As an older modeller returning to the hobby after decades, I have noticed how the paints have changed. I always bought Humbrol in the little tins; as long as they were stirred thoroughly, they gave great results. Recently I bought some Humbrol paints, and they were just not as good. I’ve now got Vallejo acrylic paint which is great for matt surfaces, but I used to make model cars, use Humbrol gloss enamel, very gently rub down with wet or dry 600 to 1200, and then polish with Brasso, or Duraglit, then an extra polish with Mister Sheen. This gave a really good gloss finish; I think hard to replicate easily today. It would be good if you could do a similar video on the good and bad paint so on different paints.
@@genessismodels agree fully about some manufacturers reboxing others kits.. Revel did this with several reboxing of the matchbox kits when they obtained the matchbox moulds /toolings.
I re-entered the hobby in Summer '23. As a teen, I built tons of Tamiya kits, and am building some of the same ones again. They're still my go-to manufacturer, and the older kits are quite reasonably priced. The only thing for some is the decals, but I don't mind them. There's only two or three in their line that aren't very good. I have two Hasegawa kits: The 1/700 Waterline Series Akagi, and a 1/72 F18-D Hornet. I started the Akagi, but that build has stalled waiting for improved skills on my part. One of my first kits last year was a Testor's 'Hawk' brand Douglas Dauntless SBD from 1965 I picked up from the bargain bin for C$4.99. It was a good starter kit to build. Airfix Vintage Classics are fun kits, and Revell 1/76 diorama kits are actually Matchbox toolings...
Tamiya 1/48 have some great kits. The older ones are great for beginners as they drop together without being too complex. The new ones are fantastic. In my stash I also have Arma in 1/72. My most recent kits have been Zoukei Mura, Eduard, Cyber Hobby and Academy. I do like Eduard as well.
Just purchased a couple of older tamiya kits to get back into the hobby. Found some reviews that said they good quality, fairly simple and go together easiky.
I don't think you can put a blanket over ranking manufacturers. It depends entirely on the subject. Every manufacturer makes good and bad kits, even Tamiya.
AIRFIX was the number 1 kit when I was growing up ,that was what kids of my generation grew up honing our skills on ..The good old dog fight doubles where good
Russell Taylor - yes, so many other manufacturers out there, his video would/could have gone on for an hour. I would have included Fujimi and Bandai as “large” manufacturers in that list.
Great video. Lots of good advice, particularly on research and the reference to scalemates. It's all about what you want to build. I still pick-up the odd Airfix 1/144 airliner. Yes you have to remove raised panel lines and re-scribe but some of them were very accurate outline and where else would you find a Boeing Clipper in 1/144? Having said that I also enjoy building a modern Tamiya kit which doesn't 'fight me all the way'. Research on the prototype is essential but research on available kits can make or break your modelling experience as you head towards that model you want on your display shelf.
More than 35 years ago I had Italeri and Tamiya to compare. Italeri was more detailed though the small parts and some construction stages could be fiddly. Original subjects too. Tamiya on the other hand was easier to build. No miracle since some of their oldest kits were meant more as toys (with a motor) than as model kits. Italeri was (and is) way cheaper than Tamiya too. Some nice Italeri kits are : Pz 38t and its derivatives, Pz1 and its derivatives, Opel Blitz and Maultier (fiddly cabin construction though). Crusader tank. Compare their Kübelwagen and Schwimmwagen with the original ones of Tamiya.
Hi Bobby Thanks for an excellent video. Some comments and suggestions - 1) I think that you've underplayed the aspect of PRICE - the Japanese manufacturers while they make many excellent kits charge a real premium for their products - an issue discussed on many modelling forums. New tool Airfix kits are now very expensive and can have big fit issues e.g the Shackleton 2) A bit more emphasis can be placed on researching the AGE of the tooling - a key determiner of quality - all the manufacturers re-pedal old kits - Airfix are among the worst 3) I feel that you undervalued Revell - I find their kits to be a great trade off between price quality and accuracy e.g. their FW 190 1/32 is about half the price of its Japanese counterpart 4) Achieving consistency in SCALE could be emphasised more e.g. Revell ships have almost as many scales as they have kits 5) Some manufacturers are a lot better at some topics than others e.g. Revell tank kits (in 1/72) are superb while there are a lot of accuracy and moulding comments about Trumpeter tank kits while their Ship kits are superb 6) There are many of websites dealing specifically for one topic e.g. Onthewaymodels is superb for tanks and is very good on kit comparisons for individual tanks - there are others devoted only to ships, etc.7) Scalemates although a great site, misses out on many reviews 8) I find Academy produce very quality, well priced kits (underrated) 9) Same with Italeri - they produce a wide range of kits especially models not produced by other manufacturers (there part count can be low) 10) Perhaps the best way going forward to assess each of the manufacturers against Cost / Quality / Accuracy / Buildability / Level of re-releases/ etc????
I related very much to your analysis of Airfix re: fit issues. I’m just finishing up a 1/72 Vickers Wellington Mk1C as my Poppa flew this aircraft in WW2. Kit was quite pricey but I hadn’t done much research and expected the cost to represent the level of quality. Detailing of the moulding is quite good and details are great but consistent fitting issues have unfortunately slowed the build somewhat. On the bright side it gave me a chance to practice puttying, surfacing, finishing etc. so not all bad. Keep up the good work all 👍
@@tweegeTX3 That is surprising to read as I thought that Airfix would do the Wellington well but in the overal scheme of things it doesn't surprise me. I reread my origional comment and it still holds 100 % - the tip is RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH - it takes only a few minutes to look up Scalemates and check out a review or three before buying - after all it is only your money we're talking about ...
