I had to use the 9'3" A US Blank to get the 24" width but I had to cut off over 2 ' in length in the tail, the first pic is what I started with the tail and the second pic is almost to completion with the re foiling the entire blank, I love doing stuff like this.
No comparison, this is a Skil on steroids, haven't touched my Skils in over a year and a half since I got this. Great planer, great comany, made in the USA