NewRay 1:42 Cessna 172 Skyhawk with Wheel Diecast Aircraft, for 12 months to 500 months

I used this model for my CFI checkride and my DPE really liked how I used it for teaching. I'm going to continue using it for ground lessons. Only mild complaint is as everyone else says, it's tail heavy so it doesn't stay on the front nose wheel but that doesn't matter to me. I don't get the reviews saying it's bad quality, it's the exact quality I expect for under $20. If you want a high quality model Cessna to display, you're gonna need to spend well over $200.

Arrived very quickly and safe. This airplane was very easy to assemble, being made of four parts held together with four small screws. A small screw driver is included though I used one from my modeling box for better grip. Once assembled the model appears correct if rather simple in appearance. One improvement would be the addition of some additional weight to the nose. As it is if you chose to display the plane without the stand it will not sit level on its tricycle gear. I added a little detail with paint for the tires, navigation lights and a little light weathering.It seems durable enough for moderate play. The plane overall seems to be made of a plastic that is stronger and more flexible that the polystyrene commonly used in plastic model kits. The landing gear and wing supports seem to particularly resilient. Overall I found this kit/toy to pretty good for the money (~$10) and have also ordered the float plane version.

Paint spatters are scratched off the wings, and that looks really bad. Tail drops, it won't stand on all 3 wheels if it's off the stand, which fits loose and crooked too. Good for CFI to show attitude and maneuvers to students. But as a nice display? Yeah, looks good from 10', but closer, it's garbage.

The accusations are true: she's a dirty bird with an aft CG problem, she's comprised of 100% low grade chinesium ABS, and she's painted in a livery that's suspiciously reminiscent of UND's fleet. If you're buying this as a static display, you're going to be disappointed. If you're buying this as a cheap training aid to placate a fidgety DPE during your CFI checkride, you'll be satisfied. The larger scale makes it easier to manipulate and demonstrate concepts than the little 'Hot Wings' die-cast Skyhawk, yet it remains small enough to stash it in your flight bag so you don't look like a dork walking through the FBO with a 4 ft wide RC model. Would buy again.

Detailed enough to help my students visualize what they will be doing in any training exercise.

I wanted a small model for CFI teaching, so this will work. However, the listing says "dicast with some plastic parts and rubber wheels." That is totally false. This is all plastic. I guess they meant the 4 screws are dicast.

I look at it every now and then. I have always liked them. It was easy to put together and looks good

so mine came as a dirty product. i suspect it is not used but it was not properly produced and cleaned when it got packed. secondly it was not made correctly. the stand hole was not opened. so i have a stand but it doesn't have an opening on the bottom of the airplane to mount on. so the stand is useless for me. secondly know this it is tail heavy, it won't stand level as it is. very cheaply made chinese plastic. i doubt it will last a long time. it seems very fragile so be careful when you handle it. as money wise, as they say, you get what you pay, i think this price is too much for this quality product. i will use it for instructional aid if it doesnt break in the frist lesson :))