Roden 1/48 T-28C Trojan Kit First Look
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | May 2013 | Manufacturer | Roden |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | T-28C Trojan | Scale | 1/48 |
| Kit Number | 0451 | Primary Media | Styrene |
| Pros | Great details | Cons | See text |
| Skill Level | Experienced | MSRP (USD) | $55.98 |
First Look
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The T-28 was North American Aviation's second design to replace their highly successful T-6 Texan/SNJ Harvard. First flown in 1949, it was adopted by the US Air Force as a primary trainer and designated T-28A. The US Navy had issued a requirement for a new trainer previous to the T-28 and North American had answered with the SN2J, but it was found to be lacking in several performance areas as was a competing design and that procurement was cancelled. The T-28B was the follow-on submission replacing the T-28A's 800 horsepower R1300 with an R1820 rated at 1425 horsepower, add a three-bladed propeller to translate that additional power into thrust, and ventral speed brakes to slow it down again. The T-28C took the T-28B and strengthened the airframe, added a tailhook, and shortened the propeller blades to provide additional clearance during arrested carrier landings.
Roden has released their latest installment in their T-28 Trojan series with this T-28C. Like the original Roden T-28B release reviewed here, this kit is molded in gray styrene but there are now six parts trees plus one tree of clear parts.The new tree provides the clipped propeller, tail hook, and a different rudder and fin cap.
The kit has some nice features and options that are noteworthy:
- Nicely detailed R-1820 engine visible from the cowling front as well as from the open cowl flaps
- Detailed cockpit w/sticks, rudder pedals, throttle quadrants
- Instrument panels look good and have decal instrument faces
- Positionable front and rear canopies
- Positionable ailerons
- Positionable elevators
- Positionable rudder
- Positionable flaps
- Positionable speed brake
- Positionable cowl flaps
- Positionable tail hook
- Instructions clearly show 25 grams of nose ballast required (thank you!)
Markings are provided for two examples:
- T-28C, 140631, VA-122, NJ/091, NAS Lemoore, 1977
- T-28C, 140514, VT-5, 2S/714, USS Lexington, 1971
Roden has produced three of the Trojan variants to date, we're only missing the T-28A in USAF colors and perhaps the turboprop YAT-28E to complete the series. Thank you Roden for producing this series!
My sincere thanks to Squadron Mail Order for this review sample!