Contrails Models

1/144 Pratt & Whitney JT-3 Resin Engines (set of 4) For the Minicraft 707, AWACS, J-Stars, C-18 and C-137

Stock Number: CM44-707TF

Reviewed By  Jim Pearsall, IPMS# 2209

MSRP: $20.00 Website: www.contrailsmodels.com I found these resin replacement engines for the Minicraft 707 kit at Airline Hobby Supply (www.airline-hobby.com). I had built the Minicraft AWACS, and wasn't impressed with the fit of the engines and pylons on the Minicraft kits. So I thought I'd try to improve the Minicraft C-18 (reviewed here) with better engines, so I bought a set, and got the OK to do a review. This photo is the engine on a VC-137 at Pima Air & Space Museum at Tucson. What you get are 4 pylons with the front of the engines molded to the pylons, and 4 engine bodies. The good part is that these units don't have the seams down the top and bottom like the kit parts. The bad news is that the resin is not perfect. This picture shows where I had to fill in the voids in the resin. The fit between the engines and pylons is OK to good, requiring only a bit of fitting and filing to get an adequate seam. The tops of the pylons suffer from some flash, they don't fit the wing undersurface very well, and there are no locating pins, making it more difficult to get these units in line than the kit parts. I am not sure whether the outboard engine in this picture is aligned correctly. It's not adjustable, as the pylon and engine front are one piece. OVERALL EVALUATION I have mixed feelings about these engines. The overall quality of the molding was about what I can do myself in my basement. On the other hand, these engines don't need those seams inside the intake and exhaust cleaned up, a real chore on the kit parts. Additionally, although the resin pylons don't fit the wing very well, the kit pylons are almost as troublesome. Thanks to Minicraft for the C-18, and IPMS for the chance to do the review.