old crow question......

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iballdriver
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old crow question......

Post by iballdriver » Mon May 03, 2010 11:47 pm

asking about the 1 18 scale variants...
so, which one is better, and why? the bbi? or 21st century? i have noticed that the 2 have very different paint schemes......how are the details? pluses, minuses on each?
thanks.......counting down the days 'till i join the grownups' table!!
bc
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digger
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mustangs

Post by digger » Tue May 04, 2010 5:26 am

In general it comes down to whether you like the bbi Mustang or the 21C Mustang, and which scheme you prefer. BBI messed up and didn't put Old Crow on both sides, then IIRC 21C messed up and did the same thing.

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Post by 456THBG » Tue May 04, 2010 7:43 am

Everyone has their own opinion, myself included, so here's mine...
1.) I have never cared for the BBI P51's tail gear - It seems to sit too low & too far forward - 21C appears to be more accurate.
2.) BBI's auxiliary fuel tanks seem to sit too far back, under the wing, vs 21C's.
3.) The canopy on my BBI "Killer" has a glazed finish to it, not as clear as 21c's.
For all the reasons above, I only have one BBI P51, "Killer", and all of the regular production 21c P51s.
But I love 'em all!

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Post by dragon53 » Tue May 04, 2010 8:23 am

The BBI olive drab version looks real cool because it emphasizes the orange/yellow nose, and it looks cool because I have five other silver 1/18 Mustangs.
Also, I got my "Old Crow" for about $45---about half the price of the similarly-painted "Passion Wagon".

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Post by tmanthegreat » Tue May 04, 2010 9:08 am

The "which is better" debate regarding the BBI and 21c P-51s is an old and much debated topic on this forum, and its really no closer to resolution than it was several years ago. As has been stated, it really comes down to your personal preference as both models have their strong and weak points.

The BBI version depicts an earlier D model flown by Anderson in 1944 and has some very positive points to it:
* Fantastic cockpit detail
* Detailed and articulated figure with parachute, flight helmet and crusher cap
* Detailed accessories, particularly the drop tanks
* Model is sturdy, durable in construction without loosing the shape of the plane.
* Some moving control surfaces
* Tons of stenciling detail all over it and nice weathering.

The drawbacks of the BBI model are:
* Inaccurate landing gear (the tail wheel sits too far forward and the main gear do not have the forward rake).
* The drop tank hardpoints are also designed to fit into the shell ejection ports, which is inaccurate. That can be fixed easily by shaving off the peg and gluing the hardpoints in the correct position.
* Not all control surfaces move.
* The surfaces of the fuselage and wings are also over-riveted, though the OD green paint makes this harder to see at a distance.
* The paintscheme is generally accurate, but lacks the "Old Crow" noseart on the right side of the engine. That can be fixed with a decal

The 21c version depics a later version of the aircraft flown by Anderson in the 1944-1945 timeframe. Some of the positive points of the 21c P-51 are the following:
* Model has the overall more-accurate tooling.
* The main landing gear and tail wheel are accurate with the proper rake, etc.
* The surfaces also have the smoother look that is seen on an actual P-51.
* The cockpit is well detailed, but not quite as good as the BBI version.
* Droptank hardpoints are in the correct position,

The weak points of the 21c P-51 are the following:
* The paint scheme lacks the nose art on the right side of the engine and the kill flag markings have been left off as well. Then there is alwyas the 21c tendency for paint flaws... Missing marking can be fixed with decals.
* The model's construction is more delicate than the BBI plane.
* Drop tanks and hardpoints are not as accurate
* Toyish tabs on the main gear doors
* Figure is OK. It comes with a parachute, has decent articulation, but a horrible headsculpt.

Despite all these points, I tend to prefer the 21c "Old Crow" over the BBI version, though I do have and like both. I have a good example of the 21c plane (meaning near-flawless paint scheme and no QC issues) and I always liked the silver version of Old Crow better than the OD version.
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iballdriver
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Post by iballdriver » Tue May 04, 2010 10:57 am

thanks for the insight, y'all. tman, thanks for some great info. gives me mcuh to consider......oh why, why, why, did i have to get addiected to the 1/18 scales? it just feels soooo good to hold these beauties in hand..... :D
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