Hi Everyone:
I haven’t visited this forum for a while, as work’s been keeping me away from the finer things in life. Aah, well… I’ll be getting some time off quite soon, and was trying to think of some kits to do. In particular I’m trying to find really good 1/48 scale modern aircraft kits that are easily available for around $20. (This is the only way I can justify buying a new one when I still have several that are half-complete).
How are Esci kits? I know it’s a general question and that, like all companies, some of their kits will be better than others; but I’m hoping to get a sense of the average quality of their kits. Raised panel lines? Poorly detailed cockpits? Overemphasized surface detail? Poor fit?
In short, is Esci a safe bet? By the way, what became of this company?
Thanks in advance to all!
I have several of their kits. I just posted pictures of an ESCI Cessna. The kits have recessed panel lines. The cockpit on the military a/c is very basic, a tub with smooth surfaces to apply decals for instruments. Seats could do with some enhancement. The F8 Crusader I have, has warped wings. Some details on the FJ2/3 are overdone. A review I read of it said it was really a 2, not a three. I had some problems with decals breaking apart. They give you a place to start.
I’ve only built one of their kits: the F-16A, and it was one of the worst I’ve seen. the interior, decals, and fit sucked, but it may have been one of their older kits (?).
I haven’t bought one in decades, but the older kits were a mixed bag—some are great for their era, others are a waste of otherwise good styrene. Hard to tell which. It might help if you had specific kits in mind.
Back in the late 70s / early 80s they were really good value for money. I must have built just about all of their 1/48 kits at a time or another, and some were better than others. The F16 and F-18 are more representations of pre-production aircraft. The detail inside the office is basic, but a good base to start with; at the time, they compared VERY favourably against what Airfix and Matchbox offered! The details elsewhere were much better too. I remember big fit problems with the Kfir, between wings and fuselage, but the completed model is so nice that it was worth the pain… Their 1/72 kits were very nice too, as were their WWII subjects in 1/48 (Henschel 123, Hs 129,…)
All said, I’d never put $20 for one of them.
Thanks, Guys. I appreciate your detailed answers. As expected, seems some of their stuff is passable. Was thinking of the F-16, but not necessarily. I see the Esci kits up for sale fairly often on Ebay, and was just wondering what would be in the boxes if I bought a Phantom, Tiger or F-16 (or some other).
I don’t mind the work of detailing/conversion, so as a base, maybe I’ll give Esci a shot. What else can you get in 1/48 for around $20 (S aand H included), right?
Take care,
Mark
Well, most of the modern fighter kits by Revell/Monogram? At least, last time I checked.
Maybe I actually exhibited foresight in stocking up my unbuilt kit stash!
Steve H.
As others have said ESCI are a bit of a mixed bag. ERTL, then AMT bought their molds. Some 1990s AMT kits were new molds (and very nice kits), but some were reissues of old ESCI kits. I’ve read Italeri owns the molds now.
At their best, ESCI were comparable with late 70s and early 80s Monogram kits. In some cases they fall below Monogram’s quality. Some of the later ESCI kits have recessed panel lines, but probably 75% of them have raised panel lines.
If you’re looking for an inexpensive build that won’t drive you batty, most old ESCI kits would fit that bill.
I’m more familiar with WW II era aircraft kits, so this may not apply. Another good bargain are Otaki/Arii kits. They usually go for less than $10 on Ebay and they are very buildable with recessed panel lines and generally good fit. I built a few of them years ago and there were no big gaps that needed filling. The figures that come with the kits are pretty ugly, but the kits themselves are nice.
I recall building an Entex F-16 way back when. It may have been an Otaki mold, I don’t recall. It had recessed panel lines and excellent fit. I was in my early teens at the time and didn’t usually notice the fit all that much, but I recall being impressed at how tight the fit was.
Bill
Mark;
ESCI kits are okay they are kind of like Monogram kits, but the Monograms where a knotch higher in detail, they are of the late 70’s & 80’s vintage, now they being released as Italeri kits and about 3 times the price you could get on Evil Bay, Esci made kits that most companies would not do or have really no draw to, they did especially European aircraft of the day, and they need some filling and adjusting to make them right ,and their 1/72 scale planes are better then the 1/48’s but most are okay, the kits to stay away from are their 1/48 scale A-10, F-16, F/A-18 because of the Academy’s, Hasegawa’s & Revellograms are far superior then these and those kits are only of the prototypes, but they are great kits to gain experience from like their Monogram counterparts and are quite fun to build, I have their A-7, A-10, F-8E, F-16, MiG-23, MiG-27, Mirage F-1, Mirage 2000, Specat Jaguars (Brit & Franc),Dassualt Mystre, and UH-1’s all are fair like I said but they are fun to build, and cheap to get if you could get them from a LHS (if there are any around anymore)
I also have a stash of old ESCI kits that I acquired what seems like many year ago. Back then they were cheap and had a large variety on the market. The one I built were not always the best, but they were challening to say the least. I never liked their decals and used aftermarket decals.
If I’m not mistaken, and someone please correct me? I believe the ESCI molds are now owned by ITALERI and they have reissued some kits under their name, that’s why I now shy away from some kits unless I know who made them.
TN;
I completely agree with you on the Italeri bit, they are now running the old Esci kits under their banner now like AMT used to do but back then you knew AMT and Esci where together now days you can’t tell whose is who, I know alot of the Pro-Modeler Luftwaffe planes Ju-88A-4 & C-4, Ta-152, Ta-154, Do-217 kits where Dragons, as with the A-4, F-4, P-38, & Ju-87 where Hasegawa’s, I know for a fact the Italeri A-10 is the old Esci, and the A-20’s are of the old AMT’s and the TBM is Accurate Minitures, and Accurate Minitures SB2C’s are Revell/Monograms