I recently purchased the X-3 in fond memory of my old plastic Lindberg kit that I built when I was young. This particular aircraft did not reach the Mach speeds it was intended for, due to the limited power of jet engines in those days, but it provided valuable research data on the use of titanium and also rubber for tires.
Stats:
Model: Douglas X-3 Stiletto
Scale: 1:50
Publisher: Paper Trade
Sheets: 1 (A3)
Parts: 129
Designer:Cor van Haasteren
Printer: JSC, Poland
Distributor: www.hobbyfactory.com
I purchased the kit through Hobby Factory along with another model and they arrived in perfect condition - thanks to Jason for packaging it so well. Although the order was shipped within 24 hours, it took almost three weeks for it to arrive due to Canadian and US postal service.
The kit comes with a cover glossy cover sheet typical of all Paper Trade models. It includes one A3 sheet of parts , along with a small square of green transparent plastic sheet for the windows. The instructions are in both Dutch and English. A small separate page contains the three views. Also included is a sheet of bristol board that is approximately 2.3 mm thick. This is stricly for packaging purposes because the instructions call for 1mm thick card for the formers.
The printing is very good and the card is fairly smooth. The kit also included a reprint of part 8, which is a section of the rear fuselage that shapes the tail boom. This piece is slightly wider on the aft end compared to the original part. It is printed on brighter card than the main parts sheet, but hopefully that won't detract from the model.
A basic cockpit interior is included. I'm sure that some builders will add more detail despite the fact that the view into the cockpit is limited. The wheel gear looks a bit fiddly and the publisher recommends cyanoacrylate glue for these parts.
This looks to be a fun build and should be impressive at approx. 16 inches (40.6 cm) in length.
Stats:
Model: Douglas X-3 Stiletto
Scale: 1:50
Publisher: Paper Trade
Sheets: 1 (A3)
Parts: 129
Designer:Cor van Haasteren
Printer: JSC, Poland
Distributor: www.hobbyfactory.com
I purchased the kit through Hobby Factory along with another model and they arrived in perfect condition - thanks to Jason for packaging it so well. Although the order was shipped within 24 hours, it took almost three weeks for it to arrive due to Canadian and US postal service.
The kit comes with a cover glossy cover sheet typical of all Paper Trade models. It includes one A3 sheet of parts , along with a small square of green transparent plastic sheet for the windows. The instructions are in both Dutch and English. A small separate page contains the three views. Also included is a sheet of bristol board that is approximately 2.3 mm thick. This is stricly for packaging purposes because the instructions call for 1mm thick card for the formers.
The printing is very good and the card is fairly smooth. The kit also included a reprint of part 8, which is a section of the rear fuselage that shapes the tail boom. This piece is slightly wider on the aft end compared to the original part. It is printed on brighter card than the main parts sheet, but hopefully that won't detract from the model.
A basic cockpit interior is included. I'm sure that some builders will add more detail despite the fact that the view into the cockpit is limited. The wheel gear looks a bit fiddly and the publisher recommends cyanoacrylate glue for these parts.
This looks to be a fun build and should be impressive at approx. 16 inches (40.6 cm) in length.