Ara1
23rd February 2005, 11:17
P-40N "Cleopatra III" RNZAF.
Franklin Mint 1/48 scale.
Retail prices range between $45 - 65 USD.
Released January 2005
Review provided exclusively for the Diecast Aviation Forum.
The Cleopatra III arrived well-protected in the standard Franklin Mint custom foam molded box. Two screws held the model firmly in place. The canopy came as a bagged item and popped into place.
Pros: This is the first P-40N in the FM 1/48 livery (so far as I'm aware). The extended canopy is well done; the ribbing color matches the overall green, and is perfectly painted (I don't know how they paint the ribbing, but it is one of the most difficult projects in scale modeling). The overall profile looks right. Tires are rubber. Underside grey is a beautifully dark shade. The zinc metal feels nice in the hands, the panel lines are well done, and the paint is a realistic flat finish. The markings are a bit glossy, but are to scale and Franklin Mint even researched/rendered the non-uniform letter sizes correctly. Propeller blades are an acceptable thinness.
Cons. There are large gaps where the wing meets the fuselage. The left horizontal tail was angled down a few millimeters, and this noticeable crookedness was very difficult to correct. The overall green is too bright, judging from the preserved example of "Cleopatra III" and period photos. A few shades darker would have done this diecast well. There is some very slight overspray on the topside white ID stripes, but not enough to push this model to the back of the display case. In fact, it is probably closer to how the actual plane was painted but today's collector expects finishes to be perfect so I'll mention it as a con. The front engine scoop grillwork is a bit thick, even for diecast. Lastly, there are a few glue marks at the tail.
Franklin Mint 1/48 scale.
Retail prices range between $45 - 65 USD.
Released January 2005
Review provided exclusively for the Diecast Aviation Forum.
The Cleopatra III arrived well-protected in the standard Franklin Mint custom foam molded box. Two screws held the model firmly in place. The canopy came as a bagged item and popped into place.
Pros: This is the first P-40N in the FM 1/48 livery (so far as I'm aware). The extended canopy is well done; the ribbing color matches the overall green, and is perfectly painted (I don't know how they paint the ribbing, but it is one of the most difficult projects in scale modeling). The overall profile looks right. Tires are rubber. Underside grey is a beautifully dark shade. The zinc metal feels nice in the hands, the panel lines are well done, and the paint is a realistic flat finish. The markings are a bit glossy, but are to scale and Franklin Mint even researched/rendered the non-uniform letter sizes correctly. Propeller blades are an acceptable thinness.
Cons. There are large gaps where the wing meets the fuselage. The left horizontal tail was angled down a few millimeters, and this noticeable crookedness was very difficult to correct. The overall green is too bright, judging from the preserved example of "Cleopatra III" and period photos. A few shades darker would have done this diecast well. There is some very slight overspray on the topside white ID stripes, but not enough to push this model to the back of the display case. In fact, it is probably closer to how the actual plane was painted but today's collector expects finishes to be perfect so I'll mention it as a con. The front engine scoop grillwork is a bit thick, even for diecast. Lastly, there are a few glue marks at the tail.