Aggressor Light: 1/48th Trumpeter T-38A Talon

Here is another case where two kit manufactures released a less seen aircraft type within a year of each other (after we waited ages for a decent one). The 1/48th Trumpeter T-38A Talon, released in 2014, was less than a year behind the 1/48th Wolfpack kit (2013). Both kits are similar in construction, detail level as well as price point.

Notable Kit Features:

• Nicely detailed cockpits with raised detail as well as decals provided for instruments

• Photo-etch seatbelts and rear-view mirrors included

• Optional boarding ladder (one only)

• All control surfaces molded in neutral

• Speed brakes & horizontal stabilators can be positioned

• Finely scribed panel lines

• Simple build with good overall fit

• Clear, thin canopies (with a minor centre seam)

• Optional centerline travel pod

Build Inspiration:

As you may have noticed, the Aggressor aircraft paint jobs are a favourite of mine. I had built the Wolfpack T-38 kit a few years ago, so when I came across this 1/48th Trumpeter T-38A Talon at a local hobby shop I picked it up for a comparison build. I can always add another Aggressor scheme to the pack at The Hangar. I wanted a paint scheme I did not have as yet (nor one I planned on doing in the future). I wasn't a fan of the newer "Panda" Talon scheme worn on the T-38C model, so I decided on a theoretical "Desert Slate" paint finish which would utilize the kit's white lettering for something a bit different.

There are a multitude of great T-38 Aggressor schemes to chose from as well as the standard Trainer White or contrasting black paint jobs for your T-38 project.

Heads-Up Report:

• The Trumpeter kit is a tad larger when compared to the Wolfpack kit (which is probably more to scale than this Trumpeter kit - Really only noticeable when they are side-by-side)

• All control surfaces molded in neutral

• Travel pod pylon holes are pre-opened (so if you don't want the pod you'll have to cap these off)

• The small antennas along the underside centre-line seam are moulded in and a challenge not to remove when cleaning up this seam in preparation for paint

• The canopies have a faint centre seam line on them (typical with these blown canopies)

• Panel lines are a bit shallow

• A little filler was required on the intakes

• The decal fin flash colours on the Portuguese AF are reversed - the larger area aft should be red, not green.

Kit Additions / Modifications:

• Scribed control surfaces to give panel lines extra depth

• Sanded down rudder slightly at bottom to clear fuselage

• Very minor centre seam on canopies was removed polished and buffed (Over buffing error may have warped my canopy - so my fit wasn't as good as it started out - I think)

Finishing:

The decal overlay applied over the raised instrument panels in the cockpit worked quite well and gave the panel a quick solution of coloured dials and switches. This and the included PE seat harnesses definitely brought the pit up a notch. The paint scheme I used for my Talon consisted of Vallejo FS 36622 (light gray), underside and wrap-around, with FS 36173 (medium gray) and Sky Type S (green-gray) top camouflage. Weathering was kept to a minimum as these Aggressor birds are well maintained and the pride of the instructors. Next came my standard coat of Pledge gloss followed by decals and washes. The final topcoat of matte clear would be applied to dull the finish as well as seal in the decals and paint work. After the spray sets the final finer bits were added in, with the open canopy details, gear as well as antennas attached.

The After-Build Report:

Previous to the Trumpeter (and Wolfpack) T-38 kit releases there was the Fujimi kit (which was rather toy-like and a bit out of scale) and the short-run multi-media Sword kit (that ended up being more complex, ill-fitting and error prone, not to mention expensive than most would like) so a relatively new injection mould kit was a great relief for Talon fans. Personally I would give this 1/48th Trumpeter T-38A Talon kit the edge over the Wolfpack offering. The kits are quite similar as far as construction. The addition of photo-etch seatbelts and rear-view mirrors as well as slightly better fit qualities of the Trumpeter version rate it as slightly better in detail and fit. The Wolfpack has slightly better scale, depth in the panel lines, instructions that included reference photos as well as FS colours, however the fit of the windscreen over the instrument panel required some surgery. Either kit will get you a nice looking T-38 Talon, so I certainly wouldn't rule out the Wolfpack kit. I have found both kits available at pretty reasonable prices so if you want a few T-38s in the collection it won't break the bank or take up too much shelf space either.

Completed build #288 - May 2026 using the 1/48th scale Trumpeter #02852 kit.

Feel free to comment or ask any questions - Keep on building, gain experience, challenge yourself if you like, but try not to stress yourself out over the build - it is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby after all - Cheers