@@Brianfromcork1 Yeah mate, thanks for your advice, and I think you’re dead right. I should make clear, overall I am very happy with the kit, and I hope I didn’t come across as too critical; I probably mentioned the things I was critical of without citing the multitude of aspects I am really happy with, which number many. This has been a very personal build to me as as I mentioned, my grandfather flew this model of aircraft. Some of the fitting issues I’ve had have been caused by my own lack of experience, however some bits have just plain not lined up flush as they might’ve. Overall it makes one a better modeller to address these imperfections I believe. Oh and forgive me for being a smart Alec but it wasn’t my money as it turns out - my brother and his partner gave me a gift voucher for Xmas to my local store Hobby Habit in Adelaide, South Australia. It’s a been a very personal and very enjoyable build 🙂
not mentioned in this video: ICM they make a lot of very nice airplanes that come with amazing options right in the box, such as a fully detailed engine, guns and other things normally hidden. they also have great sets of a plane + service vehicle + scenery bits, and are basically a diorama in a box. they also make figures of types i haven't seen anywhere else. things like ww1 soldiers complete with gas masks.
One thing not covered which I always wondered about is Why do companies make for example: 1/35 tanks then the wheeled vehicles are like 1/36,1/32 or some other crap? People want things to look realistic so why not have the scales realistic to each other?? I do not want a 1/32 Jeep sitting beside 1/35 tanks.
I would like to add a plug for PLATZ models. I've had the good fortune of doing a handful of reviews of their kits, and when it is a kit that they have created, their quality is top notch Tamiya-level; beautiful detail, great engineering, crisp plastic, clear detailed instructions and great decals. In particular their 1/144 Mustang and Thunderbolt are startlingly good, as are their F-15J and T-1A and T-1B trainer jets. Be careful though. They do re-box a lot. Many are manga tie-ins. Some are pretty janky kits from the 90's, especially in 1/144 scale. Those should be avoided. But check Scalemates for the Platz originals and give one a shot.
I had hoped there would be some comments on the kit instructions. At least Tamiya and some of the others include paint colour recommendations for each part instead of a single page exterior colour picture only like Trumpeter and Hobby Boss. I dislike having to do a bunch of research to find out the interior colours for a plane or soft-skin.
Hey Bobby I agree with everything you talked about in this video except for the HK Models I have the B17G they put out and it is riddled with ejection pin marks and fit issues and for the money I spent on it I myself was disappointed I myself would put HK right with Ravel just my opinion thanks for the video
Have to say my worst kits have been 1/48 Revell F14, and 1/48 Airfix Jaguar. Some of Airfix 1/48 kits are great though and some of my favourite 1/48 EE Lightning, TSR2, Canberra and Sea Vixen.
Well , I'd stick w the old re boxing's of Monogram / Revell before Airfix . But Airfix starter sets for the brush and few pots of pain not bad to have as back up !
"they take a kit form the 70s and stuff in a nice new box" Revell and Monogram for the past 40 years. That being said, Eduard is hands down the best kit maker on the market. And theyre cheaper than trumpeter and tamiya 8/10 times.
@@jkoeberli Eh what , Eduard most certainly make their own kits. Their Limited Edition kits however are kits from other manufacturers with Eduard aftermarket parts.
Been building Tamiya armor kits since I got back into the hobby and just recently started an Airfix kit. I've been noticing that it doesn't seem like the quality is on par with Tamiya. The plastic seems much softer and the fit isn't as good. May just be one of their subpar kits, not sure.
Personal preference and experience. I’ve had no issues with Italeri and I think they have a great range of subject matter and presentation. Are there bad kits out there? I’m sure, but I haven’t come across anything I couldn’t deal with with just a small amount of work. Airfix on the other hand, I just chucked my last attempt from them a 1:72 B-26 that had horrible fit issues I just got tired of messing with. Beautiful box art sucked me in...then realized it was a 2018 reboxing of 1972 tooled parts. I kept the great and new Cartograph decals, and threw out the rest. Too many models to waste time on garbage. I agree, do some research, but in my experience I’ll take Italeri over Airfix any day. No mention of Wingnut Wings or Copper State Models? They are the best of the best. Surprised you don’t even mention them. Takom and Meng are excellent, as long as you stick to their armor products. Their other attempts are a let down. Anyway...thanks for the video! 👍
not mentioned in this video: Bandai bandai does star wars stuff and gundams (giant robots). their quality is on par with tamiya and the engineering of some of those gundams is incredible. and if you have ever smiled at anything star wars, you ow it to yourself to build one of these kits. even more so if you are like me and love to light up your models with LEDs n stuff.
Great over all review of manufacturers, however, there are a couple that you missed. Heller. Old but highly detailed. Flashy and old molds, but subject matter is vast. Revell/Germany. Up there in both genre and quality kits. Not armor or air craft, but still interesting to those with a varied interest. So many companies only rely on armor and air craft, they forget about the odd motorcycle, car, truck, water craft, etc. Sorry but there are a lot of wooden models out there that far surpass anything in styrene. Come on, you are after all working on the Victory, and it is kicking your ass. Major projects are so easily over looked by styrene addicts as you very well know. Good work on the dissertation of producers and all your good work from the past.
