Small Scale Military Headquarters

So, I went to Target yesterday to pick up toliet paper and decided to look at what they had FOV-wise (my area Target is basically a dump compared to others) and saw a handful of the 1/72 stuff, but also a couple of 1/32 Grants and 1 Lee, plus a Stug III and an Abrams. Still wasn't crazy about the the visible attachment screws and clips on the Stug's suspension, so I walked away. However, I spied an FOV box sitting on the mark-downs endcap -- it was the Action version of the P-51D with the purple nose -- for $7.48. Now granted, the bottom of this thing is festooned with open screw-holes, but I thought $8 after tax was a good deal all things considered.

Checking out some online dealers I saw that other than weathering, there was no difference between the Action and the Enthusiast edition in terms of what you got, so I was wondering what IS the difference between the two?

And how do people feel about the FOV planes in general? They haven't made but a few so I wondered if that meant their planes aren't too popular or what?

You got a good deal on the P-51, any way around. Even better than when Target first sold them over the summer for $15. The Action Grade planes sell for around $30 with the Enthusiast versions going for closer to $50. There is not difference in construction, figures and accessories between the Action and Enthusiast planes. I've seen the Enthusiast versions of the P-51s and Spitfires both in person and in photographs. They have noticably more weathering such as exhaust stains, etc. The FOV planes are OK, but there are alot of inaccuracies and some QC issues. You will notice that the P-51, Spitfire and Bf-109G have giant rivets, to name one flaw. The P-51 also has those garish rockets. The diecast construction, opening engines and movable control surfaces are a nice touch, though. FOV also makes a P-39 which is quite nice compared to the other three planes and is on par with the current 21c releases. That plane has had some QC issues, namely with its paintscheme, but the one I got was perfect. Their 1:72 aircraft are great as well

Yeah, the rivets ARE a bit garish. And when I first saw the rockets, I thought they were carrying as big a payload as the rockets on my 1/18 Saberjet.

I bought it mainly because of the price, as I normally stick with 21st (lots of WM's in my area) since I already have the D from the duel set with the ME-262 and the Bullfrog, with the 'frog being my current fave of the three. I would prefer to stick with my current price level for economy's sake, but that SBD on preorder at Badcat has me thinking of my upcoming wedding anniversary, which is either ivory or gold depending on if you're traditional or modern. Surely there was something of gold used in the construction of an SBD? Something in the radio perhaps? I need something because I'm pretty sure there is no ivory used in naval plane construction.

Incidentally, I have also had my eyes on the Airacobra. I had the 1/48 Monogram model back in the late Mesozoic and wouldn't mind another.

Didn't Patton fly in an SBD once? I think his pistolas would qualify for the invory portion.

Hasn't FoV always had QC issues across the board? From the main gun elevation on the Stug III to bent 50 cals on the quad M-16s.