Beginnings of my 1:144 aircraft fleet

[Epap]

the pe-2, tu-2 and il-2 aren't 1/144 though, are they? I think they're bigger than that.

I believe that the bombers are approximately 1:120th in scale. This line is pretty bad about providing such info. The IL-2 is about 1:100th.

[Dauntless]

Some F-Toys w/ and IXO Betty

[aferguson]

does anyone have the Auto Art Aeroart 1/144 P-51? Either Bunnie or American Beauty? If so, is it worth getting? Not much around in the way of 1/144 P-51D's. Surprising.

[Dauntless]

Had forgotten about those.
A low priced version and a more expensive one which has better detail.

The P-51D, Me-262 Dogfight is an inexpensive option.

There's also Bandai Wingclub but those are more expensive than the Aeroart.

Bombers...fighters...

[aferguson]

the 21st century 1/144 planes are very tough to find and i thought they were crap, are they not?

the bandai p-51 looks funny...the canopy is the wrong shape among other things.

the auto art one looks ok, just a bit crude for the price but the shape of it and markings look decent in pics. Surprising someone hasn't come out with a little gem of a p-51 and offered it in a dozen marking options.

[aferguson]

by the way, my Wings of Glory 1/144 Caproni CA. 3 bomber arrived a while back. I was very impressed with it....much better than i expected. I've ordered the Gotha bomber now too.

I hope they keep making new stuff...

[Dauntless]

Can't find my stash of 21stC 1:144 planes, but I seem to remember them being kinda wonky detail. For the price maybe useful for a background plane.

Not nuch out there in 1:144 P-51's like you say, but the 1:72 looks nice.
http://www.flyingmule.com/range/diecast ... t/aeroart/

[The_Helicopter_Pilot]

Someone's using my website to sell FURUTA aircraft, the helicopters say 1/144 but they could be 1/200 I don't know.
Y'all can tell me, www.sipesmodeling.weebly.com
You can search google or something for a scale, I do know the jets are 1/200 though.

[Dauntless]

Furuta is like the size of a Galoob Micromachine or slightly bigger I do believe.

Don't think I want to go any smaller than 1:144 on the single engine aircraft.

Who makes the best detailed for the price? Takara, F-Toys, Cafereo?

I do like the detail on the 1:144 X-Plus Zeroes, they are diecast too, but that's all the fighters they make.
http://www.flyingmule.com/range/diecast ... ction/144/

[The_Helicopter_Pilot]

Furuta is like the size of a Galoob Micromachine or slightly bigger I do believe.

Don't think I want to go any smaller than 1:144 on the single engine aircraft.

Who makes the best detailed for the price? Takara, F-Toys, Cafereo?

I do like the detail on the 1:144 X-Plus Zeroes, they are diecast too, but that's all the fighters they make.
http://www.flyingmule.com/range/diecast ... ction/144/

The 1/200 jets is all I'd be interested in sense I have my small collection of Altaya, Takara, and Skymarks 1/200 scale, but the helis look nice (if their 1/144)
And for your question, I'd have to say its pretty equal match between F-Toys and CafeReo.

[Dauntless]

Like the X-Plus Zeroes, and some of the rarer plastic 1:144, it depends on what you are willing to spend too.

Avioni X 1:144 diecast planes are some of the best detailed I've seen for the size, but are more expensive than their 1:72 counterparts by Hobbymaster, Skymax and Dragon.
All you need is a 1:144 Aircraft Carrier or two.
http://www.kokusaiboeki.co.jp/item_list.php?bi=42

[aferguson]

just found this new ray 1/150 Dewotine 520. Looks pretty good but has a tinted canopy, for some reason.

http://www.naupirata.com.br/dewoitine-d ... 1-150.html#

Edit: here's the whole line, called Sky Pilot. Scales vary. The only planes of interest that are close to 1/144 are the Dewotine and a Mig 3. The Dewotine says it's 1/150 and the Mig 1/140 but they look the same size in the package to me and in real life the planes were virtually identical in size.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/newray-sky-piolt ... 0526895055

[The_Helicopter_Pilot]

just found this new ray 1/150 Dewotine 520. Looks pretty good but has a tinted canopy, for some reason.

http://www.naupirata.com.br/dewoitine-d ... 1-150.html#

Edit: here's the whole line, called Sky Pilot. Scales vary. The only planes of interest that are close to 1/144 are the Dewotine and a Mig 3. The Dewotine says it's 1/150 and the Mig 1/140 but they look the same size in the package to me and in real life the planes were virtually identical in size.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/newray-sky-piolt ... 0526895055

These are sold at hobby lobby for around $6, they have no cockpit it's painted over, but the scales are right.

[aferguson]

THP- this might make a nice compliment to your little 1/144 x-planes. It's a Hot Wings x-33. My understanding is the X-33 was a 1/3 scale prototype of the VentureStar, which was about 130 feet long iirc.

