The Packaging…

Consists out of a single and folded card box with enough thickness to withstand posting via mail.
The front of the box shows three pictures of the unpainted but assembled Hasegawa kit with the FlyHawk parts attached.

The Content…

After opening the box the modeler will find 7 clear plastic bags which are played into an air blistered bag. Each bag contains a reinforcing cardboard and max 2 frets of photo etched brass.
Also, one will find milled brass tubes as barrels for the main armament.

The Frets…

Before I start describing roughly each of the frets let me give you my first impression.

The brass material comes with a thickness of 0.11mm, which is quiet thin indeed. The etching is superb with no error I could find even by close inspection.
The set comes with frets A-I. 10 milled brass barrels. A fret with ammunition boxes and one fret with binoculars and fire control equipment.
I am not going to give you each and every detail for each fret but will focus on the main theme.


Fret A

This fret deals mainly with the command bridge by providing the wind shields, support structures for the window framing and some handrail for platforms. Beside that one receives some vent meshes and parts odf the radar equipment.

Fret B

This fret almost entirely deals with the flight deck. Most noticeable FlyHawk provides the whole flight deck as one piece. Beside that, the catapults and the provision to maneuver the recon planes on the flight deck railing system are given as well as the railing itself.

Fret C

I love this fret because it gives you some nicely executed platforms and sub structure elements. This will add greatly to the over all appearance as well as to the second look.

Fret D

This one is related to the funnels by providing the handrails, declining ladders, some 25mm AA platforms and structured ground plate.

Fret E

This one deals with the main artillery. What you get is nicely executed and for this scale is a dream to come true. However on the downside FlyHawk missed to provide the side heat shields for the turrets.
Further on one receives the provision for the antenna on top of some turrets.

Fret F

Now her we are provided some usual stuff like cable reels, doors and hatches. One can choose to show the doors/hatches in an open or closed position.
Also this fret gives you some very delicate parts for the recon planes.

Fret G

This one includes the anchors and davits. They look really convincing. The degaussing cable is included here as well and will well replace the kit given part.

Fret H

Fret H comes with a lot of additional parts for the boats.
What is given is stunning at least since beside the boats hull the hole superstructure is to be rebuilt out of brass.

Fret I

This one is easy to describe because it gives you the proper railing.

Fret with ammunition boxes, 4 different kinds of ammunition boxes and lots of them.

Fret with binoculars and fire control parts.

The binoculars have to be bent into the proper position and glued to the binocular stand.

Barrels…

FlyHawk provides milled barrels out of brass for the main armament which will replace the kit parts.

Instructions…

The instructions comes with two roughly letter sized papers. The print is clear and without errors.
Looking at so many parts provided the instructions are quiet short and therefore the main drawback of this kit.

Conclusion…

FlyHawk provides a stunning set for an average Hasegawa kit. I rather would guess about 85-90% of all issues with the plastic kit got resolved. Too bad the 25mm AA weapon problem did not get fixed. Portholes with "eye brows" are missing as well but this is just me. The price is quiet high, admitted, but this ain´t a set for a beginner anyway. An advanced modeler will appreciate the wealth of parts and will sure make good use of it.

Very well done Flyhawk!