Ww aircraft

[Ian M]

Hi and Welcome.
It is very hard to say who makes good kits of aircraft. Easier to say what to avoid.
A good example is Kitty Hawk. Good subjects, the detail is good and the plastic good. The fit and general design is terrible. This is not just me saying it either. Most on here that have tried one concur.
You cant go wrong with Tamiya, they almost build themselves.
Airfix of newer date make some very nice 1/48 scale birds. The New super kit 1/24 Spitfire looks to be very detailed. Unfortunately their pricing has gone mad.
Eduard kits are rather nice and build well, good detail and often with brass and resin ''bits'.
Revell have a good range in both 48th and 32nd. Their Ardo floatplanes are very good. their others get mixed reviews but hey ho you get what you pay for. Bit thin on detail but looks like what it is supposed to be.
Top tip would be to google the model you are interested in and see some reviews. You can at least see what is in the box and figure out if it is one you want to spend your beer tokens on.

[Del640]

personally think eduard and ICM make some good quality kits for sensible money.

I second ICM for detail.

[Del640]

I'll have a look at it. All the tamiya models I've built in the past have been very good. From a build perspective. I'm not a purist so I wouldn't know if the detail was correct or not.

I thoroughly enjoyed building it, it was flawless in build quality.

I'm now waiting for the new Airfix Spit.

[AlanG]

Hi Tim
Thanks for the advice, I will ask if I get stuck. One question that does spring immediately to mind is who is the best manufacturer of models. I've usually built Airfix or Revell but I'm willing to try other suppliers.

Firstly welcome to the forum

Regarding the 'best' kit. Depends which subject you want to build.

[Airborne01]

Greetings and Welcome O Wingy-thing person!

[BarryW]

Welcome to the forum

I see that you like large scale planes and that is my preference.

Tamiya certainly make the best 1/32 scale aircraft that you can get, specially their WW2 warbirds, these are state of the art kits. They have the following available: Mustang, three versions are available a D, K and a F51 Korean War version. They also have three Spitfires and Mk IX, Mk VIII and Mk XVI. Three Corsairs including a ‘birdcage’ and Korean War version (I built one as a clipped wing FAA bird, an easy conversion). There are two Zeros, including a Pearl Harbour version and an absolutely superb Mosquito. Tamiya also do some excellent 1/32 post war jets, their F16 is exquisite and the F15, a but older but a very nice build. Their F4 and F14 are much older, very much not up to their current standards.

Another top 1/32 brand is Zoukei Mura. They have their own unique engineering style, highly detailed, they are not beginners kits but do produce some interesting subjects including a Do335, Ki45, Raiden, Hs129 and a Ta152 that really stand out. A bf109 and a Fw190 are soon being released.

HKM produce some great kits including a big and impressive Lancaster and B17 - these are big in 1/32 scale (with 1/48 versions as well). Their Mosquito is a good build, and their B25 and Do335 are very good. We can expect some interesting releases from them soon.

ICM are producing a competent and interesting selection of 1/32’s including a Gladiator and I16.

Trumpeter and Hobby Boss (two brands essentially for the same company) are a bit hit and miss but their hits are excellent kits and among them, a superb Dauntless, Avenger and Swordfish. Their me262 is decent as is their MiG 3. I also like their P61 Black Widow and Sturmovik, very nice builds. Hobby Boss have even produce a 1/32 B24 Liberator that I have in my stash, this is even bigger than the HKM ‘heavies’ with a 42’’ wingspan.

Revell also produce in 1/32 but beware of their old 40-50 year old toolings that fall well short of modern standards. They do have one 1/32 kit that I loved, a AR196. Other new tools of theirs are not so good but they do have a Ju88 and He111 in manscale that are OK, their Spitfire (II and IX) have significant accuracy issues as have their Bf109 but the latter is the best of three. They have one advantage, they are relatively cheap and produced to a price and it shows. Their decals are excellent though.

One to beware of, Kitty Hawk, they have some serious issues and their OV-10 Bronco was a horror of a kit. Best avoided, premium prices for shoddy kits. This company has gone bust but their kits are still around.

WingNut Wings are another company no longer with us whose kits remain available. They specialised in 1/32 WW1 aircraft and they are simply amazing kits, up with the best. They were about the release their first WW2 kit, another 1/32 Lancaster, which would have been utterly ground breaking. This kit has been picked up by Border Models who are planning to release at at a high price (£620) but are held up in a legal tussle to the film producer former owner of WingNut Wings.

Speaking of them, the team that worked for WingNut Wings have formed a new model company called Kotare Models and expect to release a state of the art 1/32 Spitfire Mk1 this year

There are some more decent 1/32s, a bf109E from Eduard and another bf109 and bf110 from Dragon.

