Review

Model Power's Jon Tager had been telling me for months how cool the company's upcoming 1:72 Wright Flyer was going to be.

He was right - the pint-sized version of the first, and perhaps most famous, aircraft in history is a gem, one that I'll proudly display in my office.

The Wright Flyer (No. 5555, $14.98) is part of the company's 1:100 Postage Stamp Series, and comes in a nice-looking box with clear-window packaging that shows the entire plane. One of the side panels discusses the history of the Wright Brothers and their crowning achievement - the first powered flight, which occurred at Kill Devil Hill, Kitty Hawk, N.C., on Dec. 17, 1903.

The model comes with a tiny plastic stand that has the plane's name, scale and the location of the first flight on it. The plane itself has a 63/4-inch wingspan, and the main wings are die-cast, along with the vertical stabilizer and front wings. Each wing shows off the ribs and is cream-colored, just like the fabric of the real plane. The frame - including the wing struts and the sled-like landing skids - is made of brown plastic that has a little give to it, adding to the idea that the original was fragile. Thankfully, the model is strong.

I also liked the propulsion system detail, which used pulleys connected to an engine to turn a pair of pusher props. The props, which are a different shade of brown, don't move, a disappointment, along with the fact that there was no pilot figure. It's still an impressive piece - I really liked how the main wings "bowed," and the thin wire strung between the wing struts adds to the realism.