Craig Hymer sr - yes especially about Revel as he could (and I was expecting him to) have differentiated the difference between Revel USA and Revel Germany because they have in the past released the same kind of kit in two totally different ranges of quality and pricing. Maybe in the UK, they only get the Revel Germany stuff and nothing from the US.
SWS are Zoukei Mura, a relatively new company, their 1/48 Phantom F4 range are excellent while their newer 1/32 aircraft are outstanding specially the Hs129. GWH produce some good 1/48 aircraft and are about to release their first 1/32, a P40.
Interesting video thanks. Just a thought, I am building the Airfix De Havilland Beaver and the seats are way out of position and the raised rivers can double up for grating cheese. But I flew in them in the 70s and the kit brings back some wonderful memories. So I don’t care how bad it is for me it is a representation not a reproduction.
Real good video. My opinion I won’t build AFV, Rhoden or Revell. I avoided Revell in the 70’s and still will today. I like the Italeri German maultiers and trucks. Just my opinion. I think just enjoy a great hobby and build something. Thanks 😀
The thing I really don't like from Revell is that all their jets are those airshow versions. Might be someone else will like them for actually but I hate it. I miss Monogram though, they mostly made the jets I'm interested in but alas.
I have been building models since the mid 60s and have seen models come a long way , but I still sometimes like to build one of the old ones it is like a trip back in time. the prices shore have change but the new ones are real nice.
Great video thanks mate. I do have a question though. Why are anything Russian almost twice the price as say NATO or RAF kits? Thanks for sharing 👍🏻👍🏻🙃🙃
everybody just loves Tamiya, Dragon and Hasegawa (and many other old brands). They just don't even bother getting GREAT kits from Great Wall Hobby, AMK, Kinetic, Meng, Takom, Rye Field. These brands are the best today. IMO italeri, revell, monogram and icm are just waste of money nad have disappointed me many times
I'm kind of new to it all but what I have learned the past couple of years is that main stream manufactures are stagnant and not very innovative, re-boxing dated kits so in essence scamming the novice. But bringing up the rear and putting brand names to shame are smaller manufactures that are adding a better product to market. I'm beginning to drift away from the more common brands and I'm finding a much higher quality in emerging brands that are satisfying to build and less time spent on correcting the manufactures mistake. And YES Tamiya rocks.
Just remember, try to stay away from a company called LEE . They mostly copied some Tamiya kits ,but much cheaper . The decals were crap , poly caps disintegrated ,the tracks were likely to as well , fine details looked.....mashed (not sure how to phrase it tbh) and any crew figures tend to look like surfs .But they are a good source of spare parts.
Hasegawa is stuck in the early 2000s, the only thing that's great about them is their boxart, Tamiya is still great, Trumpeter & HobbyBoss are excellent with interesting subjects, Meng and Takom are just mad, been throwing money at them in recent years. A couple more - Panda and Tiger Model, their stuff are good quality with great details but are complex that takes a bit of effort.
I got an Airfix 1/72 Catalina and it's molding was so bad, if I were to cut all of the trash off of the pieces it would have taken 10x longer than actually building it.
Wish he had mentioned the poor instructions and drawing of some manufacturers, Dragon for example would win hands down for the most incorrect and confusing award !
t34 fan I never understood the infatuation with Dragon. Some of their kits are top notch, but a lot of their stuff is mediocre at best. The instructions are confusing, and other companies have flown by them in quality recently...Takom, Meng, Ryefield, AFV, etc. Even Trumpeter and Academy have some new armor entries with their Tiger and King Tiger kits that are better than the Dragon stuff, that is getting a little long in the tooth.
@@dtmjax5612 I do agree that Dragon has THE worst instruction sets of all the kits I have built. On an up note, I have built several kits by Dragon (hard to find kits) that have some of the smallest detail. The inclusion of PE is an up point also. Sprue connection points are not bad at all and easy clean up. Now, if they would only work on their instructions.
Suppose guys we could go on and on, but the annoying thing is some of these kits are not cheap, when I pay £40 plus I expect it to right in every way. The problem lies with the fact it's so hard to return a kit to the manufacturer and ask for a refund, if we could and did it they would have to change.
I was totally following you until you said Revell is ok. They rebox old trash and overprice them (1:48 B-17) and in general the fit will make you cry. They could take an example out of Airfix. They invest in their toolings. But for me Italeri and Revell are similar piles of plastic dung.
Anyone heard of kitech, Thoughts? Just got a 1/72 f-117a off ebay for £5 and haven't done a model in 20 years. Looks OK to my untrained eye but crap decals
@Johny2bikes Oh dahling, when it comes to "clever", there is no try..only DO. Those who can, Do. Those who can't piss and whine about other people's comments.
