Hobby Master 1/200 C-97A Stratofreighter 49-2601 New York Air National Guard

Designed as a long-range airliner for premier services across the Atlantic and the Pacific, the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser was first flown on July 8, 1947. This luxurious post-war double-decker propeller airliner had a spiral staircase leading to a lower-level lounge and state-of-the-art pressurization, but it was expensive to maintain and operate. Just 56 of the type were built as airliners-the remaining saw service as C-97 military transports or KC-97 tankers. Stratocruisers continued to fly commercially until the 1960s, when the introduction of the Boeing 707 and the de Havilland Comet made them obsolete.

Hobby Master's 1:200 scale Stratocruiser is an exceptionally well crafted model. The fuselage is constructed from separate upper and lower castings, accurately replicating the two intersecting circular fuselage sections of the actual aircraft, and joined together with a near seamless fit. The solid metal wings are finely cast featuring a near razor thin trailing edge and integrated engine nacelles. Additional details include pad-printed windows and doors recreated in crisp scale miniature, a delicate top mounted antenna and metal landing gear. The series includes passenger airliners and military variants such as the C-97 freighter and KC-97 tanker with a configurable tail boom probe.

• Diecast metal construction with some plastic components.
• Realistic panel lines and surface details.
• Pad printed markings and placards that won't fade or peel like decals.
• Interchangeable extended/retracted landing gear.
• Accurately detailed underside with concealed screwheads.