Fisher Model & Pattern | AHC1, AHC2 and AHC3: Resin Updates for Hobbycraft Sea Fury

Reviewed by David Jones

I recently took delivery of three of Paul Fisher's detail sets which he has modified from his outstanding Sea Fury kit for use with the Hobbycraft kit.

AHC1 Cockpit Detail Set - $35.00 (US)

AHC2 Wheel Well Detail Set - $30.00 (US)

AHC3 Prop and Spinner set - $15.00 (US). The two main areas where the Hobbycraft kit lacks detail is the cockpit and wheel wells. These two sets completely eliminate those problems! Anyone who has seen a Fisher Sea Fury built can appreciate just how brilliantly the cockpit is put together. For this set the original molds were used but modified just enough to allow it to fit in the Hobbycraft fuselage.

This is some of the best casting I have had the pleasure to behold. There are minimal casting blocks, no visible air bubbles that I could find and all the details one could possibly hope for! Side wall details are included, although the instructions give you the option to not install them since they'll be really hard to see inside the fuselage opening when assembled. The rest of the set includes all of the bits for the compass, IP and seat. A photo-etch fret and small piece of clear to be used for the gun sight round out the impressive bag of resin.

The canopy is cast in clear resin (crystal clear!) and is a two piece canopy so it can be posed in the open position.

Next up is the wheel well set. Again, this is simply stunning. Everything you would expect from Fisher!

While just the main components are pictured here, you really have to see the amazingly detailed actuators and other details in person in order to fully appreciate them. This set also includes a full replacement for the tail wheel with doors and a corrected arresting hook for the tail. Lastly we have the corrected prop and spinner. Until I looked at these I didn't realize just how much the Hobbycraft is in need of correction in this area, too. The spinner has the panel line and fastener details molded in, the blades look much more accurate in shape and a very clever jig is included to properly align the blades.

One of my gripes about some resin detail sets is the relative lack of instructions. Not so with these sets! All three come with highly specific detailed instructions complete with photos that go a long way towards easing the construction of your model. Painting instructions are included as well.

Any one of these sets will go a long way towards improving the finished look of your Hobbycraft Fury. Used all together you'll have a finished model that will very nearly equal Paul's outstanding resin kit! Which brings us to the question: Why use these when you could just build the Fisher kit? There are a few that I can think of - Some are intimidated by an all-resin kit and feel more comfortable adding resin details to an injection molded kit. Cost is also a factor. At $195.00, the Fisher Fury is not inexpensive. The price of the Hobbycraft is around $40.00 so even if you bought all three of these sets you'd still be saving money. If you added the two additional sets that Paul offers for a folded wing and the rockets set, you'd exceed the cost of the Fisher. Clearly being able to pick and choose which areas you want to correct or detail is the idea here.

Available from Fisher Model and Pattern.

Very highly recommended!!

Fisher Model & Pattern | AHC1, AHC2 and AHC3: Resin Updates for Hobbycraft Sea Fury

Reviewed by David Jones

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