Hi everyone!
Just a short one here. I like to build the usual kits: Tamigawa, Monogram, etc. But I also see some Heller kits on the shelves at my LHS. I also get some catalogs which have lots of Heller kits for sale really cheap. My impression is that they aren’t nearly one of the better manufacturers but like most they might have some unsung good ones out there.
Anyone have any info?
Thanks!
Eric
Depends what you are looking for! It’s not, far from it, Tamiya quality, but I think you’ll be waiting a loooong time for Tamiya to release, say, a Saab 21, a Dassault Ouragan, a Dewoitine 510, or a 1/72 Concorde…
Back in the 80’s their kits compared favourably in terms of details. In fact they were well above the other ‘cheap’ manufacturers such as Airfix and Matchbox, and in many cases, their latest releases offered much more than the then already expensive Tamiya or Hasegawa kit, in particular in terms of cockpit details.
Seen with today’s eyes, of course, you’ll find that those kits have raised panel lines, limited undercarriage details, the fit just about OK, and instructions that are not easy to work with.
Since the merger with Airfix, more recent Heller kits have become better, but have not followed the quality curve of as contemporary Japanese kits. The very latest kits are supposedly closing the gap a little…
If you are lookin for 1930s French aircraft Heller is pretty good. I think their PZLs are great as well as their Mirage series. I don’t know much about their 1/48 kits but I have heard that most of them were 1/50 scale. I will advise caution with their plastic as it is softer than most model kit companies. Their F 84 was a pretty good kit too as is the T 28 and AT 6… I would rank them with Italeri and ESCI.
I have only built the AT-6 but enjoyed the build…details were adequate. Although I see Monogram is releasing theirs again-- not sure how they compare?
I’ve built a few Heller kits ( At-6, Mirage IVP, Saab Viggen, Mirage 2000N, sailing ships) and enjoyed them all. I’d rank them middle of the road, about 6/10, but with carefull construction they make pleasing models.
I’m building a 1/72 Heller Fouga Magister. (And I have a Mystere 4 and AlphaJet on deck all to be done in Patrouille de France colors). It’s a good kit, but… good exterior detail, limited cockpit detail, good fit on the wings, not so good on the fuselage. And you have to be careful filing and sanding because that plastic is soft. Coke bottle thick canopy and spue attachment points fairly thick and perilously close to clear sections of canopy. Also, this is looking like it will be one heck of a tail-sitter, and there’s not much room for nose weight, but that’s not Heller’s fault.
But heck, it was cheap, and as far as I know, no one else makes it in that scale.
Al
Thanks for the info gang! I was eyeing up their 1/72 P-61 and wondering if it was any good. I’ve heard that Dragon is the way to go if you want a 1/72 Black Widow but the Heller kit is less expensive. Heller does have some rather interesting subject matter to say the least and I like that.
Thanks again and happy modeling!
Eric
I think you will find the Heller P61 and the Airfix are the same ( both companies have the same owner now)
Mmmm… if you’re talking Black widow, the Airfix one was rather crap you know. If Heller is marketing it, it probably hasn’t changed much…
The 1/48th T-6G is’nt bad. It is the Occidental mold which is the only accurate ‘G’ kit available in that scale. Unfortunately, Revelogram released theirs as a ‘G’ and its nothingmore than their old ‘D’ with a few canopy frames deleted. Some of the small model ships are ok if your into that sort of thing once in awhile to take a break from the really good stuff like armor and aircraft.
If there’s no other kit available, they’re great!
If you can get them for fifty cents a kit at a model show from a guy who doesn’t want to bother taking them home, go for it!
If you want some practice sanding down panel ridges and rivet mounds, there’s nothing finer!
If you’re twelve and need a test frame for BB and firecracker performance, go Heller!
If, however, you want to have a nice, finished model with minimal fuss, and there’s been a newer kit of the subject released by anyone else within the past thirty years, you’re likely well advised to buy that kit instead.
I do have a couple of Heller kits on hand to test out paint mixes and airbrush flow, or if I just want to bang something different out as a palate cleanser over a weekend. Don’t pay retail for a new Heller kit, though.
Spend the extra money and go with the Dragon kit. You’ll be happier in the long term.
Heller IMO is really more trouble than the butane to melt it.
Wow interesting info… I have been wanting to build the E-3 Sentry (AWACS) in the markings of the 965th out of Tinker AFB,but have put off buying the kit simply because the engines on the box art are wrong (the aircraft here do not use the CFM-56) and also the kit would have to be updated with the new fairing on the chin and forward fuselage sides.Anyone built the E-3? Is it by chance better than the other kits?
Well, some of them are good kits… but the others are a really disaster… Heller’s best kits are ship kits
Agreed… Quite curiously, you don’t see as many Heller ships as you see Airplanes. And as happens with its sister brand Airfix: If you really want a great looking model, and there is a better kit offered by another company go buy it! If the only option is Heller, or Airfix well, it can become a challenge but I’ve seen a lot of excellent models made out of Airfix or Heller kits.
Is this Occidental AT-6 Kit still available in 1/48th?
As far as the E3 is concerned, I have heard that optional p&w’s are included to build older AWACS.
I have not built the kit but would love to , but a 72nd E3 is HUGE!
I have to wonder if the Airfix P-61 was really a reissue of the older MPC kit if you say it was rather crap. I have some recolections of the old MPC Black Widow and I gave up on it. I know Airfix has been known to reissue old MPC.
As for Heller, They can be hit or miss: I built their 1/72 Mirage IV, the fit was fine, but the plastic had a pebbly surface that needed some sanding and the carrier film on the decals came up short under all the decals so they had rough edges and I needed to do some scrounging and fancy masking to do the markings.
Their old 1/72 SAAB 29 is a real gem as far as I’m concerned considering its age the details are pretty decent straight from the box.
The best part of Heller is that they are a mainstream comany that puts out a good amount of esoteric stuff that you would otherwise only see in more expensive limited run kits. That fact in itself makes some of Heller’s kits worth a bit of extra work.
I kinda the Heller Kits, granted not the easy to slap together kits like Hasegawa, Tamiya, etc but they do have a lot of subjects not covered by the other makers.
Many of ther kits were created quiet some time ago when the technology was lower, but thier kits with a bit of attention will build up nicely.
In some areas I actually prefer their offerings over Tamiya or a similar company.