Addar F4D Skyray and F3D Skyknight Double Kit By Al Superczynski

Well, first off these two kits unfortunately aren't 1/72 scale as claimed on the box - the Skyray is approximately 1/90 and the Skyknight is around 1/125 - I'd like to see how these two kits in a true 1/72 scale would fit into such a small box. They're both reissues of old Aurora models and as I've mentioned before when discussing Aurora kits, the style of stand is a dead giveaway of the kits' origins as Comet molds. They're both representations of early versions of the aircraft since competition was fierce in the 50s to be the "first one on the block" to get kits of the latest and hottest jets on the market.

The F4D consists of a grand total of six parts molded in white plastic, two more for the stand, and a clear canopy. Panel lines are recessed, a bit too heavily, including the outlines of the decal locations. There's no landing gear, the fuselage is completely hollow, allowing a clear view through the intakes and out the tail, and cockpit detail consists of a single pilot's head molded on to a shelf. All state of the art for a kit from the 1950s but the recessed panel lines would have been nice had Comet skipped engraving the decal locations as well.

The F3D gets a higher parts count due mainly to the inclusion of four crude Sparrow (?) missiles and their pylons, giving the builder 15 pieces in Navy blue plastic, two more for the stand, and a clear canopy. Panel lines and decal locations are again scribed into the plastic but the separate engine fairings avoid the see-through effect apparent with the Skyray.

My examples are both cleanly molded, crisp, and show very little flash, indicating that the Addar folks spent some bucks cleaning up the ancient tooling. Both decal sheets are extremely basic, including national insignia that are both the wrong color and out of proportion, with the Skyray's lettering matching the blue of the stars & bars, again not at all surprising for models of this vintage. The instructions are adequate for such simple models but lack painting advice other than to follow the box art.

Another old kit probably best left to collectors. Good examples of the type of models available in the infancy of plastic kits, they could certainly be built into a nice little desk models but unfortunately won't fit into any constant scale collection very well, both models being to an odd scale although the Skyray is fairly close to HO.

See you all again next month. Till then, model on and "Build what YOU like, the way YOU want to."

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