Daco - (Skyline Models)

This kit hit the market in the spring of this year. Production was limited to only 2500 copies worldwide, but the quality of the mold was well above other limited run kits. Daco is from Belgium, and has a web site. (It can be reached through KMC's homepage WWW.KMCmiami.com) I had corresponded with them over some of their decal releases. Although he will sell individually it is recommended to check with your local hobby shop. I put my order in with Uncle Bill's, they arrived exactly two weeks later!

The kit features scribed lines for many panels on all the surfaces. Parts were cleanly molded and had no flash or sink marks. The plastic was a medium grey, responded well to sanding and glued up nicely with Pro Weld and the Humbrol products. Some spots will require a touch of SuperGlue. Lining up the fuselage halves, no size differences existed! I do recommend building it like a Vacform - glue several inches at a time. The wheel wells are inserts that feature some detailing. They fit into place with only a little sanding. The mains well may pop into the fuse as its test fitted. The wings are cast in one piece, but some fairings will be glued in place. My example had a slight warp, but a couple light bends corrected that. The engines will require some material to be sanded away from the center section. As well, the wing root and tab will require sanding to obtain the correct dihedral. The instructions cover these sanding sections very well. There are two nice bonus items with this kit. The first is a photoetch sheet with antennas, wipers and gear doors. The other is a decals sheet with many decals. I'm sure every stencil is included. I applied 90% of them to my kit!

Although the kit does not have a specific airlines markings included, Daco offers many 300 version decals in their line. Most are European liveries, but Western Pacific will be well covered over the next couple months. The most famous so far is "The Simpsons". The decals slide in place very well and respond to Gunze's decal set. Make sure to have a very glossy finish to help slide the decals. Overall this kit was a joy to build and rates about 9 out of 10. Only the required sanding bumps it from being a 10.

Minicraft Model Kits.

Announced last year this kit has just been released. Although it had not hit the local shelves when this article was written, I've had mine for several weeks after ordering from Hannants. Opening the box reveals a very sparsely detailed kit. The wings and tails have some scribing, but the fuselage is devoid except for the doors. Construction is much the same as the Daco kit except that the wings come in halves. Once again your vacform skills will come in handy. The fuselage is badly warped. Hold the parts together at the wing root and you have a 3/8" bend at the nose and tail. However, once the parts are glued, the line up very well. The canopy is molded in a separate piece like the Heller DC-6. Much sanding and some putty will be required to get a flush transition. I especially liked the parts construction of the engine brackets. The parts breakdown will be beneficial for painting. Most airlines paint these fairings different colors than the wing. They can be glued in place after the wing is painted. Less masking is better! The wheel wells are none existent and the wheels fit in place nicely. The gear doors are molded in the up position and must be cut, watch for flying parts as this is done. I rank this kit 7 out of 10. The lack of detail and warping gives an initial shock.

Overall both kits build up fast and look good when complete. Cost is $20-25 for either one. I personally preferred the Daco Kit, but the Minicraft is right up their aswell. Pick one and build away.