Roden’s DC-7C is molded in gray plastic with recessed panel lines; alternate parts, such as the inclusion of square-tipped and round-tipped props, indicate other “Sevens” may be forthcoming.
On my sample, some parts exhibited rough surface texture; panel lines were inconsistent — faint on the lower right wing, well-defined on the left, for example — and other lines faded into nothingness. Poor fits required lots of seam work — particularly on the lower fuselage-to-wing joint, which needed building up with putty.
A basic cockpit floor and bulkhead are provided; I added weight behind the cockpit to ensure the model would sit on its nose gear.
The props are complex assemblies of separate blades, spinners, and back plates; I deviated from the instructions, gluing the spinners and back plates together, sanding them smooth, then inserting the blade shanks into the spinners’ holes. The two-piece cowlings butt-join to the fronts of the nacelles with no mounting aids.
Two nose wheels are included; the one for the Pan Am aircraft has sink marks. Landing gear attachment is poor — there’s no place to attach the upper ends of the main-gear drag links, and basically no place to mount the nose gear strut. Although the instructions seem to show it attaching to the cockpit floor, it doesn’t — it’s way too short to do so. I made scrap plastic trunnion “bearings” on either side of the nose wheel well to mount mine.
The clear part is neither clear nor smooth, but the small size of the windows effectively hides any faults.
Not depicted in the painting instructions, Pan Am DC-7s had gray-painted areas on the wings and horizontal stabilizer tips, an anti-corrosive measure protecting the aluminum from exhaust gases and deposits; the nacelles themselves remained natural metal. No prop de-icers are noted, but I’m pretty sure Pan Am’s aircraft had them.
Other than the “speed lines” on the nose, the decals fit pretty well. But they were fragile, off-register, and slightly incorrect; the starboard-side fin decals read “7 Super,” and the Pan American above the cheat line on the starboard side was farther aft than on the port side. However, some simple slicing and repositioning will correct both errors. There are no decals for the portholes in the doors or the wing-scan lights, though both are indicated on the fuselage; I used decal dots for each.
This is no weekend project, but there are roses among the thorns: thin trailing edges; nice main-wheel brake detail; and, most importantly, the model’s shape and dimensions are right on.
The project took me longer than usual — 30 hours — but it is a nice representation of Douglas’ longest, leanest, and prettiest propliner. I really liked the box art — an art-deco airport montage with a stewardess in period attire, and, impressively, the correct name of the manufacturer, Douglas.
Yup, I know stewardess is now flight attendant, and Douglas, thanks to corporate acquisitions, became McDonnell Douglas and is now part of Boeing. But Roden is historically correct, and I like that.