Avenger Review *Some Pix*

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laughinggravy2
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Avenger Review *Some Pix*

Post by laughinggravy2 » Tue Oct 25, 2005 4:47 pm

Last week, I helped man the 21st booth at the IHobby Convention in Los Angeles. I was lucky enough to be the one to assemble and present the new Avenger in its various paint schemes, and give an honest opinion of it.
After the Con, I was allowed to bring one of the test shots home for further review. I would like to get together with Britt for some more detailed pix using his professional resources. In the meantime, here is a man-on-the-street review of this upcoming release.

Image
For size referrence. I figure most collectors have a variation on the 109, so I used that as a comparison.

First, from the viewpoint of a toy collector, I am very impressed with the overall "toughness" of the aircraft. Given the various features and what could easily have been delicate engineering, the piece has proven to be unexpectedly stout without sacrificing detail. I've given it my patented shake-test, and it passed with flying colors.

Image
Image
The most recognizable feature of the Avenger, the backfolding wings, impressed me the most. The open-wing position is nearly seamless. I handed an open wing to a couple admirers at the convention, and even holding it they thought it was a solid, one-piece construction. The open position is held by three barbed tabs on top, and some snap-type engineering on the bottom. After four or five tries at hand postion and light pressure, the trick was easily found on how to smoothly operate the wing feature.

Image
Torpedo doors.

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The fit of the tail section to the fuselage is very tight and clean.

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The tail gear is very stout and also cross-reinforced within the tail, out of sight. I don't foresee this breaking or bending under the weight of this monster. The locking feature isn't in this version, as it is one of the last details to be completed before release.
All of the landing gear are more than adequately beefy to hold this aircraft up.

I'm not going to post any of my feeble attempts at pix that Britt has already expertly provided. Using his, I'll try and explain some more features.
The ball turret is tight and clean. It can be turned on the horizontal plane, while the inner gunmount is elevated on the vertical plane, giving you the full range of movement. Removing the bubble to install/remove a gunner can be tricky, due to the tolerances of the design. It's a tight squeeze between the cockpit frame/glass and the gun bubble. Some simple squeezing is all that's needed to accomplish the step with no trouble. I think that with repeated use, this step will get easier as the newness wears off. The current test shots don't have the canopy glued down, but rely on a snapping-in feature. This makes any type of figure installation a piece of cake in either pilot or gunner's seat. I don't know how the production pieces will be as far as canopy attachment. Hopefully, the snapping feature will be retained.

The instrument panel is nicely detailed, and can easily be seen.

In the closed position, the torpedo doors are very cleanly fit.

Understand that this is one of the aircraft that I have been waiting for. If I seem a bit too positive it's because a simple toy dream has been realized.
I personally don't have any gripes about the Avenger, and think that the delays were worth it if this is the result.

Hope this helps, and I'll try to answer as many questions as I can.

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Post by Teamski » Tue Oct 25, 2005 4:55 pm

A VERY nice review LG!! Thanks. I just can't wait for this plane to show!!

-Ski
[url=http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2869983520050168193AYuxRR][img]http://inlinethumb18.webshots.com/8785/2869983520050168193S600x600Q85.jpg[/img][/url]

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Post by Morian Miner » Tue Oct 25, 2005 5:10 pm

I'll be honest - pictures of the Avenger don't do much for me anymore. We know this is going to be a beauty - but we've been waiting so long, its hard to stay excited (for me, at least).

Having said that, as soon as that sucker hits one Walmart, I'm going to be driving myself nuts to find one. That boys got a date with a Zero that's coming at Christmas!

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Post by laughinggravy2 » Tue Oct 25, 2005 5:19 pm

Thanks, Ski. Lemme know if you need anything more, bud.

Sorry about adding pix to the review, MM. I was going to do it as a sonnet or even in iambic pentameter, but took the easy way out and provided imagery. Believe me, the wait will be worth it. :wink: :D

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Avenger Review

Post by der Vogelfänger » Tue Oct 25, 2005 5:20 pm

dV
Last edited by der Vogelfänger on Fri Mar 03, 2006 7:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
du doch nicht!
Kennst du mich noch?
Luftwaffe-a-holic!!!

Unsere Mannschaft muß einfach gewinnen, und
plötzlich, Weltmeister Zwanzigvierzehn! (WM2014)

Danke Jungs!!

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Post by USCGSARdog » Tue Oct 25, 2005 5:47 pm

Thank you for that outstanding review LG! Now I only want one more. :? :lol:

-Rob

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avenger pix

Post by JimBob55 » Tue Oct 25, 2005 6:10 pm

LG: Thanks for sharing the photos and your impressions. AS IF I NEED ANY MORE ENCOURAGEMENT :wink:!

I was a bit concerned about the robustness of the wing lock in the extended position. The wings seemed a bit 'droopy' in the earlier photos, but LG's hands-on review puts me at ease.

I've been comparing Britt's photos with Squadron's "TBF/TBM Avenger in Detail & Scale" and the model is pretty much spot-on - inside and out!

I believe that this model will be very positively received by the members on this forum. I do hope it also sells well as a toy for the younger market, so that 21C's efforts will be financially worthwhile. ...And so that we'll see more of this quality.