Dragon is the most overrated company. They have a few really good kits, but the rest are mediocre at best. Academy is a wierd company. They have good kits (such as the 1/72 F-8 Crusader series, best in the scale). But tipically their kits just OK, or average. They have a huge issue (just like Tamiya): decals. All of their own decals outright useless trash. At least they pack Cartograph decals for some kits. Those are fine. They like to upgrade, modify their kits. Like the Magach 7C, which is a slightly modified M60A1 with new parts. When I read review about the kit, every tester wrote that the new and old parts easily distinguishable. But none of them wrote, that the new parts worse than the originals... And this is tipical in Academy kits: the new parts have every time fit issues, and a shitload of ejectorpin marks. In the worst possible places, and in large numbers, even in small parts. And their MCP kits... Those are not model kits, but toys. Overpiced toys. They failed to realize the difference between the different color PS parts. All of those fit absolutley bad. Not rarely they have millimeters of differences compared to the plain grey parts. If you want to sand those down, you almost totally destroy the part. And the different color PSs differ in hardness too. The black is almost rubber like, the white is only better by a little margin. Good luck sand them together. (1/72 F-4J MCP is a prime example of this. Fit issues in almost every part, crowned with an absolutely useless decalsheet. Those dacals only adhere to the paper, but not to the paint, not even to extreme gloss surfaces. And they are stiff can't conform to the surface. I ended throw that kit to the trashcan, it belongs there.) Meng uses a really soft plastic. At least in their Tiger II kits. And all of the bigger parts in that kits are warped or bent. Nice job to fit the lower and upper hull together, or the main parts of the turret. The upper part of the hull can't even bear its own weight. I really don't know why they use colored PS. Those red and sand colored sprues are made of turd plastic. I have some other kits from them (Leopard 1A5, Merkava III, F-102A), I will check those for this. If they made from the same crap PS, I never buy another Meng kit, even considering selling those I have now. OK, if plastic: Dragon uses too hard, brittle plastic. Tamiya is in the softer side, but OK. Italeri, Revell, Hasegawa, Fujimi use very good PS, just like the grey and sand colored Academy kits. Airfix and Trumpeter kits have the tendency to have grainy surface. Almost all of their kits need full surface sanding. Some (not in big numbers) Revell and Italeri kits have the same issue. Italeri is not as bad as you like to show it. Revell is much worse, just like Airfix. (Revell boxed the Italeri Leo1s for decades, which were the best Leo1 kits before the Meng and Takom ones. Revell made a stunt and designed its own Leo1. Well, thats worse then the Italeri. Well done Revell! Worth it.) And btw, HobbyBoss 1/72 F-5E is a slighlty modified Italeri kit. The biggest, and most significant modification is the panel lines: in the HB kit those are recessed, while in the original Italeri has positive lines. The other changes are not worth to mention, those make no difference in quality.
A minor point but really annoying when you keep referring to Hasegawa as Hasegowi especially as you clearly know the correct pronunciation as you do say once at least.
Revell of today is NOT the Revell from when I was young. Sold the company... was absorbed a bigger company... re-opened in Europe. Revell, in North America, is all but non-existent. I think I saw some of their kits in a Michael's Craft Store about two or three years ago... but that's the last time I saw Revell kits in the States. In Europe, I saw Revell kits in France and Germany as Revell is now a Euro company.
@@adampender2482 that's your opinion. I've purchased several, different subjects, aircraft, tank ect. And every single one had major fit issues. So my opinion is the are terrible..
@@joegilroy4918 you do know there's a difference between Revell and Revell Germany don't you? Because I've never had a fit problem with Revell Germany or have I seen one when watching build videos. Now Revell on the other hand ........
Best part of this video was recommending Scalemates.
As an older modeller returning to the hobby after decades, I have noticed how the paints have changed. I always bought Humbrol in the little tins; as long as they were stirred thoroughly, they gave great results. Recently I bought some Humbrol paints, and they were just not as good. I’ve now got Vallejo acrylic paint which is great for matt surfaces, but I used to make model cars, use Humbrol gloss enamel, very gently rub down with wet or dry 600 to 1200, and then polish with Brasso, or Duraglit, then an extra polish with Mister Sheen. This gave a really good gloss finish; I think hard to replicate easily today. It would be good if you could do a similar video on the good and bad paint so on different paints.
maybe that could be my next review
@@genessismodels agree fully about some manufacturers reboxing others kits.. Revel did this with several reboxing of the matchbox kits when they obtained the matchbox moulds /toolings.
I re-entered the hobby in Summer '23. As a teen, I built tons of Tamiya kits, and am building some of the same ones again. They're still my go-to manufacturer, and the older kits are quite reasonably priced. The only thing for some is the decals, but I don't mind them. There's only two or three in their line that aren't very good. I have two Hasegawa kits: The 1/700 Waterline Series Akagi, and a 1/72 F18-D Hornet. I started the Akagi, but that build has stalled waiting for improved skills on my part. One of my first kits last year was a Testor's 'Hawk' brand Douglas Dauntless SBD from 1965 I picked up from the bargain bin for C$4.99. It was a good starter kit to build. Airfix Vintage Classics are fun kits, and Revell 1/76 diorama kits are actually Matchbox toolings...
Tamiya 1/48 have some great kits. The older ones are great for beginners as they drop together without being too complex. The new ones are fantastic. In my stash I also have Arma in 1/72. My most recent kits have been Zoukei Mura, Eduard, Cyber Hobby and Academy. I do like Eduard as well.
Just purchased a couple of older tamiya kits to get back into the hobby. Found some reviews that said they good quality, fairly simple and go together easiky.
I don't think you can put a blanket over ranking manufacturers. It depends entirely on the subject. Every manufacturer makes good and bad kits, even Tamiya.
True but thereare manufacturer who make more bad kitst then good ones and vicevercer
Did you watch the full video @RW Hobbies? He quantifies these points before going for a high level list of manufacturers based on overall quality.
