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DC 3 / C47 - Best Kit 1/72


delticfan

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New Airfix, which is available in several boxarts.  Kicks all the others out of the game.

Airfix_C47A_Skytrain.jpg

 

Next - but a distant second, it's a close run thing Italeri (also available in an Airfix box).

My opinion only, based that it offers the cargo-door

Airfix_C47_RCAF.jpg

and passenger door options.

Airfix-C53-Dakota3.jpg

Close, the Esci - this one from 1996ish.

Esci-AC47.jpg

But I won't turn down either at the right price.

I've got ski-gear and decals to use, leftover from that first model.

 

Last of the 5 that I've built, the ancient Airfix. 

Airfix-C47-Dakota-M6.jpg

 

Not sure where Revell fits, but I doubt it's near the top.

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1 hour ago, theplasticsurgeon said:

New Airfix, which is available in several boxarts.

Next, close run thing Italeri (also available in an Airfix box)

And can be built as a C53 without the cargo door.

Close, the Esci

Last of the 5 that I've built, the ancient Airfix.

Not sure where Revell fits, but I doubt it's near the top.

Surely new Airfix is miles ahead of ESCI and Italeri. IMHO the ESCI one is a very little better than original Italeri, but you can buy ESCI sprues in some Italeri boxings (e.g.1338).

Revell have never had their own C-47/DC-3 mould. In various periods they boxed both Italeri (4248, 4357, 4371, 4399) and ESCI (4234, 4236) kits.

There's also a very good Amodel kit of L2D Tabby and Li-2 as well as the new tool by Hobby Boss - perhaps both are better than ESCI/Italeri/Revell trio, but not than the new tool Airfix one.

Cheers

Michael

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Airfix is a REAL  C-47 of the last production batches, with all the stiffer and so on; ESCI is the best 2nd and is more close to a REAL DC-3.  Italeri come as far 3rd.  The problem with this plane is the confusion generated after the war when a lot of C-47/C-53 where used by civilian airlines who called them all DC-3. To achieve a good reproduction you have to decide your subject and collect all the informations/pictures available. Personally i have i my stash an ESCI kit to be transformed in the lone DC-3 used by the Regia Aeronautica, a fomer SABENA machine of the very first production batches. The diffecences respect to the 'classic' DC-3 are many : engines cover like the DC-2, undecarriage in welded steel tubes instead of forged one, differente doors and windows. 

 

r.

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To have the early DC-3 landing gear it seems that the Esci kit is best suited as the Italeri landing gears are stubs so the they can't be rebuilt to the forged type.

I need at least two planes with these landing gears. Iv'e done it once in 1/48 but now I'm back to my normal 1/72. I have moved the passenger door to the right side on the first plane and added seats from a H0 railroad wagon so that one is ready to assembly. 

It is good to know that the new Airfix kit is a late C-47. That might be right for a 1950's airliner that I have planned.

About a C-53. did they get the later landing gears or did they have the early tubular gear?

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By far i know, the forged landing gear was introduced with the start of the military orders. The main aestetically differece between the C-47 and C-53 are the cargo door and the number/dimension of windows; internally the C-53 don't have the reinforced floor but a 'luxury' closed toilet.

 

r.

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Most post-war "DC-3s" (actually converted C-47s or other military variants) had the forged u/c legs, having been made with them; in Australia, at least, all pre-war DC-3s (the four ANA aircraft) were converted to the forged type during their war service and not converted back. I'd imagine that this would have happened elsewhere as well. Apart from being stronger, the forged components were easier to get, and so the question of spares was easier to address.

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Anyone here know the difference between the Airfix AX08015 Dakota Mk.IV kit and the AX08015A Dakota Mk.III kit as Airfix don't seem to have the instructions on their website? Is it just the decals? The Mk.IV is cheaper and I was wondering why.

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Have a look here: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/airfixtributeforum/viewtopic.php?f=334&t=41271

courtesy of the Airfix Tribute Forum

 

It does read that A08015A is just a re-issue with new decals.

The above ATF page has links to instructions and two Galleries

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40 minutes ago, Black Knight said:

Have a look here: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/airfixtributeforum/viewtopic.php?f=334&t=41271

courtesy of the Airfix Tribute Forum

 

It does read that A08015A is just a re-issue with new decals.

The above ATF page has links to instructions and two Galleries

Thanks for that. The instructions are only for 8014,  which I already found but the only info I needed was that they are the same kit so thanks.

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