LSP_Mike Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 Not really into Italian planes, but I do have a Maachi 202. Just how good or bad is the 21st C. kit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thierry laurent Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 Not bad even if toyish. As in the other 21st century kits the decals are absolutely excellent and the pilot is very nice (if you like using one)! The main issue is the far too small wheels that ask for replacement. Now we have easily available 202 resin wheels but I'm remembering some people modified Me 109 and even Spitfire wheels to improve the look. Small scale RAF Wellington bomber resin wheels were also mentioned. And if you want to go further: - exhausts could also be replaced (by any set intended for late Me 109) - trim a little bit the gear yoke - rebuild gear doors as well as the kit ones are clunky and off in thickness and shape - update a little bit the dihedral (e.g. sand cautiously the fuselage sides) - some details can obviously be added in the cockpit and engine/LG bay Hth coogrfan, dutik, Model_Monkey and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Mike Posted January 28 Author Share Posted January 28 Thanks Thierry, An excellent starting point. Much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Molitor Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 I couldn't agree more with Thierry well addressed comments above. The kit panel lines are reminiscent of the Matchbox kits of the 80's/ 90's kits. Fortunately, however we now have a great amount of aftermarket for the recent kit released to correct a lot of issues, albeit minor. You could dress your 21 century kit for way cheaper. I just purchased an instrument panel for my PCM kit(s). Well under way. The wheel size is well also under sized I recall. The pilot was a really nice addition. Cheers T dennismcc and coogrfan 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennismcc Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 Not a C202 but I built a 21st Century C205 a long time ago, and enjoyed the build I had to replace the kit wheels as they are way too small and as mentioned the decals are superb. I also built their Me109 and Stuka and also enjoyed the builds, Tamiya they are not but they do polish up nice. Kev built one and the build thread is somewhere here on LSP but I cannot find it. Found a photo in my files though. Cheers Dennis RadBaron, Model_Monkey, LSP_Kevin and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 Thanks, Dennis. Here's the build thread for that one: As well as the main wheels being too small (I robbed mine from a Doyusha George kit), the main landing gear forks are oversized, and need to be trimmed considerably in order to not appear cartoonish. The working landing gear is also a bit of a problem, and I could never get the port leg to be completely vertical. I have another one in the stash, and plan to do a little more with it when I get to it. Kev dennismcc and coogrfan 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RadBaron Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 Many moons ago, I built the 205. Engraved panel lines and other details are quite chunky, but considering the kits former life as a "toy" thats not unexpected. I really liked the pre-painted pilot figure! I remember it being an easy build, the plugs that cover the screws were a drag to fill. Overall fit was very good. All the comments about wheels and gear doors are correct, I can't remember if I changed the wheels out, but I certainly made new gear doors. The cockpit and wheel wells aren't barren, but you could really go to town detailing them. I remember being pleasantly suprised by the quality of the decals, both in printing and application. For what was at the time a really cheap kit, it's certainly great value for the money, i think i paid $20AUD on sale. Will it compete for accuracy with the latest and greatest without a bunch of laborious work? No. But it sure is a darn good looking kit that can be had for significantly less than the newer kits. Makes a fantastic canvass for trying some fun painting techniques! Sorry for the potato-cam quality pic. The model is currently in a box, in storage on the other side of the plane! LSP_Kevin, dutik, Model_Monkey and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Hunter Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 I got this MC 202 kit a while ago, mainly out of curiosity. The decals are brilliant, definitely better quality than the PCM kit decals. However, when I saw the metal screws for fixing the fuselage halves together I was taken aback a bit. As you can see it can be brushed up by the dedicated types like the ones above but... Anyhow, now I have the new Italeri kit which is better than the PCM MC 202. I also got all the Aircraft in Pixels parts to enhance Italeri's efforts. They are truly superb. Still got to get the radiator yet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Mike Posted January 29 Author Share Posted January 29 Thanks for the replies. This will be a one-off, but it is a good looking plane. coogrfan and RadBaron 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spreckair2 Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 Also, the canopy is way too pointy; the pilot would have to be a conehead to fly this model. phasephantomphixer, CRAZY IVAN5, coogrfan and 1 other 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbk57 Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 The name is in the title 21st Century “toys” so they are not intended to be models to our standards. I bought some of these for my son when he was younger to play with. They were lovely considering that they were sold in Walmart. hworth18, Model_Monkey, dennismcc and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDriskill Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 (edited) On 2/7/2024 at 2:12 PM, cbk57 said: The name is in the title 21st Century “toys” so they are not intended to be models to our standards. I bought some of these for my son when he was younger to play with. They were lovely considering that they were sold in Walmart. IIRC, these kits were basically un-assembled versions of items that could also be had in finished form. Yes, the 202 is crude in many ways, but for something I bought at Walmart for 10 bucks they are remarkable! The decal sheet is worth more than that, and with some tweaking to the landing gear they are quite presentable at arm's length, LOL. That being said, one of mine has developed some warp in the lower wing; I think you'd have to epoxy in a metal spar to get a reasonable-looking dihedral angle. I have two of 'em stashed though. If my 8 year old grandson develops an interest it seems like a great starting point. Edited February 9 by MDriskill coogrfan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDriskill Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 (edited) 20 hours ago, spreckair2 said: Also, the canopy is way too pointy; the pilot would have to be a conehead to fly this model. I had not noticed that little foible...but now will never be able to un-see it! Edited February 8 by MDriskill dennismcc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spreckair2 Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 @MDriskill Right?!!! I am building several of these kits at one time, and the canopy is one place that is a real challenge for me. I scratch-built a correctly reshaped rear section behind the canopy. Now I am wondering if I can 3D resin print a better shaped canopy. Oh well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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