Hobby Master burst onto the scene way back in 2006, which, for all intents and purposes, might as well be an eon ago in the hobby industry’s time line. Since that time, we’ve kept a careful eye on their progress, marking all of their revolutionary advances with both applause and criticism, taking them to task when an item doesn’t live up to its hype and clapping them on the back when they have exceeded our expectations. However, there are times when they make evolutionary changes, that, quite literally, push the hobby forward and demonstrate their prowess as model makers even if other collectors, critics and model makers might not notice.
Earlier this morning, images were posted for two of their upcoming aircraft: a McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle – “75th Anniversary of Oregon ANG” (HA4559) and a Grumman F-14A Tomcat, VF-14 “Tophatters”, 80th Anniversary, 1999 (HA5214). As you can see by the accompanying photos, Hobby Master has demonstrated their ability to tackle some of the more complex camouflage schemes and adornments that other model makers might side step, a clear indication that more intricate artwork isn’t a thing solely left to aftermarket specialists.
In the case of the F-15 (top), look at how they have managed to not only recreate the screaming eagle, but align the tampo printing so that it covers multiple panels below the cockpit. As for the F-14 (bottom), marvel at all of the smaller cautionary signage that appear along the fuselage as well as some of the finer detail and stenciling that went into the wing tips, ventral fin and tail. In a word, bravo!