I have to agree with Brick... I know I have OCD and I've done my share of complaining, but, all in all I have to say that what DeAgo has done is by far the most impressive and best Falcon KIT I have ever seen. Sure it has it's problems but I have yet to have seen a model kit that didn't. This thing is HUGE... I'm not talking about buy it off the shelf huge, I'm talking about having to move the lazy-boy out the garage because otherwise I have no room to put it anywhere huge. We're talking about a company that has mainly focused on historical kits (train, ships, cars, etc.) and the detail on those is amazing. What they didn't plan on was the nerd or geek factor. We all have to admit that for the last 35 years we have not only tore apart the SW films frame by frame, but we all basically live, breath and eat this stuff. We all could probably quote the movies from memory or at the very least tell you the difference between a AT-AT and a AT-ST... We aren't just fans, we're fanatics.
However, something that we also have to admit to is that the current offerings we've been given in the model department has left us less then satisfied... which is why we spend so much time accurizing what we've had to work with and if we still weren't happy we built it from scratch. It has become our way of life... our culture. We've been screaming in our hearts for a model that speaks to us in our own language. One that is so incredibly awesome that we would be talking about it for years to come. And here comes DeAgo... not only did they hear our cry, but have attempted to fill that need in all of us to actually hold something in our hands that would allow us to feel that feeling we once had the first time we saw the movies. But we also have to admit that such an undertaking has pitfalls that we would have never even considered since we spend so much of our own money and time accurizing and building to fill that need. I'm talking about logistics... how would you go about creating a KIT that fulfills the following criteria... Must be as accurate as possible... must be cost effective... must be mass produced. In order to meet one of those criteria, another would have to suffer. In order to be mass produced, you would have to make sure that the materials used would not only be available in vast quantities but must also be as inexpensive as possible to still be able to maintain a profit to continue making the kit. In order to mass produce it you may have to reduce the accuracy to meet the demands of the machining processes. All in all, it's a very delicate balancing act that I myself couldn't possibly begin to think about tackling.
When you stop and actually think about it, DeAgo has gone above and beyond what we could possibly expect for a kit this size and at this price. Not only that but they have actually listened to the customers and re-issued and tried to fix parts that just weren't up to snuff. Now, top all that off with us as a collective groaning and moaning about this little detail or that little detail and pitching a bitch about it, I think that what they have accomplished is close to a miracle. Sure it's not perfect... sure there are things that they could have done better... but being their FIRST model in this genre, I think they've done a remarkable job and I am truly enjoying the build. The problems we can fix ourselves... the inaccuracies aren't completely non-repairable... But not only that but they have breathed life into a dying hobby that was being flooded with snap-together prepainted crap for a quick buck. Companies like Revell have actually taken notice of this kit and are starting to realize that we want something better... Bandai is realizing that we are hungry for something better and have been coming out with more accurate kits. Frankly, I have to chalk it up to companies like Fine Molds and DeAgostini for actually listening to us for a change and showing everyone else, we are here and aren't going anywhere, but if they want our money, they better start listening to what we really want for a change.
We want BIGGER... more ACCURATE... more FEATURES... more of the things we've been denied for so long. But, before you post that flame about how the floor just isn't accurate or the nav chairs look like toys remember this... You're still talking about this kit... spreading the word that you have purchased this kit... showing people that don't have it something they may actually want to get themselves. We're almost halfway thru this kit and frankly I want to finish it. But the more complaining, flaming and bashing that is done, the less likely they will want to do any more kits when this one is done (I assume they have committed themselves to finishing this one). But honestly, the more we talk about it, the better the chance is they will come out with other kits... like a big Star Destroyer... a studio scale AT-AT... or a studio scale Blockade Runner. The sky's the limit, but we've got to agree that even with all it's flaws... this Millennium Falcon kit is the best kit we've ever had up to this point because frankly, I truly believe it is! Thank you DeAgostini... please don't stop doing what you're doing and give us MORE!
Ok... I'm getting off my soapbox now!