Anyone here build model kits?

RE: SR-71

Italeri kits are good per se, but the Monogram kit seems to have the most accurate overall contours of any of the brands. The Italeri kit offers the best decals, the best wingtip camber, offers a two-seat option & camera ports, and correct tapered upper nacelles. Flying edges are sharp and crisp and the wing has good scale thickness, intake shock cones are sharp, But there the good aspects end. It has sub-standard corrogations, the fin tips are incorrect, the front wheel well is too shallow, the nose is too flat and fits badly. The front fuselage section is modelled on the A-12, not the SR-71, and the fuselage cross-section is incorrect.
Monogram kit has best wing corrogations of any kit.

RE: Anyone here build model kits?

> I’m just wondering if anyone here builds scale models

Yes, I am one who is into building model warships. I love model
submarines but, can not afford them. Currently, I am trying to
obtain the exterior plans for the Israeli corvette Eilat of the
Sa’ar 5 Class. So far I have not had any success in obtaining
plans, even though I have contacted several organizations in
Israel (including the Israeli Navy).

Adrian

RE: What do you think is the best kit?

Well, for the pleasure and the ease to build: Italeri’s F16 (1/48), F18 and Hawk (1/72), and Hasegawa’s F104 (1/72). My best one, A belgian (alu scheme) F104. Hasegawa kit – Daco decals. And an A10 (Italeri kit, Eduard photo etch, Daco decals – 52 TFW ‘SP’). And, in one year, according to thetime i have, a Revell A7E, VA192, with photo etched parts and a resin cockpit. 🙂

Nevertheless, the planes i prefer are the USN ones, SU27s, and, of courde, belgian planes. (Have build 3 Belgian “Special colors” F16)

Frank

RE: What do you think is the best kit?

what a question merc!!!!welllllllllllll you know i just dont know, but if i had to say then, for its age and therfore the very good job that was done by the model makers i would like to hand it to the 1/48 monogram CF101, my father has the still unbuilt kit, and its being re released, by revell/monogram, shall be getting one soon!!!! for a new kit i would prob say the accurate miniatures avenger, or the tamiya swordfish. If i could have a combination of kit and aftermarket products i couldnt choose between the dragon FW190 D9 and the 109 engine/gunbay/cockpit set, or the monogram Bf110 G6 and the CMK/Aires cockpit and engine set, sad i know, but hey gotta do somthing when your not at work, or at uni, or devoting time to the long suffering girlfriend, or sleeping, or eating, or on the bog-although………………….

coanda:7 :7

RE: SR-71

have never seen the monogram offering but have seen the built and boxed italeri version, and i thought it was not bad actually, the TR2 by them was very good i thought, good internal detail, and only the wing to fuse join to worry about.

coanda

RE: Phantom II re A-37

I’ve seen the reviews in the magazines over here, it certainly looks very comprehensive-might have to fish out the monogram kit and have a go!!!

coanda:7

Harry: Su-37

Just new: Kit 0309 by Trumpeter in 1/48 Su-35/37 Super Flanker, try http://www.hannants.co.uk

What do you think is the best kit?

Thanks, for all your answers, guys! I’m curious to hear what you think is your favourite kit, or which one you think is the best ever made…:)

SR-71

If anyone’s thinking of buying an SR-71 kit in 1/72, I found out the hard way that the Revell/Monogram kit is the best/most accurate. I have the Academy kit, the Hasegawa one, and the Italeri one, and the Monogram one is definitely the best.

Phantom II re A-37

A mob called Albatros Modelworks in Mexico has just released a very good aftermarket decal sheet for the A-37 in 1/72 & 1/48 covering all the South American Air Forces, Thailand, Viet Nam, and the USAF. I have the sheet and it’s v. good quality.
Checkem out at http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/albatros
Available from http://lindenhillimports.com

Combat Models

Yep….I have a C-17 from Combat in 1/72. A vac-form kit. But its probably the worst kit I’ve EVER seen. (And I’ve seen some BAD ones!) The parts fit so badly the kit is almost unbuildable. One fuselage half is 6mm longer than the other, and there is wood grain down the side of one. I found Combat’s service lousey. They debitted my CCrd as soon as they got my order, but didn’t send the kit. I waited months, with no reply. I finally wrote back after losing patience to say “Where the f**k is my kit!” and they finally sent it. I bet they would never have if I hadn’t reminded them!
I’ve always wanted a C-5, but I saw a review of the kit and it didn’t look that accurate. ID’s reputation was never that good. The C-5 kit was picked up and re-released by a business called Delta Aviation Publications, who are also terrible to deal with. I ordered a C-5 kit from Delta, they debitted my card that day, I waited months, the kit never came. When I asked why, they said the kit wasn’t ready yet! It never arrived, and I had to get my CCrd co to investigate. Hannants has had the same prob with them. If you are desperate for a C-5, get a Revell 1/144 kit off Ebay, or scratchbuild.

Coanda

DAMN! I forgot about the Academy one. Thanks for the reminder.

RE: after printing….

OK, i’ll try tomorrow (if i find the time), and give you the results. (I won’t spray it, though, because, as a good lazy boy, i don’t want to clean my airbrush afterwards. I’ll use a brush instead. It will just be thicker, but for a test 🙂 )
Frank

after printing….

try spraying it with clear dull coat…that should do it…i’m not sure if decal coats come in spray cans, but you can use that also. I’ve used lasers in the past, but inkjet should work just fine. Remember to spray it though.

RE: Anyone here build model kits?

ahh i c now-yeah but then how do you get the buggers off the sheet if you’ve coated them in gloss varnish????? interesting one, i would suggest coating them and over the perimeter of the decals with non-water soluble varnish, and then cutting out very carefully with a scalpel, that should do the trick!

coanda

RE: Anyone here build model kits?

Indeed, Daco sells them (2 + 1 gratis 😉 )I bought them a few days before. But my question was there to avoid wasting a 2£ sheet to make a test. The problem with inkjet is that the ink doesn’t resist to water…

Frank

RE: PhantomII

would have to be the tamiya or hasegawa version, the revell version is later than the EJ, must be after market decals!

coanda

RE: Harry

i would like to say that the ‘best’ mig 29 kit, is prob not the monogram one!!!!IMHO have the proof that the 1/48 academy mig29a with the neomega resin cockpit is a very good reproduction, if a little finicky to build because of the way it is moulded.

coanda

PhantomII

LAST EDITED ON 03-10-01 AT 08:23 PM (GMT)[p]Which Brand of kit do you have for the 1/32 F-4’s? (BTW ‘Amigo’ means ‘friend’ in Spanish).

Evert

You’re very lucky to have the co called ‘Dutch Decals’ who make decals for just about every Dutch plane that ever existed! My fave interest is Africa and the Middle East and its been very hard to get decals on these regions.