Product Review: Witty Wings Fairy Gannet
Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2014 10:43 am
I know this model has been out for a while and has several paint schemes available. Never heard much around here about it, but after seeing the 1:100 scale Amercom version of the Gannet (and somehow taking an affinity to this very ugly aircraft) I recalled having once seen that there was a 1:72 version available and tracked it down. Turned out to be a Witty Wings model and they are still available at a number of diecast retailers for those interested. I purchased a model replicating a UK Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm aircraft from 849 Squadron, RNAS Brawdy, Wales, 1967:
Here are some quick pictures and a review of my example. I think I need to start using the flash if I'm to take photos with my smartphone
Profile shot:
The model makes heavy use of diecast in the construction, particularly in the fuselage and wings. Other parts including the canopy, bomb bay doors, landing gear, and turboprop exhaust vents are plastic. Panel detailing is there, but is not deeply recessed (a common feature with Witty Wings models it seems) so the plane looks almost toyishly smooth in the right light. The wings appear to be a solid piece running through a slot in the fuselage. They are actually a little "loose" and one can feel them move slightly when handling the model. Its not a big drawback, but I'm used to my diecast planes in any scale feeling sturdy!
The cockpit detail is minimal. Simple figures are placed in each of the 3 crew positions, which is nice, but they are simplistic compared to what Witty's competition regularly does. There are separate pieces for the extended and retracted gears. The forward landing gear bay is detailed, but the door piece covers this detail when inserted. The bomb bay opens with two doors that must be installed when assembling the model. The bay is detailed and the doors have robust hinges. I really like the opening bay feature and the fact that I don't have to insert separate pieces for the open and closed doors. One thing to watch out for, however, is the level of QC. The Gannet model pictured is actually my second purchase - the first had a QC defect and came with two left side doors...
Open payload bay & detail:
Another feature I like are the counter-rotating props. They spin freely in the correct counter-rotating directions. Blowing air on them makes for a neat spinning effect.
Spinning counter-rotating turboprop detail:
Overall, I like the fact that Witty Wings took on such an obscure subject - at least from a US point of view. The Gannet was an important aircraft that served for decades in the Royal Navy as well as the navies of several other nations, so its good to have a diecast model of one. If one is into "Cold War era" aircraft, in particular those from the UK, this is a must.
I feel there could have been better attention to details with the cockpits and other areas. The tooling is a bit more simplistic and toyish than it needs to be for a model of this size and cost, certainly compared to what other companies would have done. But in the end, its the only diecast Gannet available, so I should simply be happy that one exists in the first place and put some of the detail concerns second
Here are some quick pictures and a review of my example. I think I need to start using the flash if I'm to take photos with my smartphone
Profile shot:
The model makes heavy use of diecast in the construction, particularly in the fuselage and wings. Other parts including the canopy, bomb bay doors, landing gear, and turboprop exhaust vents are plastic. Panel detailing is there, but is not deeply recessed (a common feature with Witty Wings models it seems) so the plane looks almost toyishly smooth in the right light. The wings appear to be a solid piece running through a slot in the fuselage. They are actually a little "loose" and one can feel them move slightly when handling the model. Its not a big drawback, but I'm used to my diecast planes in any scale feeling sturdy!
The cockpit detail is minimal. Simple figures are placed in each of the 3 crew positions, which is nice, but they are simplistic compared to what Witty's competition regularly does. There are separate pieces for the extended and retracted gears. The forward landing gear bay is detailed, but the door piece covers this detail when inserted. The bomb bay opens with two doors that must be installed when assembling the model. The bay is detailed and the doors have robust hinges. I really like the opening bay feature and the fact that I don't have to insert separate pieces for the open and closed doors. One thing to watch out for, however, is the level of QC. The Gannet model pictured is actually my second purchase - the first had a QC defect and came with two left side doors...
Open payload bay & detail:
Another feature I like are the counter-rotating props. They spin freely in the correct counter-rotating directions. Blowing air on them makes for a neat spinning effect.
Spinning counter-rotating turboprop detail:
Overall, I like the fact that Witty Wings took on such an obscure subject - at least from a US point of view. The Gannet was an important aircraft that served for decades in the Royal Navy as well as the navies of several other nations, so its good to have a diecast model of one. If one is into "Cold War era" aircraft, in particular those from the UK, this is a must.
I feel there could have been better attention to details with the cockpits and other areas. The tooling is a bit more simplistic and toyish than it needs to be for a model of this size and cost, certainly compared to what other companies would have done. But in the end, its the only diecast Gannet available, so I should simply be happy that one exists in the first place and put some of the detail concerns second
