Fairey Swordfish finished

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

I finished the last Tamiya kit I’ll ever build tonight. In my opinion, they’re over-simplified, over-priced, and over-rated.

Everything about this kit was easy, which I don’t find enjoyable. Their PE fret was atrocious. For $90 for the kit plus PE, I was VERY disappointed. I wanted to build, paint, decal, and rig the top and bottom wing separately. That can’t be done with this kit, because their method of strut attachment prevents it. A beginner can assemble it and keep it aligned easily, but there are gaps that the serious modeler will want to fill. Their color recommendations were for Medium Sea Gray undersides, with RAF Dark Green and RLM 75 Gray Violet topsides ! At this point in the war, the FAA used Dark Slate Gray and Extra Dark Sea Gray over Sky.

For what I spent on the kit and PE, I’d MUCH rather have a few Hasegawa kits with Eduard PE ! Thank goodness, this was the only Tamiya kit in my stash. There will be no more.





I understand that there are many modelers that like Tamiya kits. I’m just not one of them. Parts fit and ease of assembly are very low on my list of requirements for a kit. This is not to say that I like only to build kits that are beasts. I’ll take Hasegawa, DML, Accurate Miniatures, or Eduard any day.

Thanks for letting me share this disappointing kit with you.

2

Thanks for the pics and the rundown, I have one in my closet and unlike you I don’t like to fight with a kit. I have enough trouble just trying to keep from gluing my fingers together. You’ve done a great job on the old “String Bag”.

3

I’ve never been a big fan of Tamiya as I’ve always considered them more expensive as they should be. Give me a Monogram or Testors anyday. Good looking build Pix.

4

$90 for the Kit & PE set sounds way too steep.
IMO, somebody took a nice cut somewhere.

5

I enjoyed my stringbag but I agree with your comments on the strut/wing joint and Tamiya PE fret. I only used the bracing wires and front engine mount from the Tamiya fret and detailed most of the model with an Eduard set. As an aside, I found myself talking to one of the groundcrew for the FAA historic flight Swordfish. Not surprisingly the torpedo is a dummy, but it’s also hollow with an opening panel giving access to tools spare plugs and a six-pack!

6

Well please send all kits you are not happy with to SKARPOTCHI, I will properly dispose of them (place them on my shelf[:D]). The build looks GREAT.

7

Its a beauty of a build Pix ilator, even if you are disapointed in the steep price and ease of build.

I have slight disapointment at the price I paid for my Hasegawa 1/72 F-111G Aardvark ($50.00 Canadian) but most of that disapointment comes from the fact that when the kit was first issued in the late 80s or early 90s as the FB-111A you could get it for about $35.00 Canadian, which was about right for what you get in the box.

I like my finished Vark, because it is a Vark and I do understand that the Hasegawa F-111 kits are the best 1/72 Vark kits on the market (I have TRIED to build the old Airfix F-111 a couple of times) but still the simple addition of new decals to an otherwise unchanged kit does give a twinge of disapointment sometimes.

8

That’s a great looking build pix. I have to agree with you, as much as I like Tamiya kits, they are way too over-priced. I’m looking for more Hasegawa, Acc. min, Trumpeter or Academy kits these days.

Thanks for sharing the pics.

9

Pix great work as always. I also agree that Tamiya is over priced.
Jason

10

Tamiya’s overpricing seems to be a distribution thing.
In Ireland an A1 will cost €50, in the UK £19 - just over half the price.
the same kit in HKG at Hobbyeasy is €13.95.
Postage brings it up a bit more, but if you order more than 1 kit, it’s worth it.
Pix might like a challenge, but i will pay a little extra for something of quality.
I will order a stringbag soon, and be happy that someone has taken time to ensure that the moulds are accurate enough to produce parts that fit.
I have been away from 1/72nd fighters for a long time , and recently completed a MC205 Veltro by Italeri.
A beautiful kit from a manufacturer much maligned by you guys from the other side of the pond.
Its cheap and it looks good, but most of all the parts fit!!!
There was very little sanding but it cost €5 !!.
I dont want to spend my evenings with filler and sandpaper because accuracy is some one elses problem - so I dont build Monogram kits.
If I want a challenge i will start buying Vac form’s and scratchbuild from plastic card and sprue.
AM detail sets seem to be bought by the very people that will complain about a kit being too easy.
So dont complain about the only manufacturer to get it right, to be proud enough to be accurate.
Scratch build a swordfish using the basics, and I will buy the ‘shake and bake’ kit

