Premiering in prime time in 1964, “Jonny Quest” was one of cartoon giant Hanna-Barbera’s attempts to produce a realistic science-fiction adventure series — quite a change from the studio’s standard cartoons (“Tom & Jerry”) and comedic TV series (“The Flintstones”). The series followed Dr. Benton Quest, his son Jonny, Jonny’s best friend Hadji, and their pilot/bodyguard Roger “Race” Bannon on their worldwide adventures.
The original series included 26 episodes, and lived on in Saturday-morning reruns for decades after its original broadcast. Although some facets of the show aren’t exactly politically correct by today’s standards, the series is available on DVD and it’s still great fun to watch.
The Quest’s jet appears in just a few episodes, but it features prominently in the series’ action-packed opening and closing credits. Although a few cast-resin garage kits of the ship have been available over the years, this is the first injection-molded model of the aircraft.
With only 10 parts, the basic airframe goes together quickly. The parts arrive bagged and most are molded in off-white plastic. Some have a slightly pebbly surface, but they smooth out easily after a few passes from a medium-grit sanding stick. A single sheet of instructions is included. The fit is particularly nice. Stout alignment pins connect the fuselage halves, and the wings and canards attach via sturdy tabs, ensuring correct alignment and dihedral. After just a bit of filler and a little sanding, the model was ready for paint. I spray-painted the model with Tamiya Fine White Surface Primer.
The clear canopy is the kit’s only disappointment. The framing (particularly on the sides) is soft and poorly defined, making masking difficult. I sanded things smooth using a fine-grit sanding stick and painted the entire canopy white. When the white was dry, I masked new framework with thin strips of tape and airbrushed the windows flat black. There’s no interior detail, so there’s nothing to miss using this technique.
The 2"-long pitot/antenna is thin and delicate; Moebius thoughtfully supplies two of them in case there’s an accident. The two-piece engine exhaust has a clear insert that will make lighting the engine a breeze. Speaking of clear parts, the retro two-piece stand holds the 12"-long model securely and features a Jonny Quest decal. No landing gear is included.
I spent a weekend building the model and had a great time doing it. It’s a great (and long-awaited) addition to my science-fiction collection.
Note: A version of this review appeared in the April 2015 FineScale Modeler.