[Ara1]

Skysurfer,

Have to disagree on your opinion of the C-47. I love this Franklin Mint item and endeavor to own several. It fits in the hand well and looks right to me.

I agree on you SBD assessment, though.

[smd4]

As with my other hobby (O gauge trains), it seems there are two schools of thought here: Those who accept many of the planes as they are, warts and all, and those who find the detail discrpancies intolerable.

I happen to be one who is often disgusted with the incorrect/poorly molded/poorly fit/poorly painted details of some of these models. Skysurfer mentions huge seams and feathered props on the C-47, but these issues aren't a problem for Ara1. Personally, I do not understand why some wish to give the manufacturers a pass here. These are models, after all. The manufacturers should be obligated to give us the most accurate replicas possible.

The model I'm most familiar--the B-17, was just so poorly done in so many respects that I gave it away. But others don't seem to find anything wrong with it! Of course, that's fine, and maybe the model looks OK sitting 5 feet away on a shelf.

But I sure with I had read honest reviews of the plane, and seen photographs of the production model, before I laid down my money.