@@raymiecall of course my friend 😏
@@RWHobbies Just checking... 😜
AIRFIX was the number 1 kit when I was growing up ,that was what kids of my generation grew up honing our skills on ..The good old dog fight doubles where good
I was exactly the same but have now expanded my budget and moved to tamiya and hasegawe
Used to love the 1/48 scale Bandai armor kits
Fujimi, Fine Molds, Aoshima, Bandai (great Star Wars kits), Modelcollect, Flyhawk (incredible ship kits), Special Hobby, Modelsvit, MikroMir/AMP, ClearProp, Arma Hobby, Mirage Hobby, HPH (1/32 resin kits), Polar Lights, Moebius Models, Kittyhawk, AMK, Kinetic, AModel.
Russell Taylor - yes, so many other manufacturers out there, his video would/could have gone on for an hour. I would have included Fujimi and Bandai as “large” manufacturers in that list.
Tamiya is best all around. Your reviews are spot on for others.
Glad you think so!
Great video. Lots of good advice, particularly on research and the reference to scalemates. It's all about what you want to build. I still pick-up the odd Airfix 1/144 airliner. Yes you have to remove raised panel lines and re-scribe but some of them were very accurate outline and where else would you find a Boeing Clipper in 1/144? Having said that I also enjoy building a modern Tamiya kit which doesn't 'fight me all the way'. Research on the prototype is essential but research on available kits can make or break your modelling experience as you head towards that model you want on your display shelf.
More than 35 years ago I had Italeri and Tamiya to compare. Italeri was more detailed though the small parts and some construction stages could be fiddly. Original subjects too. Tamiya on the other hand was easier to build. No miracle since some of their oldest kits were meant more as toys (with a motor) than as model kits. Italeri was (and is) way cheaper than Tamiya too.
Some nice Italeri kits are : Pz 38t and its derivatives, Pz1 and its derivatives, Opel Blitz and Maultier (fiddly cabin construction though). Crusader tank. Compare their Kübelwagen and Schwimmwagen with the original ones of Tamiya.
Hasaguawa (spelling) is very nice fit and some stunning detail.
Hi Bobby Thanks for an excellent video. Some comments and suggestions - 1) I think that you've underplayed the aspect of PRICE - the Japanese manufacturers while they make many excellent kits charge a real premium for their products - an issue discussed on many modelling forums. New tool Airfix kits are now very expensive and can have big fit issues e.g the Shackleton 2) A bit more emphasis can be placed on researching the AGE of the tooling - a key determiner of quality - all the manufacturers re-pedal old kits - Airfix are among the worst 3) I feel that you undervalued Revell - I find their kits to be a great trade off between price quality and accuracy e.g. their FW 190 1/32 is about half the price of its Japanese counterpart 4) Achieving consistency in SCALE could be emphasised more e.g. Revell ships have almost as many scales as they have kits 5) Some manufacturers are a lot better at some topics than others e.g. Revell tank kits (in 1/72) are superb while there are a lot of accuracy and moulding comments about Trumpeter tank kits while their Ship kits are superb 6) There are many of websites dealing specifically for one topic e.g. Onthewaymodels is superb for tanks and is very good on kit comparisons for individual tanks - there are others devoted only to ships, etc.7) Scalemates although a great site, misses out on many reviews 8) I find Academy produce very quality, well priced kits (underrated) 9) Same with Italeri - they produce a wide range of kits especially models not produced by other manufacturers (there part count can be low) 10) Perhaps the best way going forward to assess each of the manufacturers against Cost / Quality / Accuracy / Buildability / Level of re-releases/ etc????
I related very much to your analysis of Airfix re: fit issues. I’m just finishing up a 1/72 Vickers Wellington Mk1C as my Poppa flew this aircraft in WW2. Kit was quite pricey but I hadn’t done much research and expected the cost to represent the level of quality. Detailing of the moulding is quite good and details are great but consistent fitting issues have unfortunately slowed the build somewhat. On the bright side it gave me a chance to practice puttying, surfacing, finishing etc. so not all bad. Keep up the good work all 👍
@@tweegeTX3 That is surprising to read as I thought that Airfix would do the Wellington well but in the overal scheme of things it doesn't surprise me. I reread my origional comment and it still holds 100 % - the tip is RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH - it takes only a few minutes to look up Scalemates and check out a review or three before buying - after all it is only your money we're talking about ...
@@Brianfromcork1 Yeah mate, thanks for your advice, and I think you’re dead right. I should make clear, overall I am very happy with the kit, and I hope I didn’t come across as too critical; I probably mentioned the things I was critical of without citing the multitude of aspects I am really happy with, which number many.
This has been a very personal build to me as as I mentioned, my grandfather flew this model of aircraft. Some of the fitting issues I’ve had have been caused by my own lack of experience, however some bits have just plain not lined up flush as they might’ve. Overall it makes one a better modeller to address these imperfections I believe.
Oh and forgive me for being a smart Alec but it wasn’t my money as it turns out - my brother and his partner gave me a gift voucher for Xmas to my local store Hobby Habit in Adelaide, South Australia. It’s a been a very personal and very enjoyable build 🙂
not mentioned in this video: ICM
they make a lot of very nice airplanes that come with amazing options right in the box, such
as a fully detailed engine, guns and other things normally hidden.
they also have great sets of a plane + service vehicle + scenery bits, and are basically a diorama in a box.
they also make figures of types i haven't seen anywhere else.
things like ww1 soldiers complete with gas masks.
