Want to start building aircraft kits and very much a newbee.returned after many,many years.
I think the 1/48 is the ideal size for me.1/32 just a bit big i think.
I would really like to get kits which if built correctly will not need any filler etc.If there is such a thing.
I am not worried about kit price. whats best to go for make wise.Any great kits you can reccomend mould be cool.Era does not matter.
I was in your position a year ago …
Based on my 10 builds over this time period I recommend:
Tamiya 1/48 P-51 Mustang - your pick: B, C, Mk III, D
I like Mk III but it is my specific “Polish Chessboard taste” [:)]
Another great build is Tamiya P-47 Razorback or Bubbletop.
Those are the most enjoyable from all 10 I built during this time.
Have fun !!
here is my latest Razorback
I vote fore Tamiya’s 1/48 F4F-4. I believe this is about the best fitting and easy to complete kit I have done. The way the wings mate to the fuselage and the tight seams leave no need for filler. There are plenty of build articles out on the net to help you and it is not expensive!!!
Yes, 1/48 is a great scale for ease of build and fitting the product on a shelf. Many great 1/48 kits out there…Tamiya being consistently great IMO. But you can get very good older Monogram and Revell kits in that scale for a song…if you want some practice, it might be a good idea.
[#welcome]
[#ditto], great choice! Another good one I think is the Tamiya Bf-109E-3 or Bf-109E-4/7. Most joints either fall on a natural line, and inserts fit that move joints to panel lines. Great kit! [:D]
I would start with some of the older Monogram kits as they are easy to build and will give you good practice before you move up to the more difficult kits which have greater details.
[#ditto]-I have to agree with Gordon. Although you can’t say enough good things about the Tamiya kits, they are a bit pricy. I started with the Monogram/Revell line and three that come to mind that make a nice model with little effort are the P-51D, P-47D and Spitfire Mk II, all 1/48. A great inexpensive place to start and practice technique. The P-51 was my favorite and is still on display in my collection. However, if you want to go with Tamiya, their very early Zero is an inexpensive easy build. And if you are close to a Hobby Lobby, you can take advantage of their coupons/sales and reduce the cost even more.
You could always try the Pegasus Hobbies kits.
They are slightly simplified, but the fit is excellent, and they are very cheap.
Certainly a good place to start.
Karl
[#ditto]
I enjoyed building their Hurricane.
[#ditto]
Tom [C):-)]
Tamiya’s He-162A is one of the best kits I’ve ever built. It fits like a glove, and the only reason I had to use filler on mine was because of a goof on my part. I super glued the ball bearing nose weight in place to keep it from rattling, and the glue expanded and spread the fuselage halves apart slightly! [banghead] There aren’t a lot of little fiddly parts to get tangled up with, the camouflage scheme is simple, and the decals are some of the best I’ve used from a kit manufacturer.
The only thing about the kit I’d recommend changing is to decide whether you want the engine bay open or closed, then leave out the little plastic O-rings that hold it onto the fuselage and just glue the engine & cowling assembly permanently in place. The O-rings make it possible to swap opened and closed cowlings, but they also kept the engine parts from fitting the fuselage perfectly.
If you want to try your hand at aftermarket parts, Quickboost’s ejection seat is an improvement over the kit seat, but I wouldn’t bother with anything else. The kit is that good.
I’ll also second the recommendations for the old Monogram kits. They’re inexpensive, build into good-looking models, and if you screw one up, you’re not out a lot of money. They do take a little more work than the newer kits, but whole generations of modelers have learned on them.
Ben
been there done that…
I would go for the Revell/Monogram P51D. You can get it for 7-8$ at your Michaels with your 50% off coupon, builds into a nice model and it is NOT shake and bake. Yes,the Tamiyas fit better, but I think some practice on sanding/filling/seam repair will come in handy down the road. Enough detail to make a nice build, not too much to inhibit adventures in AMs or scratcbuilt details. Straightforward build, clear instructions, a canopy that wont give you a migraine to mask. No camo, you can do two-tone or try some pseudo NMF. Decals are fine.
Also scan DragonUSA online for hasegawa sales, I picked some 1:48 WW2 warbirds (including some P51s) for 11-12$ each on a sale. Click on the "marketplace’, sometimes you find great sales down there.
Good luck and post some pics when done! Cheers
I would say that if you’ve been away from the hobby for awhile, the best way to get reacquainted would be to try out one of the latest and greatest. In my mind that would be a recent Tamiya kit. There are several that come to mind; P-47, F-16cj, and if money is tight there are great deals on some of the “older” kits such as the A6M’s and P-51’s that are still quite an improvement over the old kits. Hasegawa’s stuff would also be good. I’m just philosophically against having to buy the appropriate armament. There are many other great examples and good buys out there especially in 1/48 but these would be “sure” bets!
Just finished an Academy F8F-1 Bearcat. It went together beautifully with little effort. The only thing you’ll need is aftermarket decals as Academy decals are the worst I’ve ever come across.
-Fred
Hi there,
Tamiya seem to be getting all the votes, but I think for a couple of ‘get back into things’ efforts, try Trumpeter kits, I’m in the middle of their ‘Seahawk’ FGA.MK.6, and it’s a very nicely made kit, I’m working it up with a wingfold set from Eduard, but OOB it’s a little gem, no fit issues at all. They are reasonably priced too. Have a Wyvern S.4 ‘Late Version’ too. Both the same, very nicely packaged, clean sprues, zero flash, good decal options, colour sheet for painting. Worth a look.
All the best with whatever you choose.
Mick C.
I have to agree with namrednef and Gord, I recommend starting out with a Revellogram kit to hone your skills a bit, in the interest of eceonomy. If you mess up an $8 kit, it hurts a lot less than a $48 kit! Also, while Tamigawa and Trumpy are som of the best kits out there, they are LOADED with fine detail items that can be a challenge. Just my [2c] !
Brian [C):-)]