That is pretty much a run down of what’s available in 1/32 scale currently. I am sure there is something that I have forgotten.

Some developments in scale models that you may not be familiar with:
1/ There are some excellent detailing sets available for aftermarket companies, mostly using photo etch metal. These can be found for most models and the seatbelts and instrument panels are particularly worthwhile.
2/ a new development in detailing sets are 3D decals. These produce a better result than the photo etch sets and I find are easier to use. They only relate to decals as they are presented on paper and are release in warm water but that’s as far as that goes. Well worth opting for these whenever you can instead of photo etch that can look too flat’.
3/ you might not be aware that precut canopy masks are available that make masking up much easier.
4/ speaking of masks. In 1/32 painted on markings are much more effective than decals and a number of companies produce masking sets either for generic types or specific kits.
4/ Paint. I don’t know whether you plan to use an airbrush, if so I would recommend using MRP lacquer paints (aka Mr Paint, not to be confused with Mr Colour). These spray like silk at a very low psi (10-15). They have a huge colour range, including all the specialist colours you need for WW1, WW2 and post war aviation covering all major powers. They are also airbrush ready in large 30ml bottles ideal for Large Scale Planes. I have not had to thin or mix colours in over five years of using them exclusively though my airbrush. They do not have any of the well known problems that water based paint has of tip-dry, humidity problems and a long curing time. Water based paints are ideal though for hand brushing fine detail over sprayed lacquers as lacquer do not hand brush well.

MRP lacquer varnishes, primers and metallics are as good as their ordinary paints as well.

wow, that a long post, longer than intended. Do check out builds and reviews on this site and everyone will chip in to help. My final bit of advice is to use Google, look at kit and product reviews before buying of which there are two types, in box reviews and build reviews.

have fun and welcome again.

[Flapper]

Thanks for the advice I take note of what you say. Its nic.

Welcome to the forum

I see that you like large scale planes and that is my preference.

Tamiya certainly make the best 1/32 scale aircraft that you can get, specially their WW2 warbirds, these are state of the art kits. They have the following available: Mustang, three versions are available a D, K and a F51 Korean War version. They also have three Spitfires and Mk IX, Mk VIII and Mk XVI. Three Corsairs including a ‘birdcage’ and Korean War version (I built one as a clipped wing FAA bird, an easy conversion). There are two Zeros, including a Pearl Harbour version and an absolutely superb Mosquito. Tamiya also do some excellent 1/32 post war jets, their F16 is exquisite and the F15, a but older but a very nice build. Their F4 and F14 are much older, very much not up to their current standards.

Another top 1/32 brand is Zoukei Mura. They have their own unique engineering style, highly detailed, they are not beginners kits but do produce some interesting subjects including a Do335, Ki45, Raiden, Hs129 and a Ta152 that really stand out. A bf109 and a Fw190 are soon being released.

HKM produce some great kits including a big and impressive Lancaster and B17 - these are big in 1/32 scale (with 1/48 versions as well). Their Mosquito is a good build, and their B25 and Do335 are very good. We can expect some interesting releases from them soon.

ICM are producing a competent and interesting selection of 1/32’s including a Gladiator and I16.

Trumpeter and Hobby Boss (two brands essentially for the same company) are a bit hit and miss but their hits are excellent kits and among them, a superb Dauntless, Avenger and Swordfish. Their me262 is decent as is their MiG 3. I also like their P61 Black Widow and Sturmovik, very nice builds. Hobby Boss have even produce a 1/32 B24 Liberator that I have in my stash, this is even bigger than the HKM ‘heavies’ with a 42’’ wingspan.

Revell also produce in 1/32 but beware of their old 40-50 year old toolings that fall well short of modern standards. They do have one 1/32 kit that I loved, a AR196. Other new tools of theirs are not so good but they do have a Ju88 and He111 in manscale that are OK, their Spitfire (II and IX) have significant accuracy issues as have their Bf109 but the latter is the best of three. They have one advantage, they are relatively cheap and produced to a price and it shows. Their decals are excellent though.

One to beware of, Kitty Hawk, they have some serious issues and their OV-10 Bronco was a horror of a kit. Best avoided, premium prices for shoddy kits. This company has gone bust but their kits are still around.

WingNut Wings are another company no longer with us whose kits remain available. They specialised in 1/32 WW1 aircraft and they are simply amazing kits, up with the best. They were about the release their first WW2 kit, another 1/32
Lancaster, which would have been utterly ground breaking. This kit has been picked up by Border Models who are planning to release at at a high price (£620) but are held up in a legal tussle to the film producer former owner of WingNut Wings.

