HK Models | 01E040: A-20J/K Havoc / Boston IV

Reviewed by Kevin Futter

After an extended hiatus from releasing new 1/32 scale kits, HK Models returned to the fray in 2023 with an A-20G Havoc in ETO markings. Now, a few months later, they have followed up that release with a new A-20J/K / Boston IV boxing with parts and decals. The kit features 18 runners of standard mid-grey injection-moulded plastic, along with two runners of clear parts, and a small fret of photo-etched parts. This release also includes a pair of metal weights designed to fit into the lower nose, to prevent the model from sitting on its tail, and a complete set of landing gear legs cast in white metal. Lastly, there's a pair of decal sheets, and a large, 28-page instruction booklet.

Also included in my sample is an A3-sized poster of the kit's terrific box art, which was a very pleasant surprise.

The Plastic

The injection-moulded plastic parts are impressive, with crisply-rendered surface detail—recessed or raised as appropriate—along with some impressively-subtle stressed skin effects that really bring the surface to life.

Note that I've tweaked some of the photos to better show the relevant details, hence the variety of plastic colours on show.

There's a new runner (P) that replaces the solid gun nose of the previous kit with a new "glass nose" appropriate for the A-20J/K and Boston IV.

Interior structural detail is nicely done, though there are a few annoying ejector-pin marks in evidence.

Likewise, internal detail is nicely done, and will reward careful painting.

The engines are supplied on two identical sprues, and feature separate cylinder heads, ignition harnesses, and an array of plumbing.

The Engine Cowlings

The single-piece engine cowlings of the previous release have been replaced by a rather daunting array of separate panels that need to be assembled to form the completed cowlings. This appears to have been done to facilitate the arrangement of teardrop exhaust fairings that are placed on the outside of the cowlings themselves in this version of the aircraft.

Step 47 of the instructions shows the arrangement pretty clearly:

Time will ultimately tell regarding how difficult this tricky-looking arrangement is to assemble.

The cowling intakes appear on their own separate runner, and are nicely represented with hollow opening and trunking.

The Landing Gear

The landing gear looks sturdy, and very nicely detailed.

As noted earlier, this release supplies a set of replacement undercarriage legs cast in white metal.

As you can see from the photos, they are metal copies of the existing kit parts, and need to be augmented with the plastic parts for details. This is outlined on a separate A4 sheet of assembly instructions, which also include colour call-outs for AKI, GSI, and Tamiya paints.

They're certainly not as sturdy as brass landing gear parts such as those provided by Aerocraft, but do seem stronger than those provided by another well-known vendor of white metal landing gear sets.

Another new change for this kit is a re-tooled pair of nose wheel halves. In the photos below, the original release is shown on the left for comparison.

Nose Weights

Two metal nose weights are included to aid in keeping the model on its nose wheel and off its tail. These are shaped and keyed to fit into the forward fuselage halves below the cockpit.

This neatly solves what would otherwise be an awkward problem, so kudos to HK Models for some thoughtful engineering!

The Clear Parts

The clear parts are contained on two runners, for this kit. The first is the same as the one supplied in the previous release, and comprises the main cockpit canopy and its opening top panel, the rear turret glazing, window inserts for the nose, and various navigation and landing lights.

The second, new clear parts runner contains parts for the revised glass nose appropriate for the A-20J/K and Boston IV.

In all cases, the parts are very well moulded indeed, being crisp, clear, and free of any unnecessary distortion.

The Photo-Etch Fret

A single, small fret of photo-etched parts is included in the kit. This features an array of seat belt parts, along with some internal structural components, and a set of intake grilles.

This fret is slightly different to the one from the A-20G kit, featuring a row of extra detail parts along the bottom.

Decals & Markings

Decals for three aircraft are provided on two decal sheets—one containing markings for two USAAF A-20J/K aircraft, and the other covering an RAF Boston IV.

A-20J-10-D0, s/n 43-10137, 6Q-B, 647th BS/410th BG, France, early 1945
A-20K-15-D0, s/n 44-613, 7X-T, 645th BS/410th BG, France, early 1945
Boston IV, BZ515, RH-G, No. 88 Sqn RAF, Vitry-en-Atrois, France, 31st March 1945

The decals themselves are printed by Cartograf, and feature good colour density, excellent registration, and very fine printing.

The Instructions

The instruction manual is a large format, 28-page booklet, stapled at the spine. While printed in colour, most of the assembly diagrams are greyscale CAD renders. A set of parts diagrams is included, along with a paint conversion chart on the back page, which covers AK Interactive, Mr. Hobby, and Tamiya paint ranges.

The painting and markings guide occupies the last six pages of the manual, with a mini version of the paint conversion chart included with each markings option.

Conclusion

I thought the original release of this kit was possibly the best kit that HK Models had produced so far—the parts are beautifully detailed, and expertly moulded, with only a few errant ejector-pin marks to spoil the party. Surface detail is excellent, and the subtle stressed skin effect is impressively convincing. The sturdy wing-to-fuselage socket assembly—something of a HKM hallmark these days—should in theory allow for the wings and fuselage to be assembled and painted separately, significantly simplifying the logistics involved with such a large model.

This second release improves on that excellent kit in small but important ways, with corrected nose wheel parts, the inclusion of metal landing gear, and multiple markings options.

That said, the multi-piece cowling assemblies could prove challenging, while the white metal landing gear arguably provides little in the way of additional strength or detail over the stock plastic parts.

Overall, though—in the box at least—this is a stunning kit, and will build into a terrific replica right out of the box. HK Models raised the bar and released its best-ever kit with the A-20G, and I think this new boxing is even better.

Review sample courtesy of HK Models.

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