11

build looks very nice. i am building my first tamiya aircraft kit and so far the fit is horrible and the cockpit looks like the surface of the moon. also have several in my kit pile. o well the bright side is they were 1/2 priced. anyways super pics thanks for sharing

12

The early Tamiya kits suffered from bad fit , the Sea Harrier was terrible.
That kit sits in my uncompleted pile.
Its about time someone did a good GR3 /FRS1 kit in '48th scale.
The kits released in the last 20 years have been very good quality.

13

Pix,

Regardless of the issues, this is a very nice model airplane, and a fine study of the conqueror of the Bismark. Tamiya has built thier reputation on engineering kits that make the average builder look good. Most Tamiya lovers are impressed by the ease of assembly minimizing the “risk” factor. To others, the over engineering is “boring”. To each his own, and for the sake of our hobby, I hope that all the manufacturers stay in business for a long time.

Steve

Steve

14

You sure done an excellent job on it Bill, despite the woes! I’ve gotten so use to doctoring models, I don’t think I’d know how to act if I got one that was right, right out of the box!

You’ve done your sole Tamiya example proud, and thank you for letting us see it! [:)]

Take care,
Frank

15

Thank you Dave, roadkill, Model Museum, snibble, Skarpotchi, upnorth, pingtang, Jason, oggy, ghettochild, crockett, and Frank !

Dave - to me, it’s not fighting with a kit. I enjoy refining the parts to get them to work with each other. It’s very satisfying, and I feel like I’ve accomplished something.

snibble - the Eduard set wasn’t available when I started this kit. I started it when it was first issued, then it went back in the box for a few years. My enthusiasm for a kit that did everything for me waned. I pulled it out about a year ago and painted & decalled it. Last week I began to finish it. I wasn’t going to pay that much and keep it unbuilt.

crockett - my sentiments exactly. Glad to hear that I’m not alone, as attacking a Tamiya kit is like playing footsie with an alligator to some modelers. We ALL have our preferences, and there are kits out there that satisfy us. Different things to different modelers.

Frank - I’ve built lots of Tamiya’s 1/48 kits, and they were all very easy. This includes the Corsair, Mosquito, He 219, Betty, Seiran, Fw 190D & F, Beaufighter, P-51D and George. This was the only one left unbuilt, and I don’t plan on buying any more of their stuff. Just not my cup o’ tea !

Here are some of my thoughts on their kits. They’re not for everyone, but then what is?
When designing the parts breakdown of their kits, Tamiya’s policy seems to be “make it easy, so more modelers will buy our product.” They seem to mold the kit with the least possible number of parts, and avoid molding tiny parts which may get lost or become broken. In a way, it’s like Network TV. The simpler you make it to understand, the more viewers you’ll get. You don’t even need to think when you watch, they tell you all you need to know.
As for the ease of building their kits, I equate it to music. Once you have learned to play a piano, you can play a rendition of “Three Blind Mice” that brings down the house. But how satisfying is that to the person playing the piano?

Thanks for listening to an old curmudgeon vent at paying too much for a kit that was too easy to build !

16

While I can’t come anywhere near to agreeing with you about Tamiya kits, Pix, I think we can all agree that you have created another masterpiece here!
Great job, and thanks for sharing.

17

Pix,
Sorry you didn’t enjoy the build from the challenge aspect, but the results are very much pleasing to these eyes. My compliments!

18

Wondered what happened to the Swordfish, now I know. Another great build Pix. I don’t share your opinion of Tamiya kits, but that’s what makes horse races. Break down & try one of their P-47D’s one day. Now, where’s the B-29?? [:)]

Regards, Rick

19

Pix,

That’s a Gorgeous Swordfish ! (easier to type than to say). From a spectator’s standpoint, it is a most impressive model.

Chris

20

Hi Bill,

The paint and fit you managed to get from your kit certainly make one good looking Fairey Swordfish. The price may have been a little steep etc., but I would dwell on the positives of the kit and the really great job you did with it.
Great build, keep em coming, Bill…