# Semi "Newbie" Question About Best Quality Military Aircraft Model Kits



## soundhd (Jan 7, 2015)

Have been retired now for a couple years and have caught up with all my back due around the house and property projects. Have decided to get back into modeling for mostly during the winter months (live in Michigan...but very active in the classic car community during the summer months). Used to build models back when I was a kid and always enjoyed it. Just wondering at this point which manufacturers make the best model kits....want to stay with 1/48 and 1/32 just because my eyes are not what they used to be (LOL) and figured it would be easier with larger kits which hopefully will have larger and more detailed parts.
Have just ordered a HK 1/32 scale B-17G kit which I am sure will keep me busy this winter...will have a lot of investigating and searching to do to try and get it looking like they did in the 8th Air Force in England back in WWII after they have flown a few missions (my father flew in the 46 Bomb Group out of England and the aircraft got beat up pretty bad flying over France & Germany). Anyway any help would be appreciated.

PS: Would also like the same information about the warship kits but do not see a section for those in the forum...might have to look at a different forum for that....


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Back in the day, the larger 1/32 kits were fairly simple. Nowdays, they can have teeny tiny parts and more of them since you glue the control knobs on the bomb sight, all the levers to the side consoles, etc. It's a double edged sword... bigger is big, but it doesn't mean there are not small parts. For example, the cockpit of the average 1/48 WW2 fighter might be six or seven parts but in 1/32 it can be 40 with individual seat belts with individual buckles, etc. 

In general the big Tamiya stuff is top quality with not too many tiny parts or difficult stuff. You pay more for Tamiya, but their kits are the best engineered and fitting around. Hasegawa's 1/32 kits are also relatively simple as they provide more or less the basics and rely on aftermarket companies to provide the tiny stuff. Trumpeter is hit or miss and a lot of their 1/32 kits are just not that good. Revell has a lot of good new 1/32 kits like the Ju-88 and Heinkel 111 but also sells their old 1960s and 70s kits right along side (Beaufighter, P-51B...)

Tamiya's big 1/350 ships are also pretty nice. Dragon, Trumpeter and Academy also do good large ships. Downside is that the trend now is for lots of etch railings, ladders, etc. The big 1/200 battleships can be quite staggering with a dozen parts to build one 40mm gun that is 1/4" long.


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

djnick66 pretty much coverd things. As far as good model ship sites, these seem to be the most popular:

http://www.steelnavy.com/

http://www.modelwarships.com/index1.html

I like to go to *Model Warship* to look at builds of a particular ship because there is always some _great_ pics of _great_ looking models! You can find some really knowledgeable folks there too that are more than willing of help out.

Give'em a try.

Carl-


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Those are two good sites. I frequent Steel Navy myself. Hyperscale also has a good basic ship forum (along with planes, cars, tanks)


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

Yes, Hyperscale is a good site, thanks for adding that one. Good for A/C especially. 

Carl-


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Tamiya and Hasegawa have been the top two aircraft model makers for a few decades now. You're pretty much guaranteed a good kit with nice detail and good fit.

Eduard, which started out making limited run plastic kits with terrible fit and basic detail, suddenly equalled or surpassed Hasegawa in quality about 10 years ago. Their current kits are just brilliant.

Trumpeter and Hobby Boss, basically the new kids on the block, are hit and miss. The kits are usually very good in terms of quality, detail and fit, but sometimes their accuracy is questionable.

Revell/Monogram - well, you're never sure what you're going to get in the box. Brand new Revell/Germany kits are outstanding. But if you also may end up buying an old model kit reissued in a new box. They've been around forever, and still issue kits that were first put out decades ago, with the poor detail and quality that was typical then.


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## Dave621955 (Aug 22, 2010)

You will not be disappointed with your HK B-17, I have one along with the B-25 and they are second to none. I have built several Trumpeter kits, I'm doing the 1/32 A-10 right now, and I'd say they make a fair kit, lots of parts .. Tamiya kits and SWS -super wing series- can't be beat but they are kind of pricey but you get what you pay for. Wing Nut Wings kits are also fantastic but they are pretty much WWI only. The new release AirFix kits are really nice kits, simple and very affordable. As John said and others will attest to opening a Revell/Monogram kit is sort of like opening a Christmas present from someone you don't know - anything could be inside.

As far as ship kits I've built Tamiya's 1/350 CVN-65 Enterprise and would recommend it to anyone it's fantastic. I have Trumpeters 1/200 Bismarck on the bench now and it is a really nice kit just have lots and lots of display room. 

I guess that's my recommendations (IMHO).

Another suggestion would be that you pick a smaller kit to get back in the saddle with, that HK B-17 is a marvelous kit but it is extremely detailed and on the difficulty scale I'd say it ranks up there with the biggest and best of them. I built AirFix's P-51D and would recommend it to anyone, nice simple and a really fun build. Again (In my humble opinion) 

P.S. Isn't retirement great??


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Dave621955 said:


> P.S. Isn't retirement great??


Two years and five months to go. Today!


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

John P said:


> Two years and five months to go. Today!


JP, _in two years and five months_ you'll be working your ass off doing all the necessary things around the house you never had time to do when working.

You'll be wishing for retirement from retirement. It ain't all model building all the time, you will be too busy for fun!

I know, the first few years of retirement 'bout killed me. 

These, the hard facts of life...

Carl-


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## soundhd (Jan 7, 2015)

Oh, I spent the last 2 years catching up on the home and property "projects" that I had been putting off....got the last one done last month.....so I need something to do during the winter months and been wanting to get back into modeling for sometime now......the summer months I "play" with my classic cars.....




hal9001 said:


> JP, _in two years and five months_ you'll be working your ass off doing all the necessary things around the house you never had time to do when working.
> 
> You'll be wishing for retirement from retirement. It ain't all model building all the time, you will be too busy for fun!
> 
> ...


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## Dave621955 (Aug 22, 2010)

I'll agree, the first couple of years is hard to drop out of the race and enjoy a slower life BUT there is hope at the end of the tunnel. After a while you learn to use the phrase "I'll get to it tomorrow" or my favorite is "the next owner can fix that" that's when the real "retirement" started...


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Oh, don't worry, I'm too lazy to do stuff like that. It'll be models, DVDs and reading, with a rare bit of yard work and only the most necessary home repair.


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## Dave621955 (Aug 22, 2010)

I love the attitude John, your an inspiration for all about to retire!

Side note - we had a late Christmas (yesterday) since the kids could all finally come up to the UP. Santa kids got me ALL the Eduard photo etch SA stuff for the HK models interior and cockpits for both bombers  happy dance!


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