UPDATE:  FOR 2020, MINICRAFT HAS RELEASED A T-34B, A COLORFUL U.S. NAVY VERSION OF THE BEECHCRAFT MENTOR TRAINER.

SUMMARY:  ALL-NEW KIT GOES TOGETHER LIKE A DREAM THANKS TO INNOVATIVE ENGINEERING.

In 2020, Minicraft released a T-34B, the U.S. Navy version of the versatile Mentor.  Artwork by John Valo.  The holograph sticker certifies that the model is an authorized U.S. Navy licensed product!

Insignias in our kit had wonky red bars.  Luckily, like most modelers, we have many spares available from other sources.

The latest Minicraft T-34 is a "B" version now in striking Navy markings.  The plastic is the same--this kit is notable for excellent interior and wheel well detail to a level you'd expect to see only with help from aftermarket detailing sets.  No extra purchases required here.  The kit was engineered with a high level of detail built right out of the box.  Our only nitpick with the "B" version is the insignia decals, but for most modelers, that's an easy fix by scrounging up some leftover spares from other sources.

The box side shows two U.S. Navy versions that can be built from the kit.  Box end shows the model as built by Carl Knable.

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​Minicraft’s new T-34A/B Mentor provides the definitive 1/48 scale entry of this important Post-WWII trainer.  Debuting during lean fiscal times for new aircraft types, it was based in part on the then-new Beechcraft Bonanza private plane.  Chances are you’ve flown on a commercial plane whose pilot was trained originally on a version of the Mentor.

Civil Air Patrol markings provide a colorful scheme in Kit# 11695.  

Kit# 11671 has markings for post-WWII USAF and JSDF (Japan)

Minicraft was kind enough to send us some sample kits to try out, including one of their most recent releases, the Beechcraft T-34A Civil Air Patrol version in 1/48 scale.  Believe it or not, I have not built a 1/48 scale model since about 1965, so this was new ground for me!  The subject is relatively small, so I almost felt like I was building a large single engine aircraft in 1/72.  The old Monogram Douglas A-1E Skyraider in 1/72 scale comes to mind, so the size of the model was no big deal.

Parts for Kit# 11671.  11695 has the same plastic.  Kit has over 90 parts.  MSRP: $USD 35.99.  Wingspan: about 8-3/8", Length: about 7-1/8"

Of course a big difference in my 1/72 scale single engine aircraft models and a 1/48 scale single engine model like this is the level of detail.  The biggest surprise was the presence of a few really small parts that some modeling cynics call “fiddly-bits.”  Well, I decided to jump in to the project, maintain a positive attitude, and try to do the best I could with the kit while having some fun in the bargain.

This is truly a modeler’s kit.  Bugaboos and gremlins such as flash, sinkholes, swirls, and ejector pin marks have been virtually eliminated thanks to state-of-the-art engineering.  For example, Minicraft decided to mold the horizontal stabilizer parts in two halves.  

Engineering such parts  this way is more difficult and expensive, but the thinner piece eliminates the shallow but noticeable sink marks that are hard to fill since they often occur underneath details that will be damaged or eliminated when tying to correct the sink mark.

A Minicraft trademark for many years is positive wing alignment on their aircraft kits.  Their airliners have interlocking fingers to assure a strong, correctly aligned wing.  The Mentor kit actually takes this a step further with internal wing spars that integrate with the cockpit assembly, and provide the internal sidewalls for the landing gear bays.  This assures good wing alignment, and “walls off” the landing gear bays with some nice detailing.  It’s the sort of thing that scratchbuilders have expected to do for years to enhance the open wheel wells of 1/48 prop aircraft.  Minicraft does it for you out-of-the-box!

The kit comes with a well-illustrated 16-page instruction manual, which is easy to follow.  The cockpit is Step #1, and I figured I could assemble it before painting any of the parts.  The cockpit has many nice detail parts included and will look good under that crystal-clear canopy, so spend some time there with weathering, detail enhancement, etc.

Decals that come with 11695.  Instead of stripping off the USAF markings, the CAP simply covered them with silver paint.  Minicraft simulates this on their decal sheet.  It adds an extra measure of realism to the model.

Dem Brudders with Two Mentors, both the original releases.  The T-34B (not pictured here) is the newest version to land on your hobby shop shelf.

