The two fuselage halves came out of the box warped (well documented problem for this kit) which was corrected by using a Nautilus brace (available via the web). The fuselage seams required much filler and sanding as did the wing joints and intakes. The detail on the kit is somewhat overdone but nothing a light sanding didn't cure. The flaps and slats come as separate pieces from the wing and are designed to be built in the down position, however the Vigilante when shut down commands the slats and flaps to retract. When built in this configuration the slats and flaps are actually thicker than the wing which leads to some heavy sanding. I also had problems with the canopies fitting correctly. They seemed to be too narrow for the fuselage and took some work to fit. I guess if I had built the model with the canopies open this would have been a non-issue. Finally, make sure you got some room for this one!!! It is BIG!!! Overall, even with all the issues this is still a nice kit (and currently the only one on the market in this scale) that I am aware of at least!!!

This is a long awaited kit for my collection. The Nautilus brace really helps out during assembly of the fuselage & keeps things aligned. Very straight forward construction of all other components. This kit will look great on my shelf of 1/48 U.S. Navy aircraft.

First of all you'll need to clear some space on your shelf for this this airplane because it's big and free some time from your schedule. You'll need Nautilus Brace or some other home made structural element to align the fuselage half's. the decals that come with the kit are great but i use aftermarket alternatives. the cockpit if your modeling the airplane with closed canopies is also quit good. if your planning to pose them open then you'll need to add some details or use resin cockpit.