I have always felt that the Original Barnstormer should be built with the stitched canopy and geodetic fixed flap, otherwise it is not a Barnstormer.
The Mark II was mostly ignored since it was surpassed by more advanced designs.
That being said, the pictures on the Mark II box sure makes it an appealing project! The canopy appears to be larger and still has the feel of the stitched canopy and not like a rounded bubble, which would not look as good, and in my opinion looks horrible on the original Barnstormer. The paint scheme is also sharp. Add wheel pants and it is a real looker.
Since it is possibly legal for OTS and certainly for Classic, I hope that we will see the Mark II in contests. With what he has shown us flying a Ringmaster, Dave Fitzgerald would be unbeatable with this airplane!
Certainly better that the endless parade of Jamison and Humongous.