New releases from LukGraph, an in box review (sort of!)

[BlackMike Models 6,180]

The latest releases from LukGraph have arrived in stock at BlackMike Models and they are so tempting I feel like keeping them all for myself! So to let you all see what you are missing I've put together a hasty in box review of one of the new Curtiss F6C family, in this case it's a float equipped F6C-3.

Firstly some background information on the range. LukGraph kits are high quality full resin kits and cover a range of esoteric subjects from 1/72 scale aircraft through 1/48 scale WW1 vehicles and aircraft to 1/32 aircraft and onwards to some 1/35 WW1 vehicles.

The latest aircraft releases from LukGraph cover the Curtiss F6C family (F6C-1 Navy Fighter, F6C-1 Floatplane, F6C-3 Navy Fighter and F6C-3 Floatplane) and also the US Army derivatives (P-1A Hawk and AT-5/AT-5A). I've had a look inside the F6C-3 Floatplane kit, 32-20, and here are some photos of the contents.

The box art is beautifully printed.

The main kit parts (Fuselage and wings) come wrapped in bubble wrap and have already been removed from the casting blocks so the whole kit has the look and feel of a regular injection moulded kit in many ways. The other kit components come sealed in various zip lock bags and have also been removed from their casting blocks, the only exceptions to this are the very small and delicate parts such as the exhaust stubs and propellor blades. The quality of the casting is superb with no bubbles or pinholes obvious at all. The struts are reinforced with brass wire and the wings have metal rods to provide a strong and positive joint to the fuselage.

A photo-etch sheet is also included for the details like seatbelts and engine cover fasteners etc. A self adhesive printed sheet for the cockpit dials is also included.

The instruction booklet is clear and easy to follow, it also includes a guide to the rigging arrangement (no rigging material is included in the kit).

The decal sheet provides one marking option as per the boxart. The sheet is quite small but is nicely printed with everything in register.

I have been impressed by the quality of every one of the LukGraph kits I have seen and these latest releases continue that quality benchmark. LukGraph have clearly presented these kits in such a way as to take the fear factor out of building a resin kit. Gone are the casting blocks and the hours of tedious cutting and trimming that they required. Some experience would be necessary  to build one of these but no more than would be required to build any 1/32 scale biplane as the parts breakdown lends itself more to the mainstream in my opinion. I'm so tempted to try one of these for myself in the very near future.

For details of the LukGraph range of kits please visit the LukGraph Collection at the BlackMike Models website by following the link below.

 https://www.blackmikemodels.co.uk/collections/lukgraph

Duncan B

Edited May 1, 2019 by BlackMike Models