Scale: 1/144 - about 12"/30.5cm long when assembled

Parts: 4 resin + resin base and wire stand

Instructions: See review

Decals: Ink jet-printed waterslide Pan Am "meatballs"

Molding Quality: 7 - decent, though bubbles mar some surface detail

Detail: 6 - Acceptable, though some scribed lines are off

Accuracy: Not rated - see review

MSRP: $ 30.00 USD (~€ 34.00 EUR) + postage, available from Wilco! Models

Overall Rating: 7 - Decent kit, with easily fixed flaws

Image: Front end, showing cockpit area

Into this void steps Wilco! Models with their latest release, a resin recast of the original Aurora kit.

What You Get

Inside the box are four resin parts that make up the model, a resin base, a piece of wire and a small sheet of decals. Instruction sheets were not done when I received the review sample, but will be included with retail kits.

The resin parts are cast well enough, though there were some flash and bubbles on my kit. Detail is fair, and consists mainly of engraved lines. The engraving across the top of the fuselage is a bit crooked - I'm not sure if that is doe to being pulled to quick from the mold or if that's what the master looks like. It's also wider and less defined than the rest of the kit. Several small bubbles mar the raised ribs in front of the cockpit and the side window framing, but they should be easily fixed. Also apparent are a couple of sink marks (from the origianl kit used to master this one), and of course they're in the most difficult place to fix -- in the fine corrugations at the back of the main fuselage piece! The base is a simple resin slab with holes in which the wire "stand" will fit.

Decals are provided for the Pan Am markings that fit on the fuselage. Printed by ink jet on waterslide paper, they're reasonably sharp (though if you can find the old Tangents ALPS-printed sheet, that would be a better one to use).

As for accuracy - this being a recast, it has the same flaws as the original. It's far better a starting point than the Airfix kit - so take a look at Michael Dentzer's article on accurizing the Aurora kit elsewhere on this site for what you need to know.

Assembly should be straightforward - you only have four pieces after all, and it's obvious where they go! Clean up will be a bit tougher, but nothing any reasonably competant builder can't handle.

Overall Impressions

Unless/until the PTM Orion Version III becomes available again, this is your last, best hope for an accurate Space Clipper. Recommended.