I like pilots in my aircraft, Airfix kits do tend to come with pilots at least in 1/72 anyway.
One thing not covered which I always wondered about is
Why do companies make for example: 1/35 tanks then the wheeled vehicles are like 1/36,1/32 or some other crap?
People want things to look realistic so why not have the scales realistic to each other??
I do not want a 1/32 Jeep sitting beside 1/35 tanks.
I would like to add a plug for PLATZ models. I've had the good fortune of doing a handful of reviews of their kits, and when it is a kit that they have created, their quality is top notch Tamiya-level; beautiful detail, great engineering, crisp plastic, clear detailed instructions and great decals. In particular their 1/144 Mustang and Thunderbolt are startlingly good, as are their F-15J and T-1A and T-1B trainer jets.
Be careful though. They do re-box a lot. Many are manga tie-ins. Some are pretty janky kits from the 90's, especially in 1/144 scale. Those should be avoided. But check Scalemates for the Platz originals and give one a shot.
Trumpeter, Hobbyboss, Ilovekit, Merit international, & Monochrome are under the same company.
I like to see pics of the finished model on the box. now one can see how well detailed/or how good the details are ,if the kit is any good.
I had hoped there would be some comments on the kit instructions. At least Tamiya and some of the others include paint colour recommendations for each part instead of a single page exterior colour picture only like Trumpeter and Hobby Boss. I dislike having to do a bunch of research to find out the interior colours for a plane or soft-skin.
RVM (Rye Field Models)makes a better armor example than Dragon.
Agreed
Hi Bobby, great video, very helpful and informative, just get back into modelling after 50 years, cheers take care.
Thanks 👍
Me too. I gave it away in 1976.
Great info, I did just this to get my next GB kit, its hard when they don't have any new ones but scalemate and ebay helped me a lot.
Awesome video! I am going to join your community!
As an AFV modeler I really rate Rye Field Models too
Hey Bobby I agree with everything you talked about in this video except for the HK Models I have the B17G they put out and it is riddled with ejection pin marks and fit issues and for the money I spent on it I myself was disappointed I myself would put HK right with Ravel just my opinion thanks for the video
Have to say my worst kits have been 1/48 Revell F14, and 1/48 Airfix Jaguar. Some of Airfix 1/48 kits are great though and some of my favourite 1/48 EE Lightning, TSR2, Canberra and Sea Vixen.
Well , I'd stick w the old re boxing's of Monogram / Revell before Airfix . But Airfix starter sets for the brush and few pots of pain not bad to have as back up !
I also like Italari kits !!
Why is no one talking Abt Zvezda?
Thoughts on Lindberg?
"they take a kit form the 70s and stuff in a nice new box" Revell and Monogram for the past 40 years. That being said, Eduard is hands down the best kit maker on the market. And theyre cheaper than trumpeter and tamiya 8/10 times.
they don't produce kits, they just re-box other brands (also some nice ones) and add their PE, resin etc.
@@jkoeberli Eh what , Eduard most certainly make their own kits. Their Limited Edition kits however are kits from other manufacturers with Eduard aftermarket parts.
We all have our favourite manufacturers, I like 1-35 Tamiya armoured kits. Not really into aircraft which this film seems to concentrate on.
Be fair, Airfix are still re-boxing some of the 1950s kits. (I hold back from saying crap as it was all we had back then)
Kinetic makes the best 1/48 legacy Hornet. Having built them all the fit and detail is superior to the others.
HK also has 1/48 of same kits.
Very enjoyable vid. Excellent info. Thank you.
Been building Tamiya armor kits since I got back into the hobby and just recently started an Airfix kit. I've been noticing that it doesn't seem like the quality is on par with Tamiya. The plastic seems much softer and the fit isn't as good. May just be one of their subpar kits, not sure.
Personal preference and experience. I’ve had no issues with Italeri and I think they have a great range of subject matter and presentation. Are there bad kits out there? I’m sure, but I haven’t come across anything I couldn’t deal with with just a small amount of work. Airfix on the other hand, I just chucked my last attempt from them a 1:72 B-26 that had horrible fit issues I just got tired of messing with. Beautiful box art sucked me in...then realized it was a 2018 reboxing of 1972 tooled parts. I kept the great and new Cartograph decals, and threw out the rest. Too many models to waste time on garbage. I agree, do some research, but in my experience I’ll take Italeri over Airfix any day. No mention of Wingnut Wings or Copper State Models? They are the best of the best. Surprised you don’t even mention them. Takom and Meng are excellent, as long as you stick to their armor products. Their other attempts are a let down. Anyway...thanks for the video! 👍
The new Hong Kong Models 48 b17 looks great
HKM’s 1/48 Lancaster is superb. Their 1/32 kits are great as well though there are some accuracy issues with some kits.
not mentioned in this video: Bandai
bandai does star wars stuff and gundams (giant robots).
their quality is on par with tamiya and the engineering of some of those gundams is incredible.
and if you have ever smiled at anything star wars, you ow it to yourself to build one of these kits.
even more so if you are like me and love to light up your models with LEDs n stuff.