I finished that initial step easily, and then went for Step 10, the wing spars, which require some special attention to attach all parts properly.  The instructions state, “NOTE position of notches & orientation” and they are not kidding!

A bottom view of the cockpit/wing spar/nose gear well assembly.  That's a pretty impressive set of guts!

The remaining cockpit assembly went routinely until I lost one of the trim wheels and had to scratch-build a replacement.  It passed the audition as Brudder Bill could not tell which one was molded and which one was mine.

From there, assembly was fairly routine, but I made an error in estimating the amount of lead foil weight necessary to put in the front of the nose.  The instructions remind you to add weight before fuselage half assembly, but I did not load quite enough lead foil in there!   I had to improvise at the end to avoid having a tail sitter on my hands.

Now one bonus of the kit is the very excellent clear stand, which comes with it.  I have used two of these to great success on a couple of older models to show them in flight.   This is an easy option with the Mentor if you decide to finish the model wheels-up due to insufficient weights up front.  Minicraft has the stands on their website that can be bought separately for only $2.99 each, or you can buy them at your favorite hobby shop.  You have great flexibility with these stands since the main post can be cut to adjust the height for your display case clearance, etc, and the ball and socket joint allows the model to be posed in various positions on the stand.  You just have to cut a small hole in the bottom of the model and glue the ball part in the hole.  The socket is glued to the top of the post.  The post, cut to the height you desire, is glued into the wide round base.

Dick's "Mule" (no, a MiG-29 is NOT included with the Mentor).  Dick experimented with finishes he doesn't normally use on a test-model to avoid messing up his Mentor.  Mr. Editor Bill wonders if he'll actually finish the MiG-29.  He'd like to see it built.

Remaining assembly was very straightforward.  The canopy parts were about as clear as you can get and the fit was not bad either, so I passed on my regular step of dipping the parts in Future floor wax. I glued them in place before masking with Squadron bonding cement.  There are two very small parts that go in specific areas portside on parts of the canopy but they’re so small that the safest way to place them is to glue each of them to short pieces of stretched sprue and then use the sprue to set them to place, let the glue dry, and then just cut the sprues off the parts and smooth the rough spot.

Masking for the red-painted sections on wing, nose, and ahead of tail.  Low-tack Post-it Notes and Parafilm protect the silver base coat.

I decided to try some different aluminum paints so I pulled out some Valspar Kustom Kolor chrome (available through House of Kolor) that had sat unused in my storage closet for more than twelve years.  It is a “hot” paint and does better with a gloss-black undercoat to protect the plastic underneath and provide depth to the finish.  When experimenting with any new paint, it’s a good idea to try it out first on a test model “mule.”  This is easier than having to strip off a less-than-optimum trial (don’t ask me how I know this). 
 
To prevent pulling up the metal finish, I masked for the red areas with Parafilm and Post-it Notes, two coverings with a very easygoing adhesive.  I got best results with a mix of orange and red Testor enamel paints. 

Kit decals went on very well.  A little Microsol was used to coax the well-mannered decals to conform to some surface irregularities such as rivets and things.  The scheme I was following had black lines bordering the nose and tail areas, so I used some wing-walk decal stripes that were the right size. These are always a little tricky to keep straight, but patience will help you get a good result.  I had to hit one stubborn area with some Solvaset but the end result was very satisfactory.

Wear gloves to keep fingerprints off the model at this point, as you have to handle it quite a bit when you remove your masking materials.  I used Alclad Semi Gloss Klear Kote over the entire model, including the silver USAF marking decal masks and all other decals, and it left a very nice uniform appearance. 
 
Next it was time to put the landing gear on.  I had previously painted it, so it was patiently waiting to go to place.  All went well until I realized I had a tail sitter on my hands in spite of loading the nose with lead tape beforehand!  I had to bite the bullet and fill part of the nose gear well with as much weight as I could jam in there without ruining anything.

Piston-powered aircraft usually spit oil and grime from their exhausts, and Dick depicted this on his model.

It filled in the space such that contest judges will dock me but too bad!  I contoured the foil so it did not look too bad and I ended up with a plane barely sitting on its nose gear properly – barely!

With that problem solved, I did a little bit of weathering, mainly with exhaust areas and a few other spots I dirtied up.  I guessed that these Civil Service airplanes were kept pretty clean and nice-looking.

