1/72 - Douglas X-3 Stiletto by AZmodel - released - kit 2.0 ?

[Gorby]

22 minutes ago, Albeback52 said:

I won't discard any kit and, the fun for me is making a presentable model out of what is in the box. I care little for accuracy or otherwise

Quite right, same here. It's difficult doing an out of the box build with it as there isn't much in the box. The kit gave me hours of amusement, finding and making bits to glue into and onto it. But....

 

For the 1950's it was probably acceptable quality, but to keep churning it out (latest release 2013) without printing a full apology on the box, boarders on criminally dishonest. To sell a kit with this staggering lack of quality in the 21 century is dreadful*.

 

 

*If you can think of a word worse than 'dreadful' then please insert it here instead.

[Albeback52]

2 hours ago, Gorby said:

Quite right, same here. It's difficult doing an out of the box build with it as there isn't much in the box. The kit gave me hours of amusement, finding and making bits to glue into and onto it. But....

 

For the 1950's it was probably acceptable quality, but to keep churning it out (latest release 2013) without printing a full apology on the box, boarders on criminally dishonest. To sell a kit with this staggering lack of quality in the 21 century is dreadful*.

 

 

*If you can think of a word worse than 'dreadful' then please insert it here instead.

 Hard to disagree with you there but, what the hell!!

 

Allan!

[Whofan]

5 hours ago, Gorby said:

One thing I will say for the quality of the kit, the level of detail is… completely absent.

The cockpit was the biggest problem. The only ‘detail’ in the cockpit other than a shapeless blob they expect you to believe is a pilot, is something that looks more like an armchair than a ejector seat. Nothing else at all, not even an instrument panel! It looked like the bailiffs had just called - one big empty space. There isn't even a bulkhead behind the pilots seat, so the engine fronts can clearly be seen - which would have made it a tad windy for the pilot. Although there is an engine, it isn't exactly the “Finely detailed engine” it claims on the box, and the exhaust nozzles are just pits of gaping emptiness. Each kit should have the contact details of the Samaritans.

 

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but on the plus side, everything else in your collection will look fabulous in comparison.

Eeh,

 

It sounds more like a fun challenge than a trial!

 

 

I'll give it a go, I can always scratch a bulkhead, a seat, an instrument panel - in fact, it looks like I'll have to !!

Edited September 4, 2018 by Whofan
spelling

[Madoc]

Well, you could always use the older iterations of the Stiletto as the basis for a Douglas Model 1186C...

 

https://retromechanix.com/douglas-model-1186-c-long-range-special-attack-aircraft-scratchbuilt-148th-scale-model/

 

Unless, of course, you've already picked up Renaud's 1/72nd rendering of it...

 

https://www.sharkit.com/sharkit/Douglas1186/douglas1186.htm

[Andre B]

58 minutes ago, Madoc said:

Well, you could always use the older iterations of the Stiletto as the basis for a Douglas Model 1186C...

 

https://retromechanix.com/douglas-model-1186-c-long-range-special-attack-aircraft-scratchbuilt-148th-scale-model/

 

Unless, of course, you've already picked up Renaud's 1/72nd rendering of it...

 

https://www.sharkit.com/sharkit/Douglas1186/douglas1186.htm

Pilotplane is not an Stilleto?

[TEXANTOMCAT]

Wonderfully Gerry Anderson - thanks for sharing!

 

TT

[Madoc]

23 hours ago, Andre B said:

Pilotplane is not an Stilleto?

Andre,

 

Nope, it wasn't a Stiletto but it sure was close looking to one.  Hence the  "as a basis" part...

[John R]

On 9/3/2018 at 1:01 PM, gamevender said:

The real one is about a hour away from my house if anyone wants detail photos. 

YES PLEASE!!! I was a young lad of about 11 when I saw the first pictures of the X-3 and thought that it belonged to another world. I have always wanted a model of it. I made a start on the Maintrack version but came to a halt when I came to the conclusion that the shape of the cockpit section was all wrong.

It appeared to me that the shape of the cockpit windows was defined by the intersection of the flat fuselage sides and the nose cone. Sorting this out was beyond my modelling capabilities so I hope AZ have managed to get it right.

Mach 2 released one but having had experience of some of their earlier stuff I decided not to investigate further.

John

[Homebee]

Released - http://www.azmodel.cz/produkt/x-3-stilleto-prototype/

German in box review: http://www.kitreviewsonline.de/douglas-x-3-stiletto-im-massstab-172-von-az-model-az-7597/#more-41416

The reviewer conclusion about this kit is not positive.

 

Quote

Aber Obacht! Der Rumpf der Stiletto muss WEISS lackiert werden – auf den Seitenansichten schaut das aus wie Aluminium!
Fazit: In der Box sieht dieser short-run Bausatz ganz ordentlich aus und verspricht einen angenehm unaufgeregten Bau.
Aber leider trügt dieser erste Eindruck: Bei meinem Testbau passte fast nichts! Die Rumpfeinbauteile (Bugradschacht, Cockpit, Fahrwerkschacht, Triebwerkdüsen) mussten alle massiv überarbeitet werden, um wenigstens ansatzweise zu passen – eine ärgerliche Angelegenheit bei einem Bausatz aus dem Jahre 2018!
Die beiden Rumpfhälften passen dann auch nur mäßig zusammen und wenn man die Klebestellen nicht massiv überschleift, bleiben über die gesamte Rumpflänge hässliche Spalten! Trotz intensiver Trockenpassung musste ich an vielen Stellen mit Sekundenkleber und Talkumpuder nachhelfen, um Spalten zu verschließen.
So etwas muss -selbst bei einem „short-run“-Kit heutzutage nicht mehr sein und ich kann den Bausatz eigentlich nur demjenigen empfehlen, der unbedingt eine 72er Stiletto in seiner Sammlung haben möchte! Allen anderen rate ich, sich den Kauf zweimal zu überlegen: Der Zusammenbau ist eine Geduldsprobe mit viel Schleifen, Spachteln und nochmals Schleifen!