Great over all review of manufacturers, however, there are a couple that you missed. Heller. Old but highly detailed. Flashy and old molds, but subject matter is vast. Revell/Germany. Up there in both genre and quality kits. Not armor or air craft, but still interesting to those with a varied interest. So many companies only rely on armor and air craft, they forget about the odd motorcycle, car, truck, water craft, etc. Sorry but there are a lot of wooden models out there that far surpass anything in styrene. Come on, you are after all working on the Victory, and it is kicking your ass. Major projects are so easily over looked by styrene addicts as you very well know. Good work on the dissertation of producers and all your good work from the past.
Craig Hymer sr - yes especially about Revel as he could (and I was expecting him to) have differentiated the difference between Revel USA and Revel Germany because they have in the past released the same kind of kit in two totally different ranges of quality and pricing.
Maybe in the UK, they only get the Revel Germany stuff and nothing from the US.
Great wall Hobby? SWS?
SWS are Zoukei Mura, a relatively new company, their 1/48 Phantom F4 range are excellent while their newer 1/32 aircraft are outstanding specially the Hs129. GWH produce some good 1/48 aircraft and are about to release their first 1/32, a P40.
Interesting video thanks. Just a thought, I am building the Airfix De Havilland Beaver and the seats are way out of position and the raised rivers can double up for grating cheese. But I flew in them in the 70s and the kit brings back some wonderful memories. So I don’t care how bad it is for me it is a representation not a reproduction.
Real good video. My opinion I won’t build AFV, Rhoden or Revell. I avoided Revell in the 70’s and still will today. I like the Italeri German maultiers and trucks. Just my opinion. I think just enjoy a great hobby and build something. Thanks 😀
Good reviews of plastic model companies
Didnt cover icm and csm?
Wished you mentioned Zvevda
Along with MiniArt Spencer , also nothing about how terrible Dragons distractions are !
@@tomatoes3 Miniart is pretty good. I haven't built a Dragon model in actual years so I cannot relate much
Bought a Revell 1/72 ME262. That canopy... 🤦🏻♂️
nice vid , what about kitty hawk ? :D
Nice summary.
The thing I really don't like from Revell is that all their jets are those airshow versions.
Might be someone else will like them for actually but I hate it.
I miss Monogram though, they mostly made the jets I'm interested in but alas.
I like Heller!
Have you seen the price of the Tamiya spitfire. It’s getting out of hand
I have been building models since the mid 60s and have seen models come a long way , but I still sometimes like to build one of the old ones it is like a trip back in time. the prices shore have change but the new ones are real nice.
Great video thanks mate.
I do have a question though. Why are anything Russian almost twice the price as say NATO or RAF kits? Thanks for sharing
👍🏻👍🏻🙃🙃
not sure on that mate over than we most likely buy more nato raf stuff
I am kinda shocked no one has gotten on to the kit repackaging as deceptive marketing.
Scalemates is great
This is all kind of personal.
The only brand that you clearly said you didn't like was Italieri and that is obviouly unfair.
everybody just loves Tamiya, Dragon and Hasegawa (and many other old brands). They just don't even bother getting GREAT kits from Great Wall Hobby, AMK, Kinetic, Meng, Takom, Rye Field. These brands are the best today.
IMO italeri, revell, monogram and icm are just waste of money nad have disappointed me many times
ICM makes some great 1:16 figures
I have made some great ICM kits, but I agree with you
ICM’s new 1/32 aircraft are superb as are their newer 1/48 aircraft. Their old kits were poor but they did learn and improve.
I'm kind of new to it all but what I have learned the past couple of years is that main stream manufactures are stagnant and not very innovative, re-boxing dated kits so in essence scamming the novice.
But bringing up the rear and putting brand names to shame are smaller manufactures that are adding a better product to market. I'm beginning to drift away from the more common brands and I'm finding a much higher quality in emerging brands that are satisfying to build and less time spent on correcting the manufactures mistake. And YES Tamiya rocks.
Just remember, try to stay away from a company called LEE . They mostly copied some Tamiya kits ,but much cheaper . The decals were crap , poly caps disintegrated ,the tracks were likely to as well , fine details looked.....mashed (not sure how to phrase it tbh) and any crew figures tend to look like surfs .But they are a good source of spare parts.
Hasegawa is stuck in the early 2000s, the only thing that's great about them is their boxart, Tamiya is still great, Trumpeter & HobbyBoss are excellent with interesting subjects, Meng and Takom are just mad, been throwing money at them in recent years. A couple more - Panda and Tiger Model, their stuff are good quality with great details but are complex that takes a bit of effort.
I got an Airfix 1/72 Catalina and it's molding was so bad, if I were to cut all of the trash off of the pieces it would have taken 10x longer than actually building it.
Heller?
Ryefield, u forgot
YOU NEGLECTED TO COVER THE ICM KITS .....WHY...?????
Wish he had mentioned the poor instructions and drawing of some manufacturers, Dragon for example would win hands down for the most incorrect and confusing award !
t34 fan I never understood the infatuation with Dragon. Some of their kits are top notch, but a lot of their stuff is mediocre at best. The instructions are confusing, and other companies have flown by them in quality recently...Takom, Meng, Ryefield, AFV, etc. Even Trumpeter and Academy have some new armor entries with their Tiger and King Tiger kits that are better than the Dragon stuff, that is getting a little long in the tooth.
@@dtmjax5612 I do agree that Dragon has THE worst instruction sets of all the kits I have built. On an up note, I have built several kits by Dragon (hard to find kits) that have some of the smallest detail. The inclusion of PE is an up point also. Sprue connection points are not bad at all and easy clean up. Now, if they would only work on their instructions.