​The model now resides in all its glory in my display case for now.  I plan to get a separate case for it since it does not like being placed with its “little brothers,” meaning the lowly 1/72 scale models next to it! 
 
Well, except for self-induced builder error problems with paint and weight, the model was a lot of fun to build and was a good exercise in trying a larger scale project. 

I was trying to imagine how small a version of the Mentor must be in 1/72 scale (Mr. Editor Bill reminds the reader that the Mentor is fractionally smaller than a WWII German Focke Wulf Fw-190)!

I’ll have to snarf up one of the 1/72 Hasegawa or Sword versions if I can find one anywhere and try it out.  But any website surfers who like to build single engine aircraft in 1/48 scale should order one of these Minicraft Civil Air Patrol marking kits up right away and get it built!  The instructions are easy to follow, the size and parts are accurate and it was even a fun change of pace for a dyed-in-the wool 1/72 scale builders like yours truly!  WARNING--REALLY BAD PUN AHEAD:  Minicraft's T-34A Mentor is the perfect trainer kit for those of you learning to build 1/48 scale aircraft.  Seriously, you'll want some basic model building skills in place to handle the small parts (Minicraft calls it a Skill Level 3 kit), but we can't say enough good about this model kit.  

Dem Brudders give it an enthusiastic four thumbs up!

Keep an eye on Minicraft Models.  We'll bet they announce some cool new releases in the near future!

BONUS INFORMATION

It’s not easy to find many model kits with Civil Air Patrol markings.  Minicraft Models has the market cornered on CAP kits, however.  Check out our page on Minicraft’s civil aircraft models.  There is additional information there about the Civil Air Patrol.  Also, while Minicraft’s Mentor debuts as an all-new kit, the actual Mentor is based on the Beechcraft Bonanza, a popular private plane.  Our Minicraft Civil Aircraft page features the Minicraft Beech Bonanza kit, and you can see the differences between the original Bonanza kit and the new Mentor kit.  Lewis Nace pointed out to us that the new Mentor kit is 100% new engineering, and has nothing to do with the old Bonanza kit, but we do point out some interesting comparisons between the two that we think you’ll enjoy.

Above is a screen-grab from our Minicraft Civil Aircraft Models page.  We explore some similarities between two kits (Bonanza and Mentor) that debuted decades apart.  Check it out!

BUILDER TIP:  TAIL SITTERS WEIGHING YOU DOWN?  CALCULATE THAT WEIGHT CORRECTLY OR FIX IT IF YOU STILL MESS UP

Mr. Editor Bill snickers at Dick's misfortune with his Mentor and has a nice tip after-the-fact for calculating how much weight you’ll need to use in the nose of an airplane model with tricycle landing gear to keep it on its nose.  Use a little Scotch tape to tack major subassemblies to the fuselage such as wings and tail parts.  Don’t tape the fuselage halves together until you’ve inserted your nose weight.  Balance the model at the point where the main landing gear wheels will be, and you should get a good idea whether or not the amount of weight you’ve selected will be enough.  There are a couple more things to consider.  Your paint will add additional weight to the back of the airplane, and additional “fiddly bits” added during assembly will bias the balance point accordingly whether they are ahead or behind the mains.

An actual T-34A Mentor

Another thing to consider if you haven’t added enough weight to balance the model, or just forgot to add it during early assembly, is to simply drill a hole in the finished model, add the weight, and fill and refinish where you put the hole.  There are a couple things to remember, though.  Drill a small pilot hole, and do not drill it directly on the center seam.  If you do this, there’s a good chance that the seam will split and then you’ll be in a bigger mess (don’t ask me how I know this).  

Drill your pilot hole slightly off center and enlarge gradually with a hobby knife.  Add the weight (small lead shot is probably the best at this point) and also add some epoxy glue through the hole to keep the weight from shifting around or rattling.  After the glue has cured (support the model nose-down while waiting), fill the hole with a plastic plug and putty, finish over the area, and viola—no more tail-sitter!  While you do all this, wear gloves or hold the model using a soft cloth to preserve the rest of your finish.

EXPERIENCE IT

T-34’s can be seen at a few air museums around the USA.  At the National Museum of the United States Air Force, they have a T-34 hanging from the ceiling!  While such a display arrangement makes it challenging to see topside details, one can get a very nice view of things like landing gear and exhausts.  And it’s just like we used to hang airplane models from our bedroom ceiling when we were kids.