Dora Wings 1/72 Bellanca CH/J-300 Record Flight Kit First Look
By David L. Veres
| Date of Review | November 2018 | Manufacturer | Dora Wings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Bellanca CH/J-300 Record Flight | Scale | 1/72 |
| Kit Number | 72001 | Primary Media | Styrene, Photo-Etch |
| Pros | Nice detailing | Cons | Nothing serious |
| Skill Level | Experienced | MSRP (Euro) | $19.50 |
First Look
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Dora Wings continues its innovative subject releases with a beautiful, 1:72-scale Bellanca CH/J-300.
Nicknamed "Record Flight", the "Pacemaker" package sports 92 plastic parts on 5 trees in gray and clear styrene. A photoetch fret, optional resin landing gear, canopy masks, decals, and instructions complete contents.
The crisply molded, virtually flash-free moldings sport stunning detail, including:
- fine, recessed scribing
- clear canopy with fine, raised framing
- superbly detailed cockpit with instrument panel, bulkheads, joysticks, bench seat, floor, and rudder pedals
- an 18-part engine/cowling/forward fuselage subassembly
- undercarriage options
- separate, delicately rendered, fabric-covered control surfaces
Dora Wings clearly intends styrene components for multiple "Pacemaker" packages. Parts, for instance, sport flashed-over fuselage windows for further civil and military examples.
Easy-to-follow, 8-page instructions include a capsule history, parts map, 20-phase assembly sequence, and painting guides. Just remember to open flashed-over location holes inside parts A1 and A3 in Step 10 for the wing subassemblies from Steps 8 and 9.
The colorful, precisely printed decals depict 3 eye-popping schemes – each with a different landing gear configuration:
- CH-300 NR688E Transatlantic Flight Attempt, 1933
- J-300 NR761W, New York City to Istanbul, Turkey, 1931
- J-300 NR761W, 1930 American Legion Convention, Boston
What a stunning little kit – and a rare, injection-molded Bellanca subject.
Let's hope Dora Wings favors us with many more models from aviation's "Golden Age". How about a Spartan 7W Executive, Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing series, Howard DGA family, and Bellanca 28-90 Flash – among many more?
Love classic "Golden Age" subjects? Snag this gorgeous effort.
With thanks to Dora Wings for this review sample!