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DO335A


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Oh wow!! ....

A hard one - as the answer is purely personal ...

Both kits are good in that they have no generally listed accuracy, engineering, fit or finish flaws.

The ZM kit has transparent plastic for the external skins - the idea being that you'll be able to see the typically ZM styled internal engineering when built - the problem being, that it's opaque!! ... Some people declare that the "clear" plastic is more brittle and harder to work with than the standard grey stuff, though I've never had this sort of experience ... mind you - my "experience" is limited to the standard clear canopies etc.

HKM has the benefit of: 1/ Slightly cheaper in most countries ... 2/ Made in the traditional style of configuration with the traditional grey plastics throughout and 3/ Containing a a nose weight inside the kit!!.

If you've built ZM kits before, you're probably going to lean that way, regardless.

I have both ... build priority will be with the HKM kit.

Rog :)

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20 minutes ago, Artful69 said:

Oh wow!! ....

A hard one - as the answer is purely personal ...

Both kits are good in that they have no generally listed accuracy, engineering, fit or finish flaws.

The ZM kit has transparent plastic for the external skins - the idea being that you'll be able to see the typically ZM styled internal engineering when built - the problem being, that it's opaque!! ... Some people declare that the "clear" plastic is more brittle and harder to work with than the standard grey stuff, though I've never had this sort of experience ... mind you - my "experience" is limited to the standard clear canopies etc.

HKM has the benefit of: 1/ Slightly cheaper in most countries ... 2/ Made in the traditional style of configuration with the traditional grey plastics throughout and 3/ Containing a a nose weight inside the kit!!.

If you've built ZM kits before, you're probably going to lean that way, regardless.

I have both ... build priority will be with the HKM kit.

Rog :)

Plus the HKM kit isn't a natural tail-sitter, like the ZM kit that needs the little prop to hold up the tail.

HKM kit also has cast weights to keep it sat on its nose wheel. 

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4 hours ago, James H said:

Plus the HKM kit isn't a natural tail-sitter, like the ZM kit that needs the little prop to hold up the tail.

HKM kit also has cast weights to keep it sat on its nose wheel. 

Now isn't THAT weird ... I'd actually heard it was the other way around - That if the ZM kit was built as per instructions, straight OOB, it was not a natural tail sitter, whereas the HKM kit was! - I didn't hear about the little prop either!! ...

Either way, there's no way I'd build a tricycle landing gear configuration kit up without some sort of ballast in the front end - it would just feel weird! ... and thank's for the pick up on the CAST ballast - I forgot that bit - a specifically fitting ballast makes assembly life much easier.

Rog :)

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41 minutes ago, Wumm said:

Yes it is, 

Especially as the Zoukei Mura He-219 kit comes with it's own cast white metal ingot included as ballast.

Another good point! ...

Although I remember someone posting (somewhere) that the Do.335 didn't have one on purpose - because it wasn't supposed to need one ... The He.219 definitely does!! ... and from memory I added some additional ballast in moulded lead also just to make sure (and even then I was stressing that I may not have enough)!!

My HKM B.25 kit didn't have one included - but I think Neil realised early on that it would need it - I got a cast one in an added on separate box I think? The kit is a stash queen atm so I can't remember specifics - the boxing was one of the first edition releases.

Rog :)

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The HK B-25 had the nose weight as an add on item. It came with zinc cast landing gear legs as a set. 

Some kits were sold with the nose weight and metal gear included but not all of them had it. I ended up with one of each so had to make my own nose weights for one. 

Carl

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