KIT:

Monogram 1/90 C-47

KIT #

 7590

PRICE:

 Long out of production

DECALS:

 One option

REVIEWER:

Scott Van Aken

NOTES:

 1975 boxing

HISTORY

Undoubtedly one of the top 5 on anyone's list of the most important aircraft of the last 100 years, the C-47/DC-3/Dakota needs little in the way of introduction to the majority of people who have any interest at all in aviation. A quick google will get you more info on the type than you can easily digest.
 

THE KIT

When Monogram first started doing plastic airplane kits, they didn't stick with any specific scale. This was rather common practice amongst most US model makers (Aurora being the exception) as the idea was to have the kit fit a standard box rather than any specific scale. The result are some great kits, but some odd scales, such as this one at about 1/90.

Molded in silver plastic with the usual plethora of rivets (which was considered to be what modelers wanted in the 1960s), the kit is reasonably well detailed with a cockpit containing two seated crew members, no cabin detail and a separate passenger/cargo door that was common with the C-47.  I should also point out that this is a post war C-47 and as such, has the additional rotating beacon on the tip of the fin. Though no stand is provided, it can be built wheels up.  Transparencies are not bad, though a tad on the thick side.

Instructions are a single sheet with an 11 step construction sequence on one side and the other with history and decal placement/color information. The last construction sequence is also on this side. Markings are provided for a natural metal with white roof aircraft from NAS Glenview. The builder will have to do quite a bit of masking on this one as the orange fuselage band, de-icer boots, nose anti-glare panel, and wing walk areas will have to be painted. The decals are in pretty decent shape for being nearly 30 years old and should function OK once recoated with some Microscale Decal Film to keep them from falling apart. The blue in the national insignia seems a bit light for my tastes so the builder may want to replace those.

 

CONCLUSIONS

Though the scale is a bit odd and the detailing not up to modern specs, the kit looks to be a pretty accurate representation of a C-47. Engine cowling appear to be a bit off, but not enough to bother most people. With a little care in construction, a very nice model can be made from this kit.

Kit courtesy of me and my constant digging through the vendor's tables at swap meets!

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