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Daco 737 1st generation


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Just curious, we all know how great the current Daco/Skyline 737 is. However, I've also heard mentioned that the first generation of this subject by Daco wasn't that great. What precisely was the story on that kit? Was there anything really "wrong" with it?

Thanks,

Robert

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Not that I know of, the new ones were just better. The old ones have cutting lines on the inside of the fuselage to mark where you have to cut to shorten it to a -500 or put the extension plugs for the -400. Also the panel lines and overall detail were just a little less good than the new version. On the other hand the old one includes some PE.

Just grab a kit if you can find one, no matter whether it's the old or new one. They will be very scarce later..

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I have a first Gen Daco 737 kit, its a decent kit, but its given me quite a few fits, but that could also be entirely related to having never built a model like this before. I've never seen a newer kit, so I dont know what the differences are.

The biggest issue I had was fitting the main landing gear bay and then getting the fuselage section in over it. Fit was less than great.

Check this link for all the pictures I took while working on it. I havent touched it in about 3 years.

http://s257.photobucket.com/albums/hh218/RangerMach1/Models/Wstrn%20Pac%20Simpsons/

Edited by Adam Baker
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JI've also heard mentioned that the first generation of this subject by Daco wasn't that great. What precisely was the story on that kit? Was there anything really "wrong" with it?

Let's see if I can explain it...

When I released my first version of the Boeing 737 (also known as the 'black box' version) there was no B737-300 / -400 / -500 kit at all on the market. Only Airfix was doing the -200...

The masters of the kit parts were all crafted by my hands, and believe me: it isn't easy to make two identical but mirrored parts (left & right part of the fuselage, wings, ...). These masters were then used to make a limited-run tooling. Although everyone was happy to finally get a -300 kit, you needed 'modeling expertise' to build it.

More or less at the same time when Minicraft released their B737-300 & -400 kits, my limited-run tooling broke and I decided not to redo a new tooling based on the same masters. There was no point doing so.

After some time, especially with the inaccuraties that the Minicraft kit has (the curving of the aft fuselage part started too far to the end and the tail was too high) and my Western Pacific decals who needed an accurate kit, I found it was time to release a brand new kit, but now completely computer designed. With the help of Sabena who gave me unlimited access to their maintenance facilities (thanks Sabena ! ), I was able to measure every part of the Boeing 737s without the need to base on drawings from Boeing.

The result was the 'yellow-red' colored boxed B737-300, B737-400 and B737-500 kits. They are as accurate as can be, with much finer details than most airliner kits ever had. These Skyline 737 kits are now all sold out here at my place (only a handful of the -400 remain), and now I get demands for it :-)

If you got a 'black box' on hand, don't bother to build it: it's out-of-date . You'll love it so much more to build a 'colored box' instead. BUT the 'black box' is not wasted, you can cut off its nose section to replace these sections of the Minicraft Boeing 707, 727, 737 kits, giving them a much more accurate nose...

Hope this history was a bit of interest to you.

Danny

DACO Products

http://ultra.glo.be/daco

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Dear Danny, I have a yellow box 1/144 Daco 737 kit and its beautifully crafted, an absolute gem indeed! I wish DACO would introduce the same model in 1/200th scale. I have a Skyline 1/200 'Simpsons' decal sheet waiting to grace the fuselage of a DACO 1/200 737.

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Thank you for everyones' replies! I do appreciate it.

Mr. Coremans, I sure hope your end generation 737 gets re-released. I have one each of the -300, -400, and -500, and would like more for all of those great WP decals, but the usual mail-order suspects all report being out of stock. Here's hoping for a re-run of this great model. Thank you for your work in getting these models out in the first place. THey're very well-engineered and appreciated.

Robert

PS. Would the WP decals for the 2nd generation -300 also fit the first generation model?

Edited by robert61267
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Hi Danny,

Any chance you will look at doing any other airliner kits other than the 737. I think there is certainly a good market for well done Boeing, Airbus and other types that have not been done by the mainstream at all, or were done poorly. I have your 737-300 that is yet to be built, but I can say that the detail is ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. I can't wait to build it and use the equally stunning doors, windows and detail decal sheet that came with it.

Cheers,

Jarrod

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I have a yellow box 1/144 Daco 737 kit and its beautifully crafted, an absolute gem indeed! I wish DACO would introduce the same model in 1/200th scale. I have a Skyline 1/200 'Simpsons' decal sheet waiting to grace the fuselage of a DACO 1/200 737.

Thanks for the appreciation, but don't hold your breath for a 1/200 version: it will not happen...

It took me 7 years to sell out the first production of the 1/144 kits (which was 5 years longer than originally planned) and if I see my stock of 1/200 decals than I can only conclude the 1/200 market is economically not worth doing...

I sure hope your end generation 737 gets re-released. I have one each of the -300, -400, and -500, and would like more for all of those great WP decals, but the usual mail-order suspects all report being out of stock. Here's hoping for a re-run of this great model.

Would the WP decals for the 2nd generation -300 also fit the first generation model?

I probably will do a re-run, but not yet right now.

Normally the WP decals should fit both kits, but I didn't check it while designing the decals. But as the first kit is so basic regarding details, I really would like to suggest not to use it for my (I would say: beautiful) WP decals ...

A Daco/Skyline 757 family would be stunning.

Fact is that the B757 is not so popular over here in Europe... at least I've no feelings for it.

But doing a new airliner kit takes a looong time, don't expect something reaching the market within the first 3 years if I start measuring a real jet now...

Danny

DACO Products

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Danny,

Many thanks for all your efforts also from this distant part of Europe!

I'm the lucky owner of 1 piece each of your 733, 734 and 735!

For the sake of everybody who appreciates a thing well done, I hope you'll do a re-run of your kits.

And boy what I'll give for an accurate 1/144 plastic kit of the 757... :thumbsup:

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Danny,

Thank you for the history of the kit. Really interesting, and enlightening. Judging by the final kit, you had to put lot of effort into it, and its shows. It is a wonderful kit, and I can only be crossing my fingers that you will do a rerun. I've come to the airline modeling only recently, and have been lucky to get one of your 735. The only problem is that now I "need" about 5 more :)

Looking forward to a rerun, and hope you'll go through them faster!

Jan

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