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The CDC Armour Collection has been around for a
while now, and it really deserves a lot of credit for
kick-starting the military diecast aviation hobby. Its line
of 1:100 WWII combat and modern jet combat- aircraft
was well-received (despite quality control issues that
still plague the line today), giving way to 1:48 scale
models in the late 90's. Franklin Mint purchased the
brand in 2002 and now sells both original CDC molds
under the FM name and new molds. The 1:100 line
appears to be going the way of the Dodo bird...
Initially, FM's purchase of CDC resulted in a price
spike as collectors scrambled to pick up models before
FM could "mess with them." And the initial worry was
also that FM would raise the prices, too. (CDC 1:48
aircraft debuted for around $80, then dropped to
$50-$60. FM initially raised prices to $80-$90, but
they've now settled back down to around $50 for prop
models, and $70 for jets--with bombers commanding
anywhere from $50 to $175.)
Avid collectors also feared FM would drop the
quality of the line, and early on those fears were realized
-- particularly with the first jets released under the FM
brand. These were (and still are) hit and miss. One
might be perfect, the next might look like it was built
and painted by a monkey! (I exaggerate here but some
are truly ugly).
Personally, I like the WWII prop models. Every
one I own (both pre-and-post FM acquisition) have
excellent paint jobs and a wonderful "heft" factor---lots
of metal in these babies. The jets... not so much, for the
reasons stated above. I recently purchased three jets
on eBay (an A-10, MiG-29, and F-15) and only one
(A-10) didn't suffer from obvious flaws. Still, they look
good from afar and are still better than I could build
myself!
Still, with no moving parts, fixed canopies
(something FM looks to be changing in 2008) and gear,
sparse detail, and QA issues the line is under heavy
pressure from the likes of Eagles International and
even Dragon Model's 1:72 series.
Click on the links below to view pictures/reviews of
each model I own. I'd love to hear your comments on
this line!
while now, and it really deserves a lot of credit for
kick-starting the military diecast aviation hobby. Its line
of 1:100 WWII combat and modern jet combat- aircraft
was well-received (despite quality control issues that
still plague the line today), giving way to 1:48 scale
models in the late 90's. Franklin Mint purchased the
brand in 2002 and now sells both original CDC molds
under the FM name and new molds. The 1:100 line
appears to be going the way of the Dodo bird...
Initially, FM's purchase of CDC resulted in a price
spike as collectors scrambled to pick up models before
FM could "mess with them." And the initial worry was
also that FM would raise the prices, too. (CDC 1:48
aircraft debuted for around $80, then dropped to
$50-$60. FM initially raised prices to $80-$90, but
they've now settled back down to around $50 for prop
models, and $70 for jets--with bombers commanding
anywhere from $50 to $175.)
Avid collectors also feared FM would drop the
quality of the line, and early on those fears were realized
-- particularly with the first jets released under the FM
brand. These were (and still are) hit and miss. One
might be perfect, the next might look like it was built
and painted by a monkey! (I exaggerate here but some
are truly ugly).
Personally, I like the WWII prop models. Every
one I own (both pre-and-post FM acquisition) have
excellent paint jobs and a wonderful "heft" factor---lots
of metal in these babies. The jets... not so much, for the
reasons stated above. I recently purchased three jets
on eBay (an A-10, MiG-29, and F-15) and only one
(A-10) didn't suffer from obvious flaws. Still, they look
good from afar and are still better than I could build
myself!
Still, with no moving parts, fixed canopies
(something FM looks to be changing in 2008) and gear,
sparse detail, and QA issues the line is under heavy
pressure from the likes of Eagles International and
even Dragon Model's 1:72 series.
Click on the links below to view pictures/reviews of
each model I own. I'd love to hear your comments on
this line!
CDC Armour/Franklin Mint, 1:48 & 1:100
