The only Academy kit I have recent experience with is their 1/48 P-38F. In my opinion, yeah it has recessed panel lines, the upkicks in the underside wingtips, and makes a very lazy attempt at providing gear bays, but other than that, it offers absolutely no improvement on the Monogram P-48, goes together worse, and introduces alignment issues not present on that venerable older mold. Major part fit was decent (well, except for the booms to wings...ugh), but flash was copious and there are zero provisions made for locating tiny parts such as counterweights, pitot tubes, etc. Eduard does the same thing, which to me just seems needlessly frustrating. Is it impossible to provide a hole-and-pin connection so the part can actually be attached with something approaching a solid join? The cockpit was another hot mess, five pieces, poor frame molding, especially on the side windows, zero provisions made for positioning the canopy lid in the open position (just two pieces of clear plastic, no hinge, no support point, nothing). When your clear parts are embarrassed by clear parts from a kit 20 years older, there's something wrong.
I seem to have relatively positive memories of some of their older kits (Spitfire XIV, and I believe I build the P-47N once upon a time), but after my experience with the P-38 - which if my dog hadn't destroyed, I might have! - I view Academy kits as kits of last resort. When I get around to rounding out my Jugs with a P-47N, I'll probably look into the old ProModeler kit first.
On the Bench: 1/32 Trumpeter P-47 | 1/32 Hasegawa Bf 109G | 1/144 Eduard MiG-21MF x2
On Deck: 1/350 HMS Dreadnought
Blog/Completed Builds: doogsmodels.com