also reboxed pretty much the same kits under their label, for a short while. Couple years.
A little hunting and you may be able to pick up what you are after without the unreal prices they are asking on so auction sites.
@@cellardwellerproductions5125 Right on, thanks!
Good morning from Az! Another fine review! Jon, ya seem ta have the knack for picking crowd favorites. Are ya any good at lottery numbers?
Your reviews give an honest and unbiased look at the kit. And with what ever short comings the kit may have, you show it's still possible the build a fine looking kit with out a complete "rebuild" of every part. Very inspiring.
And I despise sink marks! Got a Revell White tanker semi. The tank has 8 huge sinks spaced evenly down the body!
Looking forward to the paint video! Maybe a British paint scheme? Maybe it's just me but there is something appealing about foreign markings on aircraft.
Ya know the P-47 was a really big plane. Jon, maybe a short video on the size comparison to earlier and later WWII air craft? The P-47 and Typhoon were huge compared to the 109 and the Mig's. The Corsair as well!
Jon, Sorry bout the broken part. I checked the sprue's before I packaged it up. Will check closer.
And to all..............
MODEL ON!!!!!
Thanks, Jeff! No brand is immune to the dreaded sink marks. My Hasegawa P-47D had some, too. The size comparison is an interesting idea. It's a good thing the P-47 was tough since it was a huge target! Likewise the Corsair and Hellcat. Cheers!
With a great paint job, decals and weathering, it should look quite good!
Right on!
Otaki, Arii, and don't forget the AMT/Ertl boxings lol. That's when I first built these kits in the late 80s/early 90s timeframe. Always thought these 70s Otaki molds were solid kits, along with the T-Bolt I also have fond memories of building the AMT/Ertl Corsair and Arii Hellcat. The only small complaint I had with them was the fixed (closed) canopies.
Right on! I've built several of the Otaki kits and liked them. Cheers!
Don't forget the AMT-ERTL reboxing!
Right on!
Hello Jon, good video and concrete review of a kit that, despite its age, looks good to experiment with or reintroduce into the hobby, I find enough details, regarding the cowling, it looks disproportionate, however, it could just be the fault from the age of the mold, well, more than anything it should be cheap, if so, it's worth it, greetings friend, until the next video.
Thanks, Francisco! With care in construction, it should build into a respectable model. Cheers!
Shame about the decals, I love the P47s in those RAF olive/slate blue camo.
Me too! Maybe I can find a good RAF scheme for this build. Cheers!
For an early Japanese mold it’s not a horrible kit. Most imperfections can be overcome. Good practice kit to hone skills! I have an old fujimi Hellcat I practice on. Wondering if you have ever tried to build one of Tamiyas’ motorcycle kits. I like to cross over to other subjects from time to time and was considering it. Thanks!
Great ! Since I restore classic motorcycles (Jon's Motorcycle Rescue and Review is my other RUclips channel), I haven't built a motorcycle model. However, I have built Tamiya armor and car kits previously and really liked them. I would expect the same good experience from a Tamiya motorcycle kit. A friend sent me an MPC motorcycle kit recently that I plan to review soon. Cheers!
I have built several of the Tamiya motorcycle kits. They are very nice kits. A few little parts. I have a couple in stash still.
They build into a nice model.
Good selection of subjects, from Police bikes, to the Honda Gorilla to race bikes and several large scale subjects.
If you happen to be a Honda fan, Tamiya has a Honda RC-166 kit
Take care and................................
MODEL ON!
The fuselage sink marks actually look like stressed metal, leave them in ... ;)
Right on. I will address some but not all of the sink marks. No plane is perfectly smooth in real life. Cheers!