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which P-51 do you like better 21c vs BBI?
Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 7:05 pm
by aferguson
Not sure if this has ever been done before and i'm curious to know the concensus on this...not talking about which repaint version is your favourite but whose model you like better; 21c's or BBI's? I prefer 21c's because i don't care for the rivets on BBI's.
What say you?
Re: which P-51 do you like better 21c vs BBI?
Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 7:59 pm
by snake
I have to go with BBI.
Find all their products to be slightly better than comparable 21 Century.
This is not a slight at 21C, as I think that 21C is responsible for the 1/18 genre as we know and love it. And without them, I doubt 1/18 scale would exist. BBI came along a little later, and have the benefit of newer molds.
However, 21C are very close, and offer a far greater selection of aircraft, and versions.

Re: which P-51 do you like better 21c vs BBI?
Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 10:21 pm
by tmanthegreat
Aw, crud, now I have to decide one way or the other in this age-old debate
I've always tried to be somewhat neutral as both planes have their positive and negative points. However, I voted for the 21c P-51. Why? When it comes down to it, I have more 21c P-51s in my collection: 4 21c vs 2 BBI. I tend to have a 21c Mustang out on display more often than the BBI one. The 21c plane also has the accurate smooth surfaces, the accurate landing gear, and really gets the overall shape of the plane correct (except for those first few toolings with the bent props).
What the BBI P-51 does do better than the 21c plane is the cockpit, the pilot figure, the drop tanks, all the fine stenciling, the weathering, and the sturdy construction of the model. Really, had the BBI P-51 not been riveted like a battleship and perhaps had the correct tail wheel, they would have a Mustang masterpiece on their hands.
Re: which P-51 do you like better 21c vs BBI?
Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 5:37 am
by Barbarian333
As far as a display piece, and not so much for accuracy. I'm gonna go with BBI. I know its over riveted but when both the BBI and 21C are displayed side by side the detail on the BBI makes the 21C look more toylike. For this reason i dont display them side by side.
Re: which P-51 do you like better 21c vs BBI?
Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 5:51 am
by pickelhaube
I will go with BBI.
The 21st 51 kind of looks toyish. The BBI's 51 looks more like a model.
But I do have plenty of both.

Re: which P-51 do you like better 21c vs BBI?
Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 6:31 am
by memaddog
I like the BBI. I really like the Donald Duck one, It was my 1st BBI P-51 that I purchased, fell in Love with it!
memaddog
Re: which P-51 do you like better 21c vs BBI?
Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 2:45 pm
by dragon53
I like the BBI Mustang and have all of them, except "Killer", because it looks like 21st Century's "Big Beautiful Doll" which I already have.
Re: which P-51 do you like better 21c vs BBI?
Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:33 pm
by DocTodd
I agree both have positive points, but the last mold (S 3?) of the 21st century P-51 was the best. The rake of the landing gear and all of the moveable surfaces made this one look great. I do also have several of each including the S-1 21st P-51 which is more toy like, but very special as it was one of the planes that launched the line and my 1:18 WWII collecting hobby.