Ooof I agree, for the first time ever I had to just give up and put away a Dragon kit. Too confusing for this old man😀
Suppose guys we could go on and on, but the annoying thing is some of these kits are not cheap, when I pay £40 plus I expect it to right in every way. The problem lies with the fact it's so hard to return a kit to the manufacturer and ask for a refund, if we could and did it they would have to change.
I was totally following you until you said Revell is ok. They rebox old trash and overprice them (1:48 B-17) and in general the fit will make you cry. They could take an example out of Airfix. They invest in their toolings. But for me Italeri and Revell are similar piles of plastic dung.
Anyone heard of kitech, Thoughts?
Just got a 1/72 f-117a off ebay for £5 and haven't done a model in 20 years.
Looks OK to my untrained eye but crap decals
How would u compare aifix vs revvell
I did get told revvel are slighty better dunno if that's true
Revell is generally easier to build, but has less details. Revells bigger stuff is way better than their smaller stuff
Ummm...there's more to scale modelling than just aircraft you do know right?
yea I do my cars but Bob does do awesome on info for aircraft.
@Johny2bikes Oh dahling, when it comes to "clever", there is no try..only DO. Those who can, Do. Those who can't piss and whine about other people's comments.
Consider this is a guy who charges you to see how he builds models with outdated techniques you can find for free anywhere.
Everytime you say 'kits' youtube thinks you're saying 'kids' which is rather odd when saying that you are going to buy a new kit
Why does everyone seem to have their way of mispronouncing ITALERI
Dragon is the most overrated company. They have a few really good kits, but the rest are mediocre at best.
Academy is a wierd company. They have good kits (such as the 1/72 F-8 Crusader series, best in the scale). But tipically their kits just OK, or average. They have a huge issue (just like Tamiya): decals. All of their own decals outright useless trash. At least they pack Cartograph decals for some kits. Those are fine. They like to upgrade, modify their kits. Like the Magach 7C, which is a slightly modified M60A1 with new parts. When I read review about the kit, every tester wrote that the new and old parts easily distinguishable. But none of them wrote, that the new parts worse than the originals... And this is tipical in Academy kits: the new parts have every time fit issues, and a shitload of ejectorpin marks. In the worst possible places, and in large numbers, even in small parts. And their MCP kits... Those are not model kits, but toys. Overpiced toys. They failed to realize the difference between the different color PS parts. All of those fit absolutley bad. Not rarely they have millimeters of differences compared to the plain grey parts. If you want to sand those down, you almost totally destroy the part. And the different color PSs differ in hardness too. The black is almost rubber like, the white is only better by a little margin. Good luck sand them together. (1/72 F-4J MCP is a prime example of this. Fit issues in almost every part, crowned with an absolutely useless decalsheet. Those dacals only adhere to the paper, but not to the paint, not even to extreme gloss surfaces. And they are stiff can't conform to the surface. I ended throw that kit to the trashcan, it belongs there.)
Meng uses a really soft plastic. At least in their Tiger II kits. And all of the bigger parts in that kits are warped or bent. Nice job to fit the lower and upper hull together, or the main parts of the turret. The upper part of the hull can't even bear its own weight. I really don't know why they use colored PS. Those red and sand colored sprues are made of turd plastic. I have some other kits from them (Leopard 1A5, Merkava III, F-102A), I will check those for this. If they made from the same crap PS, I never buy another Meng kit, even considering selling those I have now.
OK, if plastic: Dragon uses too hard, brittle plastic. Tamiya is in the softer side, but OK. Italeri, Revell, Hasegawa, Fujimi use very good PS, just like the grey and sand colored Academy kits.
Airfix and Trumpeter kits have the tendency to have grainy surface. Almost all of their kits need full surface sanding. Some (not in big numbers) Revell and Italeri kits have the same issue.
Italeri is not as bad as you like to show it. Revell is much worse, just like Airfix. (Revell boxed the Italeri Leo1s for decades, which were the best Leo1 kits before the Meng and Takom ones. Revell made a stunt and designed its own Leo1. Well, thats worse then the Italeri. Well done Revell! Worth it.) And btw, HobbyBoss 1/72 F-5E is a slighlty modified Italeri kit. The biggest, and most significant modification is the panel lines: in the HB kit those are recessed, while in the original Italeri has positive lines. The other changes are not worth to mention, those make no difference in quality.
A minor point but really annoying when you keep referring to Hasegawa as Hasegowi especially as you clearly know the correct pronunciation as you do say once at least.
Weird review!!!
Academy sucks...
Revell is the worst model company,
Revell of today is NOT the Revell from when I was young. Sold the company... was absorbed a bigger company... re-opened in Europe. Revell, in North America, is all but non-existent. I think I saw some of their kits in a Michael's Craft Store about two or three years ago... but that's the last time I saw Revell kits in the States. In Europe, I saw Revell kits in France and Germany as Revell is now a Euro company.
Revell Germany have very nice kits
@@damuses1452 I see them in hobby lobby.ive purchased several also online and every single one had fit issues.
@@adampender2482 that's your opinion. I've purchased several, different subjects, aircraft, tank ect. And every single one had major fit issues. So my opinion is the are terrible..
@@joegilroy4918 you do know there's a difference between Revell and Revell Germany don't you? Because I've never had a fit problem with Revell Germany or have I seen one when watching build videos. Now Revell on the other hand ........