Speaking of them, the team that worked for WingNut Wings have formed a new model company called Kotare Models and expect to release a state of the art 1/32 Spitfire Mk1 this year

There are some more decent 1/32s, a bf109E from Eduard and another bf109 and bf110 from Dragon.

That is pretty much a run down of what’s available in 1/32 scale currently. I am sure there is something that I have forgotten.

Some developments in scale models that you may not be familiar with:
1/ There are some excellent detailing sets available for aftermarket companies, mostly using photo etch metal. These can be found for most models and the seatbelts and instrument panels are particularly worthwhile.
2/ a new development in detailing sets are 3D decals. These produce a better result than the photo etch sets and I find are easier to use. They only relate to decals as they are presented on paper and are release in warm water but that’s as far as that goes. Well worth opting for these whenever you can instead of photo
etch that can look to ‘flat’.
3/ you might not be aware that precut canopy masks are available that make masking up much easier.
4/ speaking of masks. In 1/32 painted on markings are much more effective than decals and a number of companies produce masking sets either for generic types or specific kits.
4/ Paint. I don’t know whether you plan to use an airbrush, if so I would recommend using MRP lacquer paints (aka Mr Paint, not to be confused with Mr Colour). These spray like silk at a very low psi (10-15). They have a huge colour range, including all the specialist colours you need for WW1, WW2 and post war aviation covering all major powers. They are also airbrush ready in large 30ml bottles ideal for Large Scale Planes. I have not handled to thin or mix colours over five years of using them exclusively though my airbrush. They do not have any of the well known problems that water based paint has of tip-dry, humidity problems and a long curing time. Water based paints are ideal though for hand brushing fine detail over sprayed lacquers as lacquer do not hand brush well.

wow, that a long post, longer than intended. Do check out builds and reviews on this site and everyone will chip in to help. My final bit of advice is to use Google, look at kit and product reviews before buying of which there are two types, in box reviews and build reviews.

have fun and welcome again.

Wow! Thank you for that very comprehensive appraisal of manufacturers out there. I take note of your comments and will it bear it in mind when I'm in choosing my next build.
Kind regards
Ian

[AlanG]

Whilst's Barry's list is comprehensive, please don't just discount allegedly 'lower value, inferior' kits. I like one particular aircraft and yet the 'uber status' manufacturers don't make it. So therefore i have to live with obviously inferior kits. Does this make it any less enjoyable to build? No. It does make it a challenge at times. But i go at my pace and enjoy it none the less.

Do a little research on your chosen aircraft/tank/ship and then buy whatever you feel you can afford or like.

[Tim Marlow]

Agree with this. Buy and build something you really want to build. There is no such thing as a starter or practice kit, and if you really want to build something you will put in the required effort and identify more with the build.

[Mark1]

Agree with Alan and Tim, a "better" kit doesn't make you a better builder.

[Flapper]

At the moment I'm building models that you dont have to put to much thought and effort into the build because of health reasons. I just want something to do with my hands rather than just sitting.
This approach might not sit well with some model builders, but believe me my approach suits my present situation.

[Mark1]

At the moment I'm building models that you dont have to put to much thought and effort into the build because of health reasons. I just want something to do with my hands rather than just sitting.
This approach might not sit well with some model builders, but believe me my approach suits my present situation.

Whatever your approach it's all good here theres no competition just people sharing the love for all things modelling :smiling3: :thumb2:

[Tim Marlow]

At the moment I'm building models that you dont have to put to much thought and effort into the build because of health reasons. I just want something to do with my hands rather than just sitting.
This approach might not sit well with some model builders, but believe me my approach suits my present situation.

Can’t think of a better reason for modelling. It’s one of the great mindfulness occupations.

[Dave Ward]

Ian,
welcome to the forum - 66 on Sunday? - you old codger! - I'm not 66 until May! What scale are working in? - plenty of aircraft models on here, but all sorts of other genres - take a browse through the various sections - who knows, you might be tempted to try something different!
If it's been a long while since you made a model, you'll find that a lot has changed, as regarding tools, materials & techniques - don't hesitate to ask questions
Dave

[Flapper]

Hi Dave
Yes I feel my age at the moment. I don't think I've ever grown up I've always loved making things no matter what it is.
Recently I bought my 8year old grandson 3 Airfix quick build models and we sat and built them together it was quality time and I was so surprised how pleased my grandson was when he had fi ished them.
This kick started my interest in building them again
So at the moment I'm in the process of building a 1:24 scale Hawker Hurricane from Airfix and enjoying the experience.
Kind regards
Ian