JimBob

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Post by INTREPER » Tue Oct 25, 2005 6:16 pm

OH MY GOD!!! THAT THING IS EVER CLEANER THAN THE BBI ZERO!!!! :shock: :D

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Avenger

Post by normandy » Tue Oct 25, 2005 6:47 pm

LG great review, man its been a long time since we've heard from you.
My Father inlaw will love your review as much as I did, He flew in one from '44 to '45. It must have been almost 2 years ago I told him 21st was going to do an Avenger, He has asked me each time I see Him whats up with the plane?
At 81 I diden't know if He'd live to see it. This is great news.
Thanks, Normandy

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Post by immeww2 » Tue Oct 25, 2005 8:26 pm

A great review!! Thanks!! Now if we can only see those guys coming in for a landing soon.

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Post by p51 » Tue Oct 25, 2005 8:53 pm

Great review! And really nice to see you there! Wish I could have joined you guys during the weekend! I'm still envious of your time spent handling the Avenger :-D

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Post by Bruzzer » Tue Oct 25, 2005 8:59 pm

Hey Guys, I grabbed one of 21st's catalogs this weekend and threw it on webshots. Take a look.

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Post by tmanthegreat » Tue Oct 25, 2005 9:42 pm

Thanks LG for the review! Its good to get that kind of intel this early in the game - makes us drool and gives us an idea of what to expect. The descriptions for the canopy and the wing mechanism are especially helpful. It is certainly going to one of the best 1:18 aircraft ever and the crowning piece of my collection!

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Post by Rogue » Wed Oct 26, 2005 5:57 am

Bruzzer wrote:Hey Guys, I grabbed one of 21st's catalogs this weekend and threw it on webshots. Take a look.
Is that a 5th G6?

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Yup

Post by digger » Wed Oct 26, 2005 6:19 am

It sure is S5. It was mentioned a ways back. Nothing wrong with that - the 109Gs have been rolling out a nice pace. I also see the new P-38 there. :P
More importantly for me are the 2 new Humvees :D Especially at WM prices - I plan to bolster my convoy. 8)

That 1/32 Brummbar is welcome too. :) 1:32 is getting so much cool stuff! :shock:

It is nice that almost all of what 21st does is "for us." No Hello Kitty, no other crap we need to hear about getting in the way - just planes, tanks, figures and stuff that shoots. :) :twisted: Bravo 21st, keep up the good work.

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Post by Tinman » Wed Oct 26, 2005 6:39 pm

Well, I had been on the fence about the Avenger. Not anymore - bring it on!

Hey, digger - what are the two new Humvees you referred to?

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Post by laughinggravy2 » Thu Oct 27, 2005 10:16 am

You're all more than welcome. A big thank you for the thank yous :D .

I'll be out for a few days coming up, but if there are any questions regarding the toy I'll try my best to answer them when I get back.

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Post by fredricchio » Thu Oct 27, 2005 11:50 am

Tinman wrote:Hey, digger - what are the two new Humvees you referred to?
On page 4 of the catalog, theres a pic of the Humvee 998 Hard Top/Soft Top; looks like 21st's version of the Super Humvee. Pretty neat.

I'm also glad to see they've still got the Platoon line in there, as well as A Bridge Too far

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Post by wise690 » Thu Oct 27, 2005 1:54 pm

The avenger has a crew of three. Is it possible for a third man to slide in in the compartment in front of the tail wheel(below the turret)?

Negative. Maybe if you get a gumby figure, it might work. Seriously, though, it's too tight.....

-Ski
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old

Post by Nimitz » Thu Oct 27, 2005 2:53 pm

Just wondering how long have we been waiting for the avenger? It seems like it's been just as long as we waited for Patton. :shock: Anyways, the plane looks great. :D

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Re: old

Post by tmanthegreat » Thu Oct 27, 2005 3:32 pm

Nimitz wrote:Just wondering how long have we been waiting for the avenger? It seems like it's been just as long as we waited for Patton. :shock: Anyways, the plane looks great. :D
The Avenger was announced on the 21c site (the old version) in late Jan. or early Feb. of 2004, under a section marked "Coming Soon!" A small-scale demonstration model of it was pictured along with models of the NKK Spitfire, Michaelski FW-190D9 and Hackl BF-109G. It also caused quite a stir on the origional GP board, this one not having existed at the time!

So, at the present day, its been nearly a 20 month wait.

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Post by Tinman » Thu Oct 27, 2005 6:39 pm

Fredricchio wrote -

"On page 4 of the catalog, theres a pic of the Humvee 998 Hard Top/Soft Top; looks like 21st's version of the Super Humvee. Pretty neat."


- excuse my ignorance, but how do you get to webshots to view the catalog?

Thanks!

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Post by wise690 » Thu Oct 27, 2005 7:07 pm

Hit the website button under the post.
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Post by Threetoughtrucks » Thu Oct 27, 2005 8:23 pm

Have I missed a comment about the crew?

I must assume the Pilot and rear Top Gunner will be there, but do we have a Radio Man (rear bottom gunner)? Actually being in the belly of the plane, we would be hard pressed even to see the Radio Man.

Do we know if one of the versions will be the elder George Bush's plane?
If not 21C sure misses that boat for visability.

How about it?

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Post by Tinman » Sat Oct 29, 2005 10:06 am

Thank you for pointing me to the website button, wise690!


A few comments on the catalog:


32X Zero looks interesting. I've been very selective about picking up 32X, but that looks like it would be a worth while piece.

Hard Top / Soft Top Humvee - guess I'll have another Humvee on my shelves!

Platoon figures look like the original Viet Nam series bodies / old articulation with new head sculpts. I'm less enthused about them after seeing that (should've known!), but still want them.

Can't wait for the Avenger!!!

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