Czech firm Special Hobby has reissued its 1/48 T-2 Buckeye with two dazzling new colour schemes, as CHRIS CLIFFORD reports.
It has been 11 years since Special Hobby last released its 1/48 T-2 Buckeye trainer… itself a reissue of the kit produced by TwoBobs Aviation Graphics in 2009. Now the parts have returned as item SH 48231, Special Hobby adding a freshly printed decal sheet carrying markings for two airframes with special schemes. These are US Navy and Hellenic Air Force machines; the latter’s livery involves standard camouflage but with decorated wing tanks and vertical tail, while the US Navy jet retains its white paint but has Bicentennial markings on the nose and tail.
Above: The quality of the cast-resin parts is excellent.
Besides two clear styrene runners, a further five in medium grey carry the bulk of the parts, these being of limited-run format requisite with the time period… therefore, without locating pins. However, the moulding quality and panel-line engraving is good, this being boosted in detail terms by a cache of cast-resin pieces. These include superb ejection seats, cockpit side consoles, rudder pedals, control columns, flap actuators and other items. There’s also a small photo-etched (PE) metal fret offering pre-coloured and plain details, such as layered instrument panels and undercarriage tie-down loops. The schemes in detail are:
• T-2C, BuNo 155241/309, VT-23 ‘The Professionals’, Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas, US Bicentennial, 1976
• T-2E, BuNo 160084/84, 363 Mira Ekpedefsis Aeros, 120 Pteriga Expedefsios Aeros, Hellenic Air Force, Kalamta, Greece, 40th Anniversary 363 MEA, 2021
The kit is available for €45 direct from Special Hobby, but it’s also at Hannants in the UK. Note, too, that Special Hobby offers the same schemes with a 1/32 Buckeye package (SH 32087, €60).
