I had been looking for this kit at a reasonable price for quite a while, and I finally purchased this kit at the Syracuse IPMS show back in October.
As I thought it would make an interesting display in my 8th Grade Technology class. (No, I’m not going to let the 8th Graders touch it.) Fit ranged from ok to terrible, but making an exact replica of a 501-D13 engine wasn’t my goal here. The propeller, gears, compressor, and turbine fit together ok, but most of the “detail” piping & hoses didn’t fit well at all, and the locations were vague to say the absolute least. The fuel hose (P/N 158) was short shotted & missing half the hose. Not a big deal in the long run as it probably wouldn’t have fit anyway. The compressor & turbine spin, but I think it with all of the fiddling to get the gear case to mate up with the front of the compressor, toe shafts became disconnected. Too late now as the cement is dried. I’m moderately please with the results, and I think it will look good in the classroom.
Compressor, combustion chamber, & turbine:
Gear case with planetary gear system:
Business end (props actually feather):
Exhaust:
Jim