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I am the same! thanks for the kind words on the pilot. Airfix has pilots on 1:72 and 1:48 scales. and they still have wheels up options. I think this Tamyia tooling is one of their older ones, so it still has a pilot. I plan on finishing this one wheels up and use an Airfix stand.
I don't think Tamiya has stopped including pilots in their new kits, though. The P-38 has a seated pilot, for example. But yes, I'm with you guys, too. I like to have a pilot or other figure with my airplane kits. And with armor kits. I grew up on Monogram and Revell in the 70s. I was surprised when I returned to building models in the late 90s, that most manufacturers had stopped including figures. But it made sense, since so many modelers said they didn't like, or were afraid to try, painting the figures. And I saw that aftermarket makers stepped in to provide them to those who wanted them.
Same here.
