CHRIS CLIFFORD examines this interesting 1/72 mixed-media kit, which has its origins in MPM’s Northrop A-17 tooling.
If ever a company has become adept at upgrading older tooling to offer different aircraft sub-types, it’s Special Hobby. One of its latest offerings is the Douglas DB-8A/3N (72465), which is based on MPM’s original kit of the Northrop A-17, from 2002, and is named ‘Outnumbered and Fearless’. The DB-8A/3N was an export version of the A-17, ordered by the Netherlands and delivered between August-November 1939. Notably, Northrop was taken over by Douglas on August 1939, so the A-17s adopted that company’s name, while Northrop products serving in the United States Army Air Corps retained the original manufacturer’s moniker. The last time this tooling appeared was three years ago, with parts and decals to produce a Swedish Air Force SAAB B5 (a licence-built A-17).
