Nitto SF3D Raccoon SAFSR Review

Here's my first review of a Nitto kit, the Raccoon.
This is an old package, the S.F.3.D Original boxing.

Its basically a recon version of the SAFS. It uses the same SAFS sprues, with an additional Raccoon sprue C, which contains the sensor pod mounted on the right, the IR seeker, exhaust , cooler and the left hand(manipulator). This kit has no left arm weapon.
The cockpit hatch is the same as the SAFS kit, which allows the modeler build the kit either with the hatch opened, or closed.
Included are rubber covers for the arms although there's no instruction as to how to use it on the kit at all!
For some reason its selling at a much higher price than SAFS on Yahoo Japan, about 3000yen and above. Probably due to its increased parts..

Description
(found at the back of the box)

The SAFS Raccoon was the scouting type which had scouting equipments such as the large-sized sensor pod and the I.R. seeker optical unit, and that arms of the SAFS having high mobile fighting capacity were removed. Moreover this Raccoon was armed with the ECM, the radiation prevention cover, and the silencer for exhaust noise as the defense against the enemy's electric wave weapon heat sensor, and voice sensor. The Raccoon strengthened communication capacity besides the said equipments was armed as a command type at the SAFS platoon of 2885 type standard organization and the headquarters detachment.
Chassis Nos................25621-
Crew......................................1
Weight (tons).................0.49
Length (metres).............1.44
Width (metres)...............0.98
Height (metres)..............2.52
Sight.....................TZF(sd.)46
I.R.Seeker Optical Unit
Radio...........................FuG43
Engine.....................HL375-H
Speed(km/hr)....................52
Range(km)........................205
Armor(mm).....7mm Tungsten
Super Ceramics

Details

Scale: 1/20
Type of material : injection molded, multi-media
Number of parts: 100+
Decals: yes
Instructions: yes
Overall quality: Very good, little to no flash
Overall accuracy: Accurate
Date of release: unknown
Release price: unknown

Pictures

box front (For some reason there's smearing in the printing) box back

Raccoon box

box opened

Contents

• a bag of 3 sprues: A,B and C.
• 1 bag containing the pilot figure sprue and a transparent bit
  
• 1 bag of springs, rubber covers, brass wires and PE parts
• 1 decal sheet (water slide)
• 1 instruction sheet
• 1 camo card

sprues, wires, decal sheet

camo card and instruction sheet (the camo card was printed quite dark...)

SAFS sprue A and B (Raccoon uses SAFS parts)

Raccoon sprue C

camo card front

camo card back

instruction sheet page 1

instruction sheet page 2

instruction sheet page 3

instruction sheet page 4

Thoughts & Comments

Before having this kit, I had always thought that the sensor unit mounted on top was actually a fixed laser cannon, therefore removing the need for the left arm laser pod. Kind of like the predator shoulder cannon. Maybe one day I will build an SAFS unit with such a laser cannon.
Anyway this kit is going out to a friend of mine who gave me a Fledermaus... He builds Ma.K which are very inspiring! :)

PS: The box art and instructions are copyrighted Nitto material and I've used them as resources to share with my fellow modelers and as an online resource.