If you’re into period jet airliners, you’ll love the debut kit in 1/144 scale from Ukraine’s X-Scale, replicating the elegant DC-8-32. It’s reviewed here by CHRIS CLIFFORD.
Airliner modellers keen on the Douglas DC-8 have mainly had Minicraft’s 1/144 kits to work with since 2005, but these replicate -60 and -70 airframes. The smaller -30 series was covered by Welsh Models in the 1970s, although these were vacuum-formed products. Fans of the earlier DC-8 can rejoice, though, due to fledgling Ukrainian firm X-Scale offering a new-tool 1/144 DC-8-32 in styrene, with smart Swissair markings.
The DC-8 is arguably one of the most elegant airliners of its time, and it’s wonderful to have a new kit emulating an earlier short-fuselage, intercontinental variant…and of such quality. In this boxing, X144002, the 178 parts come on eight olive green runners, plus one clear. Also provided are finely detailed engine silencers cast in resin, plus pre-cut vinyl paint masks for the cockpit glazing. Passenger windows for the fuselage halves come in decal form rather than clear parts fitting into openings. The former is much more popular these days as it expedites the build and ensures neater results. Now, to the plastic…
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