 

Google translation:

Conclusion: In the box, this short-run kit looks pretty neat and promises a pleasantly unagitated construction. 
But unfortunately this first impression is deceptive: almost nothing fit in my test construction! The fuselage components (nose wheel shaft, cockpit, landing gear shaft, engine nozzles) all had to be reworked massively to fit at least a bit - an annoying affair with a kit from the year 2018!
The two fuselage halves then fit only moderately together and if you do not massively rub over the splices, remain ugly columns over the entire hull length! Despite intensive dry-fitting, I had to help out in many places with superglue and talcum powder to seal gaps. 
Something like that does not have to be the case with a "short-run" kit today, and I can only recommend the kit to someone who desperately wants to have a '72 Stiletto in their collection! I advise all the others to think twice about the purchase: The assembly is a test of patience with lots of sanding, puttying and sanding again!

 

Some of the recent KP/AZmodel kits seem to be very poorly designed. Despite being new tool they are similar to the czech short-run models from the 90's and not 21st century kits. Another example is the new KP L-159 ALCA kit link

Forewarned is forearmed! 

 

 

 

 

 

V.P.

Edited December 6, 2018 by Homebee

[JamesP]

Tempted though the German reviewer did a test fit which wasn't good at all. 

[hacker]

To make the model really interesting Entry into the cockpit was through the bottom not the top. The square on the bottom of the kit is where they got in by lowering the ejection seat, strapping in and lifting the pilot up inside. Not sure if the canopy ejected and the pilot went up when ejecting or dropped out of the bottom

 

Hacker 

[ya-gabor]

I would expect downward ejection. The other direction was all built in.

 

Best regards

Gabor

[Giorgio N]

Yes, the X-3 seat ejected downward, in the same way as the later F-104.

I'd be tempted by this kit as the X-3 played a part in the development of the Starfighter, however that German review is not something I'm happy to hear... hopefully it was just that single kit, I may wait to see other reviews before deciding

[Tailspin Turtle]

On 9/5/2018 at 3:03 PM, Madoc said:

Andre,

 

Nope, it wasn't a Stiletto but it sure was close looking to one.  Hence the  "as a basis" part...

 

On 9/4/2018 at 3:34 PM, Andre B said:

Pilotplane is not an Stilleto?

As Madoc noted, it was not the X-3 but it had the same forward fuselage (albeit with a second crewman aft of the pilot) and wings and a similar empennage. However, it was powered by only one engine and the aft fuselage and tail was much shorter.

[Dennis_C]

Strange. Seems AZ is trying to produce some better kits like their Piper Cub or Hueycobra. But others are really of 90s quality. I've bought their Chipmunk recently. I did not do the dry fit yet, but on the sprues it does not look very promising. 

[Mike Esposito]

The stiletto was such a dog...but awesome looking! 

 

I'll have to get one.

[ho590hm]

I have not yet found a 1/72 X-3 which reflects the discontinuity between the nose and the cockpit, which occurs at the line of the upright frame in the cockpit glazing.  This does not appear to have the kink - but happy to be advised otherwise by someone who has the plastic in hand

Walkaround at http://www.primeportal.net/hangar/howard_mason3/x-3_stiletto/

 

 

See 

[modelldoc]

Here is a in box review from Germany:

http://www.kitreviewsonline.de/douglas-x-3-stiletto-im-massstab-172-von-az-model-az-7597/#more-41416

 

The translation says; danger hand - off from this kit!

 

modelldoc

[TEXANTOMCAT]

21 hours ago, Dennis_C said:

Strange. Seems AZ is trying to produce some better kits like their Piper Cub or Hueycobra. But others are really of 90s quality. I've bought their Chipmunk recently. I did not do the dry fit yet, but on the sprues it does not look very promising. 

I think this is why, for no other discernible reason, Airfix Chippies seem to be going for over a tenner nowadays!

[Aerobat]

I'm looking forward to this one. National Museum of the US Air Force recently moved the "real deal" to it's new display area.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCOhkp_nOvE

The X-3 is at 54 seconds to 2 min 13 seconds if you're in a hurry.

 

 

[Mike Esposito]

On 12/4/2018 at 5:03 PM, ho590hm said:

I have not yet found a 1/72 X-3 which reflects the discontinuity between the nose and the cockpit, which occurs at the line of the upright frame in the cockpit glazing.  This does not appear to have the kink - but happy to be advised otherwise by someone who has the plastic in hand

Walkaround at http://www.primeportal.net/hangar/howard_mason3/x-3_stiletto/

 

 

See 

Yes. But a little "elbow grease" should fix that easy.

[Madoc]

Hello all!

 

Any further reviews of this kit now?  Anyone else here get their hands on one and can tell us of its glories?  Or of its infamy?

[viscount806x]

17 hours ago, Madoc said:

Hello all!

 

Any further reviews of this kit now?  Anyone else here get their hands on one and can tell us of its glories?  Or of its infamy?

No but I've seen enough to convince me that cancellation of my Big H backorder was a wise move.

[hsr]

I just got mine. I also have the Mach 2 version and I can tell you it is MUCH better then that. As the reviewer says it looks really good in the box. I plan on building it later this month or early Feb and I will report back about fit after I do.

[Kevin Callahan]

I've got the cockpit together and am getting ready to do the wheel wells and seal up the fuselage. No major trauma yet. But then I'm not the engineer type either.