I’m getting back into modeling after a 42 year hiatus. (I last buildt a model in 1976 at age 16).
Can you give me a suggestion for an good aircraft kit that will re-intruduce me to modern modeling? I enjoy building 50’s - 70’s fighter and attack aircraft in 1/72 scale. There seem to be quite a few good looking kits, decals and other aftermarket parts out there that would fit my bill but I don’t know what to look out for.
Does anyone have a suggestion for a good re-starter kit for me?
p.s. My 1973 vintatge Badger 200 Airbrush still works great! The commpressor…not so much!
My [2cnts] for what it’s worth. Some companys have gotten better in making kits and some have not. I’ve been building for 71 of my 77 years and find that if you just pick a kit that you like and build away, you learn a lot along the way. If you buy one of the really “great kits” everyone talks about that has all the latest upgrades (resin, metal and photo etch parts) it can lead to a bit of frustration and agravation. Stick to a few simple kits that you like. After making them and getting comfortable with being back in the hobby, then move up to the more complicated ones.
Hope that this helps.
Jim [cptn]
Hang in there, you’ll be getting lots of suggestions.
Whatever kit you get go for one with low parts count to start and stick to a simple one or two color paint scheme. Do not try natural metal finish paint scheme on the first go.
A good simple build, with an easy paint job will allow you to get a build done without too much frustration which can kill your enthusiasm to get back into modeling.
Try finding a kit on eBay for cheap. At 1/72 you will find listing where a seller is selling several kit as a lot for a deal. You can get 4-5 kits at once usually for under $50 bucks. This can give you a handful of kits to practice on as you get back into it.
I have not built a 1/72 aircraft in your interest area for over 30 years. But I’d say start of with something in a simple paint scheme from a few years later like a F-15E Strike Eagle Or F-117 Nighthawk. Both are in simple monotone schemes, and more than one offering of the type out there from kit companies.
I’ll second those who recommend keeping it simple. Airfix and Revell (which is actually a merger of Monogram and Revell, with Monogram’s operations and the Revell label) have good, simple kits in your subjects. I also recommend looking on the second-hand market, such as eBay, or at any model shows or clubs that are near you. You can get some classic Revell or Monogram pre-merger kits, that you probably built back in the day. That’s what I did, when I got back into modeling around 1999 after a hiatus of about 20 years. You can get some bargains.