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Modern (1975-today)
Discuss the modern aircraft age from 1975 thru today.
Finished Valom's 1/48 An-2- uggghhh
jphillips
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Arizona, United States
Joined: February 25, 2007
KitMaker: 1,066 posts
AeroScale: 214 posts
Posted: Wednesday, August 10, 2011 - 03:58 PM UTC
Well, I've finished Valom's 1/4 An-2 Colt, and I can only say, I should have ordered the Bilek from Eastern Europe instead - this is what I get for my impatience. The Valom can be ordered from sellers here in the States, while the Bilek has to ship from abroad.
The Valom Colt is poorly engineered, and over engineered. Getting the wings aligned correctly was something I never did accomplish; I finally gave up, figuring I'd only make things worse.
The instructions were also unclear. I was directed to cut pieces at one point, but wasn't able to comprehend just where and how much to cut. The illustration wasn't much help. In any case, why should I be required to perform such surgery? At sixty-five dollars a pop, the kit should come cast correctly, without the need for modelers to correct the manufacturer's mistakes.And in any case, if they're necessary, they shouldn't be a matter of guesswork.
Apparently the Bilek Colt provides the upper and lower wings as single pieces, which should make getting them right a lot easier.
I don't have a camera, but even if I did, I'd hesitate to photograph this pig. It may be that a better modeler would have breezed through it with no trouble, but I find myself extremely disappointed.
In summation, my suggestion: go for the Bilek Colt. I'm sure it'll be worth the wait.
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