So the X-33 would have been around 42 or 43 feet long. The HW model is just over 3 1/2 inches long, which is about 43 feet, so an ideal size.

http://www.diecastairplane.com/store/p/ ... twingssite

[The_Helicopter_Pilot]

THP- this might make a nice compliment to your little 1/144 x-planes. It's a Hot Wings x-33. My understanding is the X-33 was a 1/3 scale prototype of the VentureStar, which was about 130 feet long iirc.

So the X-33 would have been around 42 or 43 feet long. The HW model is just over 3 1/2 inches long, which is about 43 feet, so an ideal size.

http://www.diecastairplane.com/store/p/ ... twingssite

Thanks for the info aferg, but these hot wings toys arnt for me, the big bulky wheels on these just dont look good.

[aferguson]

which is the better p-38 lightning to get? The Ftoys or the Corgi? I've read the F toys has shape issues. The Corgi has lots of nice schemes to choose from but the canopy isn't clear. I think Bandai made one as well?

[The_Helicopter_Pilot]

which is the better p-38 lightning to get? The Ftoys or the Corgi? I've read the F toys has shape issues. The Corgi has lots of nice schemes to choose from but the canopy isn't clear. I think Bandai made one as well?

I already have quite a few of the corgi ones, and I'm a big fan of the corgi showcase, but if I had to choose between the two, I'd have to go with the F-Toys, just for the fact that it has gear and a load out, though corgi planes are at $3 a pop, and you're correct about the many different schemes, but when it comes down to it, it's all your decision, but if you do decide on corgi, I'd suggest the P-38J "Marge"
It has a highly detailed nose are...

[aferguson]

well, i don't care about the gear as i display all my planes in flight. Weapons and drop tanks would be nice but i may be able to scrounge/make those. The Ftoys lightnings are quite expensive and i read that the shape was off a bit, looked to chubby or stubby or something. I would prefer a clear canopy but in the small 1/144 scale it's not that big a deal, so i may give the corgi's a go.

[aferguson]

does anyone have the F toys Tornado? If so, do the wings swing on it? Does the mechanism work well or is it fragile? How do you re-align the ordnance under the wing....do you just pivot them or what?

[aferguson]

i picked up something really cool today. At TRU they have little Testors model kits that are prepainted that you screw together. They are a combination diecast and plastic but mostly diecast.

Anyway, i got the F-35 a while ago and picked up the F-18 Blue Angels today. The card said 1/180 scale but i measured it out at the store as best i could and saw that it was very close to 1/144.

When i got it home i measured it and it is bang on 1/145. The finish is very nice and smooth, accurate, complete, printed markings. I was very happy.

Then i noticed it. The plane is a Super Hornet not an F-18c. Man i can't believe i didn't notice that in the store. I was so focused on if the size was right i just assumed it was an F-18c.

So now it's way underscale and worse still, the Blue Angels don't even use Super Hornets.

I'll return it my next visit. Bummer.

[The_Helicopter_Pilot]

i picked up something really cool today. At TRU they have little Testors model kits that are prepainted that you screw together. They are a combination diecast and plastic but mostly diecast.

Anyway, i got the F-35 a while ago and picked up the F-18 Blue Angels today. The card said 1/180 scale but i measured it out at the store as best i could and saw that it was very close to 1/144.

When i got it home i measured it and it is bang on 1/145. The finish is very nice and smooth, accurate, complete, printed markings. I was very happy.

Then i noticed it. The plane is a Super Hornet not an F-18c. Man i can't believe i didn't notice that in the store. I was so focused on if the size was right i just assumed it was an F-18c.

So now it's way underscale and worse still, the Blue Angels don't even use Super Hornets.

I'll return it my next visit. Bummer.

Can't you just take and redo the intakes to make it look like a C model?

[aferguson]

well first of all it's metal and secondly there are many other differences. The LERX's are fuller and more rounded, like a cobra's hood, the wings are a bit different in shape and have dog tooth leading edges, the canopy is relatively smaller to the plane, since the plane is larger. Those are the major changes needed off the top of my head. No way to do it and not worth wrecking the nice scheme.

At a glance, it' looks like any other F-18 (cleary, which is why i made the goof in the first place) but the devil is in the details. Still it's a very nice little model, it's really too bad.

[aferguson]

oh yeah, does anybody have the Newray/EZ build C-130 Hercules? It's not a bad looking model and a good base for custom work and inexpensive. Comes in 4 schemes, dark grey, light grey, coast guard and blue angels fat albert.

It says it's 1/130 scale but i never trust manufacturer's scale claims as they are often wrong. Quoted dimensions for it on retailer sites are from 7.5 inches long to 9 inches long and 11 inch span to 12.5 inch span....oy.

To be 1/144 it needs to be just over 8 inches long and a hair over 11 inches in span. If somebody has one and could measure it, i'd appreciate it.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Ray-USAF-GR ... 51a080ea02

[Dauntless]

It would be good to know. I've seen it at Hobby Lobby cheap, but didn't know the scale.

I like the Coast Guard scheme.

[aferguson]

problem is Dauntless, i think you, me and THP are the only ones who read this thread...lol.