Orion Models 1/48 LGB/GBU Seeker Heads First Look
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | March 2006 | Manufacturer | Orion Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | LGB/GBU Seeker Heads | Scale | 1/48 |
| Kit Number | OMV48003 | Media | Vinyl |
| Pros | Visual and accuracy improvement on Hasegawa (and other) 1/48 LGB/GBU seeker heads | Cons | |
| Skill Level | Basic | MSRP (USD) | Out of Production |
First Look
I remember when Hasegawa started releasing their weapons sets. On one hand, it provided a wealth of armament options for any project, but on the other, they stopped arming their own kits to help sales of their weapons sets. Nevertheless, the sets did provide some nicely detailed weapons that were a notch or two above the weapons that were included in most other manufacturers' kits.
In Weapons Sets B, Hasegawa provides a supply of Paveway I laser guided bombs while in Set D, they provide a supply of the Paveway II. The bombs themselves are nice, but the seeker heads are about as good as you're going to get in 1/48 styrene.
Orion Models to the rescue! In this release, they've provided 27 replacement seeker heads which, when removed from the resin molding blocks, allow you to see through the seeker's fins when viewed from the front, just like the real seeker heads.
You've seen it on contest tables, someone has really done an outstanding job building their model only to slap on some weapons as an afterthought. When each weapon is treated as a model of its own right and added to the aircraft appropriately, the results are stunning. This set will definitely kick up the fidelity of the laser guided bombs in the Hasegawa sets (as well as any other LGB you care to use).
This is a nicely done enhancement for the Hasegawa sets! My sincere thanks to Orion Models for this review sample!