 3D Printing has come a long way in a short time and at the forefront of what is possible in 400 scale is 3D Design Deck. They have skillfully merged the printing of the models and the printing onto the models to make an increasingly diverse portfolio of aircraft types. It is the DHC-8 that has been their trademark type and this is the first G-reg example they've made. As 3D Design Deck are a Canadian business what better time is there to show our support for our Canadian allies against the aggression from across the border by buying Canadian? Each review is to split into three key areas:
 MOULD  3D Design Deck (3DDD) now boast a small variety of types in 400 scale including the Bombardier CRJ-200, Challenger 600, Boeing 737-200, Northrop B-2 Spirit Bomber and of course the De Havilland Canada DHC-8, in both series 100 and 300 forms. The owner, Demetri, has been working hard on both 200 and 400 scales with new aircraft types and improving those he already has.  Of the near 40 400 scale releases made by 3DDD 11 have been DHC-8-300s, an aircraft type previously ignored by the main 400 scale brands. JC Wings / Gemini Jets have a DC-8-100/200, but even that has only been used 16 times in 16 years! That isn't a big surprise, since the mould is small for 400 scale and difficult to sell in the volumes the major brands need to produce at.  That is an example of where 3DDD can really make a difference, producing smaller aircraft with lower production runs due to their lower costs. They have also been engaged with the collectorate, taking advice and modifying their designs. You can see that thread on the Model Airliner Forum here.  I reviewed one of their previous DHC-8-300s back in August and the fundamentals of the mould have not changed. For that previous review see:  Overall, the model looks impressive and at least as good as the die-cast DHC-8 available. One of the few areas I had issue with was the vertical stabiliser. On this version it remains the same as the previously reviewed model whereby the tailchord and tailcone aren't quite correct, however I know that 3DDD have been working on changing this as you can see from this image of theirs:  Note the shorter tailcone and modifications to the rudder shape. This improvement will be coming on future DHC-8s, but even without it this remains a delightful little mould, full of lovely detailing (like spinning props).  This is an excellent little DHC-8, at least as good as the JC Wings version and arguably better. SCORE - 8  PAINT & LIVERY  Most of 3DDD's DHC-8s so far have been understandably Canadian, but a recent PAL Express release and this one hopefully signal that we'll be seeing more 'foreign' DHC-8s in the future. Air Southwest is a great choice, a British regional operator that flew from 2003-October 2011, mostly out of Plymouth, Newquay and Bristol - all in the Southwest of England.  The fleet included 4 DHC-8s, which wore an attractive scheme made up of light blue, lilac and purples. 3DDD uses a UV printing mechanism to apply printwork to the model and it works well, although at high magnification you understandably begin to see some pixellation. With the naked eye the printing isn't far off what you'd get with standard Tampo print on metal. For an image of this aircraft in service see this photo of G-WOWD.  The airline logo on the tail is excellent and the colours that surround it good. The purple belly is also nice, but should extend further along the nose than it does. The tiny airline logo is missing from the engine nacelles and the fuselage titles are a little chunky, but all three of these things are minor complaints. SCORE - 8 PRINTING & QUALITY CONTROL  The linework printing on these tiny DHC-8s is excellent and there is even a marked improvement over the model I reviewed in August. The amount and quality of the print on the wingtops is amazing and much superior to where it was (previously the wing leading edges were painted, now they are printed too).  There is also more print detailing on the inside of the engine exhausts than previously. The only minor detractor is a bit of smudging at the nose on the starboard side.  What is surprising about these printed models is how solid they are. They weigh almost nothing, but still feel surprisingly solid and resilient. Plus being so light they are not as delicate and breakable as die-cast models can be. If you drop this model onto carpet, it is likely to remain unbroken - something that a metal DHC-8 almost certainly wouldn't.  The model comes in an attarctive little box with printed sleeve. Inside it is protected by a foam cradle giving the model good protection even when it needs to get from Canada to the UK.  One last thing worth mentioning is that purchases from the 3D Design Deck website come with free gifts. My DHC-8 for example came with some very nice and useful blast deflector barriers that have already found a home on my model airport layout. SCORE - 9  SUMMARY The potential with 3DDD is almost limitless and I know they have some exciting products in the pipeline like a DHC-7. I am really looking forward to seeing more of these smaller aircraft types that have been ignored in 400 scale. I also applaud Demetri and his small team for their hunger in improving their products. It is an admirable trait and one some of the older mainstream brands could learn a thing from! This model cost me CAD$45.95 (about £24.65) plus shipping from Canada, and was well worth the purchase. Go Canada!! FINAL SCORE: 25/30 
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorI'm Richard Stretton an aviation enthusiast and major collector of 400 scale models. On this page I take a detailed look at new releases. This site is free. Please donate to keep it going.
|
RSS Feed