Curtiss SO3C Seamew

Tony May
Wow, talk about a bait & switch!

I was studying up on the interior bits for building this little girl, since the interior included with it is as anemic as a 1960s Airfix kit & I made a disturbing discovery. I happened upon someone else's Sword 1/72 SO3C Seamew review & was positively gobsmacked!

The kits 72003 & 72048, though their box art is identical, they have absolutely NOTHING in common with one another! The sprues, the resin bits & injection canopy included with 72048 (& 72049 for that matter) have no relation to 72003!

I was completely fooled by seeing the same box art on the two kits. I COULD pick up the better of the two second hand but I feel like it would be a waste. I've already put $20 USD into acquiring this kit in '23, another $3 USD into the mask & another $3 USD on a better resin MG.

I've got 72003 though, I've already started her, I have a background in scratch building & in tackling vac kits so I may as well build this limited run kit. It'd be a waste of money to cast it aside; Though it'll be a waste of time vs. what would have been spent on 72048 (or 72049 since they include the same parts.)

A word of warning to would be buyers of 72003. It is missing 2 RAF Roundels & the main wheeled landing gear is a huge, one piece, mass of resin vs. the multiple parts for the latter two kits. The only thing I can state to the advantage of 72003 is that it includes photo-etched details for the seat belts, the D/F Loop & some other stuff that doesn't appear to be included in the subsequent Sword kit.

Anyway, I'm going to change the listings so that 72048 is a New Tool & 72049 is a rerelease with changed decals.