The rather huge problem is that Italeri depicts the very same "white 100" markings I wanted to do (done much more poorly it seems to me than on my Eduard sheet version), but does NOT offer Eduard's brilliant kit-bashing in the box, and instead just a simple Il-2M3 swept-wing version! The date offered is Summer 1943, which is just barely plausible for the swept-wing version's time of introduction...
On wings Palette, no less than four profiles are offered of this same "white 100" machine with the music partition, yet all of them are classified in the swept-wing Il-2M3s section and not as straight-wing Il-2Ms!
This despite the fact that, according to other sources, a short mast and black-on-green scheme guarantees an earlier straight-wing Il-2M, yet here a later brown scheme is offered, but still with a short mast (same with the 3 other profiles, but here the way the wings are drawn is more reminescent of a straight wing, despite the later brown colour):
Not to mention that all reviewers failed to note this rather obvious discrepancy, it would be nice to know which kind of wings are supposed to go on this machine, which should have drawn attention given what seems to me like an absolutely unique artwork.
I also find Eduard decals tend to be better performing and better made than many After-Market decals, and so that is another reason why I am very keen on using them.
Imagine the B-24 "The Dragon and his tail" being offered both with turreted and non-turreted kit versions, and nobody even trying to figure which is supposed to be the right one...
Gaston
P.S. I could not find any discussion of this large discrepancy on the web anywhere (despite both the Eduard and Italeri boxings having been out for years), so I guess this indicates interest in the Il-2 is rather limited...
G.
