Trumpeter's newly tooled C-47 comprises: more than 300 slightly soft, light-gray styrene injection-molded parts; three vinyl tires; optional cast-metal landing gear; and a photoetched-metal set with oil-cooler screens, seat belts, and stairs for the rear door opening. Panel lines and rivet details are engraved. Pin marks are minimal and mostly limited to the aircraft interior. Decals include markings for two aircraft, both with invasion stripes.
The clear parts are thin and crystal clear. Cockpit window frames are molded separately, making masking much easier. It's characteristic of this comprehensive kit: a full interior, including the navigator's table, a radio rack, overhead lights, and a film instrument panel for the cockpit; detailed wheel wells and landing gear; even complete engines with tubular mounts! Flaps can be posed up or down, the rear cargo doors opened or closed, the outer wing panels are separate assemblies (just like the real thing), and control surfaces can be positioned as you like. It's just a shame all that interior detail is not more visible.
Trumpeter's instructions call for painting the cockpit interior "sky," but I used Testors Model Master interior green throughout. The cockpit seats had shoulder harnesses but no lap belts. However, Trumpeter did include photoetched-metal belts for the troop seats in the cargo compartment; I used some of those, closed the doors, and skipped most of the troops' belts.
Speaking of troop seats, pay attention to the instructions: They don't all fit the same.
After assembling and painting the interior components, I deviated from my usual methods and painted Model Master olive drab around all the window exteriors, then attached all the clear parts. They fit perfectly! I ensured they were secure before joining the fuselage to avoid having them rattle around later.
After gluing the fuselage halves, I masked the windows and filled seams. Instructions call for a clear window above the cockpit, but I was unable to verify this for a USAAF C-47. Because the fit of this part was poor, I painted its underside interior green, smoothed it in with putty, and painted over it.
The landing-gear bays feature tanks, lines, and nice side-panel detail. The wing's center section mated nicely with the fuselage, needing only a little Mr. Surfacer 500 to fill the seam; I smoothed this with Mr. Thinner on a cotton swab and didn't have to sand. To make the model easier to transport, I decided to not attach the outer wings.
After painting and a sludge wash to bring out surface detail, I applied clear gloss to areas that would receive the few decals. They turned out to be the low spot of this build. The rear invasion stripes did not fit well at all, and the ink started flaking off as I tried to position them. I did get them to conform using Solvaset. The rest of the markings were OK, although the yellow for the serial number seemed a little too light and the blue on the USAAF insignia did not seem quite dark enough.
After the decals dried, I used some of the leftovers to touch up the fuselage stripes on the spine, and some flat white and flat black where the ink had flaked off. Then I blended everything with Model Master clear flat.
The engine preheaters on the cowl were balky; I had to file a groove in their mounts on the cowl. Finally, I added the antennas and landing gear.
I think the engine cowls look a little square and could be a little more tapered near the front, but Trumpeter has managed to pack a lot into this model - even if most of it is invisible! Overall fit was good, but I would use aftermarket decals and paint invasion stripes.
The kit measures 9 scale inches short and the wingspan is 16 scale inches too wide - pretty close for such a large model. I spent 50 hours building it - more than my usual - and would recommend it for experienced modelers.
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