Spaced Marine Posted April 15, 2018 Share Posted April 15, 2018 At do me point, I want to add a 1/32 A-1J to the collection. I've read through the forums and google searches on the ZM & Trumpeter kits. Both have pluses and minuses. In your experiences, which one do you prefer and why? Just trying to be thorough before laying out for such an expensive kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeepsGunsTanks Posted April 15, 2018 Share Posted April 15, 2018 The Spad was so badass, I love the AD/A-1, I didn't even know anyone had done a 1/32 scale. Harold 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunpowder Posted April 15, 2018 Share Posted April 15, 2018 Trumpeter. Easier to build and cheaper. Its also a great model. Harold, Spaced Marine and Daniel Leduc 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Colvin Posted April 15, 2018 Share Posted April 15, 2018 If you are going to do 1 only and go for a show stopper.... ZM. You will need to source some stores if desired. As mentioned above the trumpeter kit is cheaper, has stores, goes together well. That said the prop blades are not right and the kit does not include the large light on the vertical. Both can be fixed using aftermarket. The doors in the cowl are also not the right shape. Having built both......you really can't go wrong. Harold and Spaced Marine 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted April 15, 2018 Share Posted April 15, 2018 Good luck finding a Trumpeter right now. I placed ordered with two different online or ebay retailers that showed in stock with an email a week or more later that they don't know when they will ever have stock again. Finally bought a used kit off eBay for new price. Shop carefully. Sprue Brothers didn't have the one I was looking for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_K2 Posted April 15, 2018 Share Posted April 15, 2018 Since I already have the Z-M kit, I'd naturally go for that, but it appears that the Trumpeter kit is OK too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alaninaustria Posted April 15, 2018 Share Posted April 15, 2018 The Trump kit hands down - easier to build with only one drawback - the prop - you will need a prop from the ZM kit. Happy modelling! If you want to see how the Trump kit goes together have a look at mine - link is below next to my signature! Cheers Alan Daniel Leduc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thierry laurent Posted April 15, 2018 Share Posted April 15, 2018 Not only the prop... The windshield is also misshaped (a too common problem in Trumpeter kits alas). Not a terrific issue to use the kit for a Fisher conversion but far more annoying if you want to use it as a single seater with the stock part. Alburymodeler 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quang Posted April 15, 2018 Share Posted April 15, 2018 (edited) The Skyraider is one of my favorite planes and I can tell you that the Trumpeter kit is actually NOT as bad as some people on the internet want us to believe. As a matter of fact it's one of their best. I'm currently building one and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Critics always mention the Trumpy too-wide windshield and canopy. Actually comparing with the photos of the real thing, I cannot see what's wrong in the windshield. The Trumpy is obviously different from the ZM version but no one can say which version is the more correct unless one has access to measurements of the real item. In any case there's nothing detracting in the Trumpy windshield and canopy. The main issue of the Trumpy is in the dorsal spine region. The profile of the kit is spot on but they missed the distinct spine extending from the base of the vertical stabilizer resulting in a fat and heavy-looking aft fuselage and vertical tail. Curiously it's something I haven't seen mentioned in the diverse forums yet. Once the spine is restored – by extensive shaving and filing – it's all downhill. The other issue is the propeller whose blades are of the wrong shape and need to be replaced. AMS makes a nice set of correct A-1 blades. HTH Quang Edited April 16, 2018 by quang allthumbs and paul fisher 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thierry laurent Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 The spine and tail difference between the two kits has not been discussed at length but it was mentioned on LSP when the Trumpy kit was released. With regard to the windshield, the discrepancy is not shocking if you do not compare closely with pictures of planes. However, having done the exercise when I did the research work for the Zotz decal sheets, I estimated the width error to be close to...3mm! Not a small problem to me but I can understand others do not really care... Harold 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quang Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 Most issues arise when people compare the Trumpy kit with the ZM which costs twice the price. Being the more expensive does not make the ZM the more accurate. It's true that there's a difference between the 2 windshields - 3mm is enormous in my book - but as long as the discrepancy is well 'blended' into the surrounding areas and doesn't appear shocking to the eye, it's all good. I don't go around looking at models with a caliper in my right hand and a flash light in the other. But when a model looks good to my bare eye, it's good. As such, the Trumpy Skyraider built by a competent modeller looks mighty fine to me. Lothar and Harold 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasta 14 addict Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 Well, i keep it simple, keeping in mind that both kit's have their pro's and con's, i just look at the fact that the ZM kit has internals and it's expensive. If you want a see trough, just get the ZM kit. The Trumpy kit is cheaper, and it's a decent kit for it's price. I'm planning to buy a Trumpy Skyraider, i don't even bother to look at the ZM example, saw it a couple of years ago, and i was not impressed by the content of this expensive kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackbetty Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 trumpy for me, i can live with the faults and it goes together well, i really liked the build brass barrels and harolds blades is all i used Harold 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Fleischmann Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 Just finishing up the ZM A-1J. Fabulous kit. Will be using the Trumpeter kit for my fat face Fisher A-1E. The windscreen on the Trumpeter kit just isn't right. I'll have some spare parts left over from the Trumpeter kit as I'm using it for the A-1E conversion. If anyone needs unused parts ( like fuselage, canopy, etc) let me know- Cheers Pete Harold 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 The Skyraider is one of my favorite planes and I can tell you that the Trumpeter kit is actually NOT as bad as some people on the internet want us to believe. As a matter of fact it's one of their best. I'm currently building one and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Critics always mention the Trumpy too-wide windshield and canopy. Actually comparing with the photos of the real thing, I cannot see what's wrong in the windshield. The Trumpy is obviously different from the ZM version but no one can say which version is the more correct unless one has access to measurements of the real item. In any case there's nothing detracting in the Trumpy windshield and canopy. The main issue of the Trumpy is in the dorsal spine region. The profile of the kit is spot on but they missed the distinct spine extending from the base of the vertical stabilizer resulting in a fat and heavy-looking aft fuselage and vertical tail. Curiously it's something I haven't seen mentioned in the diverse forums yet. Once the spine is restored – by extensive shaving and filing – it's all downhill. The other issue is the propeller whose blades are of the wrong shape and need to be replaced. AMS makes a nice set of correct A-1 blades. HTH Quang I just sent Sprue a batch of prop blades. They should be added to the available listings later today or tomorrow. LSP_K2, Motion 2, Pete Fleischmann and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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