In answer to your question:
>The first kit you have, is it the early production SSW D.III? The
>one with the "full" cowl, ub-balanced ailerons and different tail?
The "early" Pegasus SSW D-III is the standard production model of the
original. It was among the earliest kits produced by Chris Gannon and his
then new company. As I said in amy earlier post, it is a crude kit, which
in light of his later release is more of a curiosity than anything else.
>
>The re-release of the C.III is almost exact as the original release.
>The biggest difference is lack of decals. The plastic appears a
>little more "flashy", but otherwise good.
Obviously, Meikraft must have used up all of his decal stocks. It is
unfortunate that this hasn't lowered the price of the kit. I wonder if
this situation applies to the photo etched bits for some of his other kits?
Anyone have an answer to this ?
>> Also seen at my local shop, an example of the Meikraft Caproni.
>> Priced at $69.95, I won't be giving you all a review.
>
>Unless you're willing to spend considerable time on it, don't bother.
>Sure, it's a nice kit, but there's a lot of work to be done. The
>plastic is typical Meikraft, but it only consists of the fuselage
>halves, wings and tail pieces. Everything else is either photetched
>or white metal. And there is a lot of photoetched. Not to mention
>the amount of rigging required. I have had the fortune of seeing the
>Caproni at the USAF museum, and it was a riggers nightmare. Granted,
>I think it's a beautiful aircraft, but just a bugger to model.
>
Big airplanes in 1918 needed a lot of cable to hold them together, a
fact of life and physics. It makes life in small scales ( ane even flying
ones) difficult at times
Charles Hart
hartc@spot.colorado.edu