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Howard DGA-15P FAFL/AH-1 Blind Flying Trainer 1:72 Dekno Models The DGA-15 was a single-engined aircraft produced by the Howard Aircraft Corporation of Chicago between 1939 and 1944. Following the entry of the United States into the Second World War, the type was used by the US Navy and USAAF and subsequently produced in significant numbers. Originally designed as a high-performance private aircraft, the DGA-15 was popular with corporations and wealthy individuals. The type was even featured in the Warren Beatty film Bugsy, ferrying the title character from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Following the outbreak of war, the type was in demand as an air ambulance (due to the spacious cabin) and as officer utility transport. The AH-1 was the designation for the blind flying trainer variant. Dekno Models is a new name to me, but a quick check of their website reveals the fact that the Catalan company has a burgeoning range of resin aircraft models, all in glorious 1:72 scale. Their choice of subject tends to focus on the 1930s and 40s, and is split into three ranges; air racing, golden age and Spanish Civil War. The kit has been designed on a computer and mastered using 3D printing, but is otherwise a conventional resin kit. The blue parts (which are reminiscent of the first Airfix Spitfire) are cast in polyurethane resin, while the clear parts are cast in epoxy resin. The decals are printed by Draw Decals, which is a name that will no doubt be familiar to many Britmodellers. The kit is limited to 125 pieces, so if you want one you will need to unleash the credit card quickly, before they're all gone. The breakdown of parts is fairly conventional, with the cockpit comprising the seats for the crew and passengers, an instrument panel and two control yokes. The only other interior detail is that which is cast into the fuselage halves. According to the instructions, the cabin windows can be fitted from the outside, so you could (in theory at least) leave them until the end of the build, provided you are confident that they won't slip through the apertures and end up rattling around inside the fuselage. Once the interior has been painted and assembled, you can fit the fuselage halves together. The ones provided with my sample fit together perfectly, which is encouraging. Once the fuselage is complete, the flying surfaces can be assembled. As you might expect, the wing is a solid piece of resin which simply fits on top of the fuselage. The tail surfaces are also solid parts, albeit with a very nice fabric texture cast in place. The supporting struts for the wing should help you align everything correctly, and should require just a dab of superglue in order to ensure everything fits where it should. The Wasp Jnr engine is cast as a single, solid part, as is the cowling. The level of detail is sufficient to pass muster in this scale. The undercarriage is possibly the most complex part of the build, which each main wheel assembly comprising four parts. A couple of finishing touches such as the crew access steps need to be fitted before you can move on to the painting and decaling stage. The decal sheet provides two options: Howard DGA-15,P, Free French Air Force, Pointe-Noire, Congo, 1942; and Howard NH-1 "Blind Flying Trainer ", US Navy, 1944-45 The decals themselves look well-printed and should present no problems. Conclusion Those of us who, with the release of every Spitfire, BF-109 and Mustang, bemoan kit manufacturers for their lack of imagination, must rejoice that manufacturers such as Dekno exist in order to cater for the less mainstream end of the spectrum. Although the resin parts will need some cleaning prior to use, the initial indications suggest that this kit should go together without too many problems. The resulting model should look excellent, and will no doubt make a valuable addition to the collection of any modeller interested in the less-mainstream end of the modelling spectrum. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of