[Copland]

Well, I have finally bit the bullet and started my plane collection. I'm still an armor guy, but these planes have been calling my name for about a year now, so, I finally gave in! I ordered 4 Dragon 1/72 planes:

50247 - Wildcat
50235 - Hellcat
50083 - Fw190-A
50049 - Japanese Zero

Since I have been very pleased with Dragon armor, I will probably stay with their planes. It appears to me from reading on the forum that there is a concensus that Dragon makes the best plane in 1/72, followed by Witty. Correct?

The above planes I got these for $11.95 each. I thought that was a good price.

[flaps]

Where??? 11.95 each, I want some and welcome to the world of Diecast Aircraft Collecting, its a ball.

Flaps

Originally Posted by Copland

Well, I have finally bit the bullet and started my plane collection. I'm still an armor guy, but these planes have been calling my name for about a year now, so, I finally gave in! I ordered 4 Dragon 1/72 planes:

50247 - Wildcat
50235 - Hellcat
50083 - Fw190-A
50049 - Japanese Zero

Since I have been very pleased with Dragon armor, I will probably stay with their planes. It appears to me from reading on the forum that there is a concensus that Dragon makes the best plane in 1/72, followed by Witty. Correct?

The above planes I got these for $11.95 each. I thought that was a good price.

[hworth18]

Originally Posted by Copland

Since I have been very pleased with Dragon armor, I will probably stay with their planes. It appears to me from reading on the forum that there is a concensus that Dragon makes the best plane in 1/72, followed by Witty. Correct?

Dragon does make some nice planes (P-47s, P-51s, Zeros are probably their best), but IMHO, Corgi and Gemini are better, and a better investment (if that matters to you)..

[fileasfog]

I prefer corgi and hobby master to Dragon by far!

[Schrage Musik]

I'd have to agree with Hworth and fileas, Corgi is tops in my books, even with the added cost, followed by Gemini and Hobbymaster. I've bought a couple of Dragons, a Fw190 and a Bf 109 (Me 109 according to Dragon, wish they'd fix that). Nice looking planes, havent got them display yet but hopefully soon. No swasi's also kind of rankle me, have to go out and get some decals.

Also picked up my first two Carousels, very nice pieces, but no stands. And larger scale.

But then again, collect what you like, what you can afford, and for your reasons, not anyone elses.

Welcome to the aviation side of things Copland. You in Jersey? or just a fan of the movie?? Or one of us pistol packers?

Cheers

[Copland]

Thanks for all your input. While I am knowledgeable on armor, I am a novice when it comes to plane collecting. I have looked closely at Hobby Master, Gemini, Witty and Dragon, and they all look pretty good to me. My entrance into the plane realm was prompted by the Dragons being on 50% sale. - So, I thought this would be a good "start" into planes, without spending too much. It appearst to me that Hobby Master makes an outstanding plane, and I plan on ordering one this week. Anyway, I do appreciate the input, as it gives me a good overall picture to work with. I also realize that when I get my hands on these things I'll be able to see for myself. Thanks for all the help.

[Gunner]

I have a mix of Dragon, Corgi, Witty, Gaincorp, Matchbox, and Hobby Master.

Of course, I collect modern, so I HAVE to collect from a variety of sources.

[STARMAN 352ND]

My planes are all mixed up with all kinds of makes.
But i will say the 1/72 Dragons P-51D's are the best anywhere IMHO.
But Corgi hold's value better it seems if you ever wanted to re-sell it later on.
Once you start this Copland it's not very easy to just buy a few
Next thing you know you have a Air Force in your house.
Have fun collecting the planes.
JP

[Louie]

I think Dragon makes the best p-51's out there. They make the best Zero's but with poor fitting canopy and collapsing gear I went with Witty for zero's they are well made and stable nothing falls off. Matchbox and witty also make good p-51's but you really have to hold each of these to appreciate that thought. Unlike Witty matchbox p-51's are few and have gear up only. My collection like the others is a mixture of many different manufacturers it is trial and error. I suggest try to pick up an example of each if you can get a ggood price and e-bay or trade if you don't dig what you have. I buy sell and trade all the time constantly trying to shuffle the deck till I find what is just right for my tastes. We all have our likes and dislikes and I learned long ago you really have to have the model in your hands to see if it is right for you. Corgi makes some fantastic planes. Corgi fell short on Zero's and P-51's IMHO. D
Dragon's P-47's are out of this world but you do have to contend with fragility unlike Corgi or matchbox who both make good P-47's although matchbox is now out of the picture. Buy a few of each over time you will quickly get the picture of who makes the best of what. Keep your eyes open for Hobbymaster they are new to the game and are starting to pump out some real winners. HM is closest to Dragon in detail and precision. Witty makes decent planes and are pretty tough although gear down only. Alot cheaper than Corgi and no loose parts and collapsing gear like Dragon. There, Have I confused you enough yet? sorry, best of luck and look forward to hearing how you progress through the transition from armor to amore'.

[Cardinal]

I've spent the last couple of days packing away my entire 1/72 Corgi and Gemini collection (with the exception of the silver Swordfish ) so that I may concentrate on 1/48 and 1/32 scale.

During this exercise I did not pack away any of my Dragon Warbirds (or the few HobbyMaster and IXO that I have) due to the fact that they have all been 'treated' to some extent with white glue. That said, I firmly believe that the Dragon and HM aircraft have a more 'realistic' look and finish than their counterparts from Corgi, which although generally excellent, have a slightly more 'toylike' appearance .

I suspect that the packaging of Corgi products (and also Gemini to some extent) enhances their value as 'collectibles' - Corgi products are generally easy to disassemble and repack if need be.

So, if you're looking for realism and affordability, I would suggest that you go with Dragon and HobbyMaster, which are well worth the effort of adding some glue to small parts as they display like the real thing (no pilots though and stands could be improved on) .